LongLegsBigCity

The Proposal (And Emoji-FIANCÉ’S Grand Reveal)

February 25, 2020 8 Comments

This may be the most exciting blog I’ve written. I know you guys loved to read about my student loans and fitness classes, but what you were REALLY waiting for was a proposal from the mystery-man-behind-the-emoji. And it happened! I was completely surprised and I had no idea I would be publishing this blog this week. I thought I was going to write about HelloFresh. No offense to HelloFresh but this far exceeds anything that post would have been.

Of course the first question everyone asks about the proposal is, “How did he ask??” Actually, the FIRST question everyone asks is, “When are you getting married??” But when I tell them I have no idea, the next question is “how did he do it?” Since the proposal was a surprise, I decided to write this blog in first person, mostly in the order in which I found out the details, not in chronological order. There was a lot of pre-work and scheming that went into the proposal, ring choosing, etc, but I didn’t know about any of it until after. Let me start on Friday night, Valentine’s Day.

As is the case with pretty much every night we try and go out, I was running late. I had taken a comp day from work because I had been working long hours all week. Even though I woke up at 6 am to go to the gym, I was relaxing and running errands all day. Gym, laundry, grocery store, etc. My emoji-boyfriend (… um… emoji-FIANCE… um… should I call him Chris now?) was also working from home Friday, so as I was folding the laundry as he was in the shower getting ready for our date, which was a surprise.

I had showered earlier and asked him for a brief outline of the date, so I knew what to wear. He said, “dinner and a show, but not crazy fancy dinner, I know you hate that” (true), so I pulled out a semi-casual dress. When he got out of the shower the apartment was completely steamy, and if you’re a girl with any sort of wavy hair, you know that means – absolutely no style will hold in your hair. Of course this caused me to be even later. I quickly straightened my hair and put a 1-minute French half braid in my hair. This may seem like an inconsequential detail. But it just proves how much of a surprise this proposal was. I would NEVER have had my hair straight and/or with a haphazard braid if I had known. HELLOOO I have 4 different curling wands/irons AND A BRAIDING BUSINESS. I would have PREPARED. Alas.

We left the house 15 minutes later than intended and headed to one of our favorite wine bars in our neighborhood called Vanguard. Luck was with us, because there were actually two seats left at the bar next to each other, which I was surprised about on Valentine’s Day. We each had a glass of wine and paid as soon as the bartender poured because we were in a hurry for our dinner reservations. I couldn’t tell you a single thing we talked about, probably a show we are watching on Netflix. After our wine, we put our coats back on and the only clue I had was that we were taking the 2-3 train southbound.

Around 14^th street, Chris asked if I knew where we were going. I said, “no clue, somewhere downtown?” When we got off the train at Chambers Street, I still had no idea, but I remember making a comment about being jealous of girls going out in groups for Galentine’s Day. LOL I mean, don’t get me wrong, obviously I LOVE my FIANCE but also I love my girls. If i had known there was a diamond on the horizon I probably would not have made that comment.

We were walking for what seemed like an hour in 18-degree weather (it was about 5 minutes), when Chris asked again if I knew where we were going. Again, I said no, but then I realized that we were in front of Bubby’s in Tribeca, the restaurant where we had our first date. For a SHORT second, I thought maybe he would propose, but then I realized it’s just a restaurant we both like, and that he could probably get a reservation there on Valentine’s Day. Also, the Tribeca location where we met was closed for renovations for a few months, so I figured he just thought I’d be happy it was open again.

Before the date even began he brought me home flowers while I folded laundry!

The hostess seated us, and the server announced a prix fixe option including unlimited champagne for 90 minutes. Since we both don’t love champagne and we also wanted to order off the menu, we said no to prix fixe, and ordered our own drinks. I had a Bourbon Sweet Tea. Yes, this is an important detail too, so you understand how much we are about to drink. It was mango infused bourbon, sweet tea, & lemon. Of course we ordered biscuits to start. If you ever go to Bubby’s, GET THE BISCUITS. In hindsight, I was certainly glad I had some carbs in my stomach because by the time the meal came, I was too excited to eat.

Some of our conversation at dinner was about our first date, what we talked about then, etc. Chris later told me he was trying to set up the proposal, but as usual, I was completely oblivious. He also later told me that he took the day off of work because he knew he was going to propose, and I ruined his alone time by taking a comp day – also completely oblivious to that. ANYWAY.

When our main courses arrived, I started cutting up the avocado in my cobb salad when Chris said, “before we have our food, I have a question to ask you.” FULL STOP. That was when I knew. If you know me, you don’t come between me and my food unless it’s for something amazing.

Then Chris started in on his semi-planned proposal (maybe he planned to practice in the mirror all day, but I ruined those plans by hanging out on the couch).

He said that since this was the place where we got our start, he wanted it to be the place where we had our next start. Then he said a lot of amazing things about me and how much I mean to him. I pretty much blacked out when I realized he was going to propose. But I later asked him what he had said, and my memory was almost spot on. Then he asked me to marry him and took a FABULOUS ring out of his coat pocket. AND I SAID YES!! I was so excited I couldn’t even cry. I did say, “Should I be crying? I feel like I should be crying.”

Now before I go on with the story of the night, I want to take a quick break to address this ring. Y’all… this thing is GORGEOUS. I mean. Showstopper. He did SO WELL. This is not the first time my adorable fiance has bought me jewelry, and let’s just say, it’s been hit or miss. We have made exchanges on more than one occasion. But this?? 100% perfect. How did he do it??? Well duh, he had some help from my friends. I couldn’t leave something this important up to chance. I mean, ladies and gents, we had been dating for 4.5 years. Yes, I was COMPLETELY surprised that he proposed on that night, but did I think it was coming?? I sure hoped so! I had sent a photo of the type of ring I wanted to anyone I thought he might ask. My mom had it. My best friend had it. My sister had it. His sister had it. Sure enough, I found out later that he asked my BFF and she did me proud and showed him the photo. And he got it exactly right, if not better because it is SO SPARKLY. I didn’t post a photo on Facebook because that’s tacky but if you want to see it, I’ll gladly show you. Either in person or photographic evidence. Ok, now back to the story.

So remember we already had a glass of wine at the wine bar and a whiskey drink at dinner because we hadn’t picked the prix fixe option? My now-fiance had called the restaurant ahead of time to tip them off, so the server was waiting for the right moment to bring over a bottle of champagne, on the house. I don’t love champagne but I do love free stuff! Needless to say, I could barely eat because I was so excited. So instead I just guzzled champagne while staring at my ring every time I brought the glass to my face. The next day’s hangover was worth it.

We finished the entire bottle of champagne and got ready for the next stop of the night. But first, I went to the bathroom and texted a photo of the ring to my best friend. The text read something like, “This is completely unexpected so my nails look like sh*t and don’t show this photo to anyone but OMFG!!!” Of course she started texting me back with a million questions but we were already en route to our next destination, West Side Comedy Club.

We love going to comedy shows together, and especially when they are right in our neighborhood! This show was a special 9 pm Valentine’s Day show about relationships. There were single comics, queer comics, comedians who were enagaged, comedians who were married and performing together, comedians who were married and performed separately… it was a lot and it was hysterical. I love shows with multiple acts because if one person is terrible or not your style, you only have to put up with them for 10 minutes. But overall, they were hilarious. The tables had chocolate Hershey kisses and hearts on them, and best of all, despite the club having a 2-drink minimum, our server forgot to come back to us so we only had to have one drink each, which was ideal after the chugging of the bottle of champagne at dinner.

Insta-story continues (no one knew I had a ring on my rfinger!)

When the show was over, we hustled home in the cold and passed out. Too much to drink. I woke up early the next morning because I had to teach a spin class. One of the girls I see often at the gym saw me helping someone adjust their bike and said, “Did you get engaged or have I never noticed that ring?” and I said, “I got engaged,” and she said, “Congratulations! When?” and the whole room went silent just as I said , “Last night.” I went from telling two people, to telling 25. Woops.

After spin class, I took a quick shower and rushed off to get my nails done so I could take a proper photo of my new pet rock, as I have taken to calling it. I used the ring light (no pun intended) that I have to take hair photos to show off the SHINE properly. Once my nails were 100, we went out to brunch and then Chris told me he booked a hotel room for us! We packed overnight bags and headed to the Conrad Downtown.

We had a water view room where we could watch the ferries go to and from New Jersey. I was in the room for approximately 60 seconds before I put on the softest most luxurious robe ever and sat down in bed. Chris promptly took a nap and I read my book. Being engaged is EXHAUSTING! After a little energy boost, we finally started the mandatory phone calls and texts to tell people before the news broke the internet. It’s not like I’m Kim Kardashian, but y’all know people have been waiting for this for literally years. Legit, every time I go on a trip with Chris, my DM’s are filled with messages that just say “💍?”

The second we got there I put on the robe

We called his siblings, and I texted my friends, I called my siblings, and after a few hours of that, we went to dinner at El Vez. I usually don’t drink at dinner, but it was a celebration! I had two margaritas. Ok, I had three.

I told Chris how much anxiety I was having about posting on social media. The pressure is intense! I have been seeing engagements on my feed for at least a decade. I have seen everything from cliche to disgusting. I didn’t want to be either of those things. I definitely was not going to post “I said yes!” I thought about just posting a photo of us from the restaurant. But people have been seeing photos of us at restaurants for YEARS. I didn’t think people would believe me without seeing the ring! But I don’t believe in just posting a photo of the ring. So garish. So materialistic. Also, it’s not about the ring (but goddamn that thing is so pretty). I said to Chris, “Quick, get me with this taco so I can show people the ring.” Chris is great at taking photos of my hair. But of me eating? Not so much. There were ten outtakes. We finally got a good, “Does this taco make me look engaged” photo, which is very on-brand, and cliche but not too cliche, and I decided to post the taco and the happy couple pic. But I still wasn’t ready.

When I was asking him who else I needed to tell, it came out that he went all the way to Philadelphia to ask my parents for their blessing! I had no idea. He had told me he was out to dinner with a friend in New York, which I blindly trusted. I guess that’s a good thing? Anyway, my parents already knew when he was set to propose. My mom took a photo when they were together in Phily and wanted to post it on Facebook, which my dad and Chris promptly told her would ruin the entire purpose of the surprise. And since my mom can’t keep a secret and knew she couldn’t post about it, she told my sister. Then she felt bad so she told my brother, as well. And my sister didn’t want to hold it in, so she told my best friend. BASICALLY, everyone knew except me. This made breaking the news much easier.

We went back to the hotel Saturday night, slept a longggg time, and when Sunday rolled around, I was finally ready. Around 3 pm, I said to Chris, “Are you ready to break the internet??? Let it rip!” And I posted on two Instagram accounts and on Facebook. As of this writing, we are at 392 likes on Facebook. I still need a good photo for my Braidstagram with ring on display, I’m waiting for the perfect moment.

It’s been a little longer than a week since he proposed, and I’ve slowly been asking him details about how he planned it. Turns out, it’s been a long time coming. He bought ring-sizing instruments from online and sized one of my rings when I was at work. I fully sabotaged this plan by telling my best friend the wrong size, which he trusted. The ring is currently back at Blue Nile, being resized… I miss it so much.

I promised you guys a grand reveal of his face once we were engaged, so here it is: the very happy couple a few minutes after his proposal. Was his cute face worth the wait? I SAY YES!

Miscellaneous

SoJo Spa

February 5, 2020 2 Comments

Last week I went to a spa for the first time and it was magical. Really, like stepping into a dream. Specifically, I went to SoJo Spa, and I am definitely going to be making a trip (or 10) back. Here are a few reasons why:

First of all, it was almost free. Ok, it wasn’t free, but I had paid for it last year as a Christmas present for my bf and we never used it. So pretty much I had forgotten how much I had paid for it and it was free. In reality, it’s $75 on the weekend on $55 during the week, which is actually a bargain since you can stay there for like 14 hours.

Second of all, the transportation was free. This is actually true. They have a free shuttle that picks you up from midtown Manhattan! This is a huge perk because the spa itself is in New Jersey (I know, ew), and it’s not easy to get to NJ without a car. Plus, tolls! I was happy to book us seats in the shuttle 2 weeks in advance online, and not have to worry about getting there and back. The only drawback was picking the time in advance. I didn’t know if I’d want to spend the whole day there. In hindsight, duh, I should have taken the last shuttle back, but at the time I wasn’t sure. We picked the 11 am shuttle there, and the 6 pm back; it left exactly on time and the ride only took 20 minutes.

Third of all, they have Asian-inspired food in their dining hall, which is some of my fav cuisine. It’s Asian-fusion, with sushi, bulgogi, salmon rice bowls, udon, etc. When we had lunch, it came with a surprise bowl of miso soup. Yum.

I realize I haven’t actually talked about the spa yet. Let’s get to the good stuff.

When we were dropped off at the spa from the shuttle, there was a huge line to get in. This was a little annoying because it was cold. But the line actually had HUGE heaters, so eventually the top of my head was burning hot. Not ideal. But it moved pretty quickly, and we were inside within 15 minutes. Then we paid/scanned our gift certificate, had our bags checked (I had to chug the remnants of my iced coffee), and proceeded to the “shoe lockers.” The whole facility is a shoe-less facility, so you put your shoes there for the day, and the “key” to the locker is a wristband you wear all day. You can pay for food with it, massages, and also open your main locker with it upstairs.

We went up to the 4^th floor where the locker rooms are and got changed. They give you a towel and a robe to wear all day over your swimsuit. A majority of the facility is coed, so swimwear it required. I am pretty used to stripping in front of other women in gym locker rooms, so this was normal for me to change into a swimsuit. For the shy people, there were changing rooms but there was a line for them.

I locked up all of my valuables, took my book, and explored the locker room a bit. There were about 100 showers with nice toiletries (which I never used), and also women-only hot tubs and saunas. There was an interior exit and an external exit to many many hot tubs, each with different purposes. I had told Chris I would meet him at the foot massage path, a shallow pool with flat and rounded stones on the bottom. This is meant to “provide walkers a natural foot reflexology massage while improving balance and heightening body awareness.” What it really did was KILL my feet. There was a sign that said, “advanced to the left, beginners to the right.” Unfortunately, I started on the wrong end, so left was right and right was left, and I had no idea what I was doing besides that fact that I was crying in pain and holding on to the railing for dear life. Oh, also, I couldn’t find my bf and my phone was in my locker. I slowllllyyy got to the other end of the foot path, went back to my locker, and told him to meet me at a more central location.

Once I was with my emoji-bf who is much smarter than me, he helped me realize that we were walking on the wrong side of the foot path, and things got much easier from there. We took off our robes in one of the many heated tents, and quickly shuffled into the first hot tub, or “silk bath,” which “utilizes state-of-the-art Japanese white ionization technology that infuses hot spring micro-bubbles directly to the water to nourish body tissue and improve skin elasticity.” Do I believe any of that? Maybe. But it was a nice hot tub either way. We then made our way to the hydrotherapy pool, which was one of my favorite spots of the day. It’s a pool with various little cubbies you can stand and sit in, which have jets aimed at different parts of your body. Shoulders, calves, hamstrings, lower back. It was glorious. After trying out a few different cubbies, we headed to the Dining hall for some Asian fusion.

After lunch, feeling refreshed but a little tired, we decided to do some exploring, then check out some of the saunas. We stopped by the gym ($5 extra fee, but like, who wants to work out??), we saw the infinity pool which was packed with people taking selfies, we saw the yoga studio, and checked out their “coworking space,” which was really just a corner with a long desk and 6 office chairs. After walking a few hundred steps, it was time to relax again and find the saunas. It was packed! Granted, it was a three-day weekend, but it was a little annoying to go into the first sauna and find it packed like sardines. Luckily, there were many options. We eventually found room to lay out on the ground in the charcoal sauna, and spent about 15-20 minutes baking in there.

After that, we headed to the relaxation lounge, and I finally got a chance to dive into my book. I even took a little nap. After my nap, I was reinvigorated and ready to sweat some more, so I did some sauna hopping. I went to the red clay sauna, the Himalayan Salt sauna, and the white clay sauna, I mixed in some times in the ice room to cool down, and even spent 15 minutes reading on the hot stone beds.

I met up with my bf, who was still relaxing back in the relaxation lounge, and we watched the sun go down over Manhattan and realized we only had an hour left before changing to go back to NYC. We made a plan to hit up some of the things we hadn’t seen yet, and started with the Ganbanyoku Room. This is “bedrock bathing,” which is basically Japanese hot stone therapy. According to SoJo’s website, you lay down on a “heated black mineral slab which emits far-infrared rays and negative ions to speed up the release of toxins from the body through perspiration. Pressure points around the body that are in contact with the stones are stimulated to alleviate joint, muscular and nerve pain. Other benefits include healthier skin tone, blood circulation and improved immune system.” Again, not sure I believe any of that. But what I can say for sure is it was HOT. I mean like 110 degrees. You must put towels down under every part of your skin that is showing including your toes. I lasted approximately 8 minutes in that room. We then headed back to the pools for a final dip. First to the carbon-rich bath, and then to the Hinoki, or white cedar bath.

Unfortunately, our time was up (if we didn’t want to miss our free shuttle back to NYC), so we went back to the locker room, changed, checked out by scanning our wristbands and paying for any extras, and headed back downstairs to our shoe lockers.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. It was crowded, but on the Sunday of a 3-day weekend, it was no more crowded than I expected. I still was able to experience everything I wanted – 4 saunas, 5 hot tubs, I finished half of a book, spent time with my bf, AND I got to take a nap in the middle of the day. I can’t imagine going in the summer, because my favorite part of the hot tubs and saunas was the cold outside air in between. However, there are cold pools and waterfalls, and chaise lounges for tanning in the summer. Those were all closed in January. I may need to check it out in June and write a compare/contrast blog by season. Anyone want to go with me?

Big City Living

Mean Girls on Broadway

January 29, 2020 2 Comments

On Wednesdays we wear pink. And we also go see Mean Girls on Broadway. Let me tell you it was SO FETCH. It was probably my favorite day of the year so far. And that’s only because October 3^rd hasn’t happened yet.

For those of you who are lost, you should really brush up on your Mean Girls movie quotes. From here on out, I promise to tell you about my experience and not just quote the movie. My experience was AWESOME. Really. You guys know I set annual goals for myself, and the best way to make your goals a reality is by telling people so you stay accountable. In this case, I told all of my friends that I wanted to see 3 Broadway shows so they would invite me with them. TADAA my plan worked! Well, sort of.

My good friend has a way better memory than me (or is better at setting alarms on her phone), so she remembers to enter the lottery online to win tickets to Broadway shows almost every week. She even enters for shows she has already been to. Two weeks ago, she won tickets to see Mean Girls on Tuesday. Unfortunately, she asked me if I wanted to see it, and also asked her coworker, and we both said yes. I told her it was fine and I could go another day. Little did I know, another day would be THE NEXT DAY. And better yet, it was WEDNESDAY!

The way the Broadway Lottery works, for the non-New-Yorkers among us, is that you enter online, and then you find out the day before if you won. The tickets aren’t free, but they are drastically reduced. In this case, they were $47.50 each. The main drawback is, you never know where the seats will be, or if they will be together. Also, the person who wins the tickets needs to be present with their ID to pick them up. My friend, even though she won the lottery, said I could pick someone else to go with since she had already seen it. I picked my sister, and she was thrilled to join me even though she hadn’t even seen the movie. (She doesn’t even go here!!) My friend went to the theater to pick up the tickets and be my sister’s and my official Mean Girls photographer, and then left to go home. What a good friend, amirite??? She’s no Regina George. Plus, we got lucky. The seats were together and they were orchestra row R.

Even though my sister hadn’t seen the movie, she had me, Mean Girls trivia extraordinaire, to coach her through the experience. I explained how OBVIOUSLY we needed to wear pink. I took out all of the pink in my dresser (literally, I laid my shirts out on my bed and sent pics to my sister) and asked her which I should wear so we could match. True to her word, my sister showed up in a bright pink dress and a light pink, sparkly scarf in her hair. We both had packed snacks, like professional show-goers. In my sister’s bag – chocolate covered raisins (in a Ziplock bag so they didn’t make noise, duh), and a bottle of water. In my bag – cut up pieces of apple, lifesaver gummies, and chocolate mint bark thins. We were ready for show time.

It was SO GOOD. Like… one of my favorite shows in the past few years, and I have seen a LOT! And better yet, my sister loved it and she didn’t even know the story beforehand! She said it reminded her a lot of real high school dynamics (she works in a school), and she especially liked Damien, both the character and the actor, who she recognized from when he played one of the elders in Book of Mormon.

It was a fun experience for me to see a familiar story acted out in real life, and I loved the addition of the musical numbers. I had a bit of trouble understanding the words when Regina sang, and when I said that at intermission to my sister, she said the same thing. Actually, she may have said it first and then I said, “omg me too.”

But by far, the funniest part of the show was Aaron Samuels, the main character’s love interest. I am pretty sure that they didn’t cast him thinking he would be the funniest part, but… let me explain. On any given day, it doesn’t really matter if you can sing. And most of the time, you can’t even tell if someone isn’t a fantastic vocalist. But when you’re on the stage of a Broadway production, surrounded by amazing vocalists, it should be a prerequisite. And if you CAN’T sing? Let’s just say, people notice.

Poor Aaron Samuels, though, or I should say, poor Cameron Dallas… he was TERRIBLE. I mean really really bad. In the first Act, he only sang a few lines. And at intermission I said to my sister, “what is going on with him? Is he sick? Is he really bad? Did you hear that?” So, we did some research in the Playbill. Usually, the playbill is filled with paragraphs of stage credits for each leading person. Shows in high school, shows on Broadway, traveling productions in the US and abroad… this guy? He has 20 million Instagram followers. And zero stage credits. We had a serious a-ha moment. He was cast because he is an influencer!! It made so much sense. There were screaming girls in the audience, all in attendance to see their favorite YouTube sensation. No matter at all that he couldn’t carry a tune to save his life and there are thousands of starving actors in NYC dying for their big break. Honestly, it pissed me off. But also, it cracked me up.

In Act 2, he sang a lot more. There was even a scene that was supposed to be a quiet scene in a bedroom, but it was difficult not to gawk at how bad of a singer he was. The entire theater was tittering and talking, and at first I thought people were making fun of him, but NOPE. It was his teeny bopper fans fawning over him! When the show ended, they jumped out of their seats to give him a standing ovation and rushed the stage door to try and grab selfies with him. Meanwhile, I googled him to figure out what his talents were that got him 20 million followers. They were definitely not singing or dancing. (Spoiler alert: they don’t exist. But he did struggle with addiction and started a charity about that.)

UPDATE! I saw it again! I was saving this blog to make sure I posted it on a Wednesday, and in the interim, I actually saw the show AGAIN! After attending the show, my sweet emoji-bf who was out of town told me he was so jealous. To my surprise, he said he had always wanted to see it. I knew he loved the movie but I didn’t think he would be interested in the showtunes version, but I was wrong. 6 days later, my friend won lottery tickets AGAIN and of course I said yes!! And I attended the show with him and he loved it.

Overall, the show was a GREAT time and I would recommend it 100%. Take yourself, take your boyfriend, or take your kids, especially if you don’t want to be a regular mom, you want to be a COOL mom!

Long Legs and other Personal Problems

Bullet Journaling in 2019

January 23, 2020 No Comments

Oops, I did it again. I wasted my time, got lost in the hype. Oh baby, baby.

That’s right guys, my failed 2018 resolution and I had another go-around. I am happy to say that with some major adjustments, I had slightly more success, which was largely because I changed my mindset and stopped caring about succeeding. Of course, I’m talking about bullet journaling.

You may remember my blog from a year ago about my 2018 failure.

For those of you who are new around here, a bullet journal is “a way to track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.” Sounds awesome. Unfortunately, it is VERY time consuming, especially if you want it to be cute! Which, of course I do.

If you are too lazy to read my blog from last year, the TLDR is that in 2018, I went down the BuJo Youtube rabbit hole, got obsessed with many different “habit trackers,” I got behind, I was tired of writing down everything I did, and I basically gave up on both the journaling aspect, the “tracking the past” aspect, and decided I would just use my google calendar to “plan for the future.” I decided to ditch the BuJo since it became a time-wasting method instead of a time-saving method.

But then I got a 40% off coupon for Michaels (seriously, I get one every 2 weeks, how does that store make money??) so I decided to buy a new notebook and start again with some adjustments.

The main parts of the bullet journal concept remained: the index to keep track of where everything was, the future log to put things for later in the year, the monthly log, weekly logs and collections. My main addition was a lot more scrapbooking. I kept little mementos from things I attended and attached them to the pages with Washi tape. For example, many many playbill covers, “Beat” stickers from football games, my ticket from the Belmont Stakes, tickets to Knicks/Heat games, and bus tickets and mementos from my travels.

The main changes in 2019 were to my collections and to the way I tracked my weeks. Between those changes to my actual bullet journal, and the change in my attitude about keeping up with it, aka my “IDGAF mentality,” I was able to successfully keep up with my journal all year long.

Collections:

Last year, I got reallllllyyy behind in tracking my moods. Also, it felt repetitive (yay for being happy most of the time), useless (why does it matter in December that I was sad for 2 days in January?), and also it was difficult to track if I fell behind. There’s actually a psychological phenomenon about this called rosy retrospection, and when I was a week behind, I just assumed I had been happy the whole week. Which is dumb and pointless. The first thing to go in my 2019 BuJo was the mood tracker. I decided to keep my 10,000 steps a day tracker, because it was easy to fill in if I got behind thanks to my FitBit app, and I kept my daily workout tracker, because I wanted to see the distribution of my workouts as I tried to add in more strength training to my routine.

I chose to get rid of pages I either didn’t use, or pages that were repetitive because I was tracking the data in some other way or in some other app. For example, I got rid of my “To-Read” page because it was easier to add them in the Good Reads app, and I always had my phone with me to add books as people recommended them to me. I also got rid of the ratings on my Movies Watched page, because I could remember how I felt about a movie without writing it down. I got rid of my “braids to learn” page, because they were bookmarked in my Instragram. I also got rid of my “Key” because after a year of bullet journaling, I didn’t have to remind myself what the symbols meant anymore.

The last thing I wanted to do was make my life MORE difficult, but I did add on a few new collections of pages for my 2018 layout. First, marathon training! I added my training schedule based on the Hal Higdon method, and I added pages to track my training and miles. I liked seeing it all together, instead of scrolling through my Nike+ app. Also, I liked writing down how certain runs felt to me, so I could remember that I sometimes had bad days, but they were often followed by much better ones. I also added a Braiding calendar at the beginning of each month. The “braiding community” often puts together “twins” for people’s birthdays, where you do a similar style or type of style for someone’s special day, or you just have a certain hashtag to add. This was hard for me to keep up with because they are often planned in advance so I reserved a page each month for this. I may not do this next year, because I often forgot to check my BuJo before posting for the day, anyway, and they are often planned early for the next month, so I couldn’t write them down anyway. TBD if this collection makes an appearance in 2020. I also added a collection of “hair hashtags” but I never ended up looking at it, so I think it will also get the boot in 2020.

I LOVED my Savings Goals page. Not only did I get a chance to draw my adorable piggy bank again, but it gave me a lot of pride and a sense of accomplishment to see that I was making my goals for the year. Speaking of goals, I also loved my goals page and will continue that for 2020. Also staying in 2020? My social stats tracking page, my blogs posted page (really trying for 24 this year), my spin themes page, and my reading stats page. I read 35 books last year, and definitely met my goal of non-fiction v. fiction, with 9/35 non-fiction! Only 6/35 were written by men, though. I need to work on that.

It was super fun to see my travel summarized on one page, so I will keep that for 2020, as well I was away 90 days, traveled 23,965 miles x 2 (there and back! 47,930!!), and I took 18 trains and 18 planes.

Weekly Log:

I think I was better able to keep up with my BuJo in 2019 because I changed the way I journaled my weeks. I often got behind by a day or two in 2018, so in 2019, I decided not to split up my weekly logs by day. I just gave a single page for a week, and jotted down a few memorable things about the week. The main reason I use my bullet journal is to remember goals and tasks I want to complete for the week that may not be incredibly important enough to set phone reminders, but make me feel good to check off and save me money. For example, for my tasks, I wrote down when I needed to cancel my Clear membership before the free trial was over. Or I wrote down that I needed to make a dentist appointment. Book a hotel for a wedding I was going to, buy more paper towels, frame my diplomas, RSVP to a wedding, Venmo request my bf for the electricity bill, buy a wedding gift (lots of wedding-related tasks). I also grouped my goals in this category, for example, publish a blog about my BuJo, apply for 3 jobs, finish my continuing education class final project. Writing down these small goals and tasks reminded me to do them, and also incentivized me to complete them. There’s really nothing like ticking a box or crossing something off of a list.

Monthly and weekly layouts, including braiding calendars. Featuring my terrible doodles.

IDGAF:

The main reason I was more successful in 2019 than in 2018 was because I did not give a f*ck. Here’s an example. In September, I went on a vacation to Paris with my bf. I brought my bullet journal. I did not write in it one single time despite already having laid out the pages. In 2018 I would have been upset with myself. In 2019, I just kept on going. In October, I went on a vacation to Greece. I was determined to keep up with my Bujo. Again, I brought it with me and I collected little mementos throughout the trip, and I didn’t write in it once. I just taped my bus tickets and winery pamphlets onto the pages and continued on. My lack of self-loathing for being behind in my bullet journal helped me continue.

The clarity for WHY I was journaling was helpful. For me, it’s to keep track of things I need to do, and to have a little reminder of my year at the end. And if I forget to write something? It’s not the end of the world. Has anyone out there tried their hand yet at bullet journaling? I bought some new Mildliner “creative markers” and I can’t wait to see how things change in 2020!

P.S. I still cannot doodle to save my life, but my piggy bank drawing is still adorable!

What a year in Broadway and shows attended!!

Long Legs and other Personal Problems, Miscellaneous

2019 Resolutions & Goals – A Recap

January 2, 2020 1 Comment

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a night filled with champagne and a next day filled with naps and recovery. At least, that’s what I did.

As you may know from years past, I don’t totally believe in resolutions, but yet I make them every year. This past year, instead of calling them “resolutions,” I instead called them goals, and I tried my best to work toward them all year. As I said in my previous post about resolutions, they don’t have to be negative or painful, like, “starve self to lose 10 pounds in a month.” Mine tend to be more positive, like “use all of my vacation days.”

One of my failed resolutions 2018, as you may recall, was starting a bullet journal. Well SURPRISE, I decided to actually try my hand at BuJo-ing again in 2019, and I switched up a few things about it to try and set myself up for success. I will dedicate an entire post to my semi-successful BuJo next week, but for now, I mention it because it’s where I wrote down my goals! That’s TIP #1: write your goals down!

I decided to split my goals into categories both for organization purposes and also because it helped me focus my thoughts and think meaningfully about them. Also, I tried to follow the ultimate goal formula, to make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based). My categories for the year were: Personal (a little vague), Social Media, Relationship, Work, and Financial.

Ironically, although I feel like I spend a majority of my time on social media every day, that is the sole category where I did not reach any of my goals. Lesson learned is TIP #2: Make sure you are being realistic in your goals. And TIP #3: Don’t be demoralized by failure, just reevaluate if that goal is still something you would like to achieve, decide if it should be adjusted, and then roll that goal over to the next year.

So what were my 2019 goals and did I achieve them? I’ll break it down for you.

Personal

Travel to 2 new countries – Check! I planned to go to Italy for my friend’s wedding, and Greece as a girls’ trip in the Fall. Sort of on a whim, my emoji-bf and I decided to add a 5-day jaunt to Paris for Labor Day, so I actually checked 3 new countries off the list! I LOVED this goal (who wouldn’t!?) and I think I’ll roll it over to 2020 to do again.
Learn to do a Dutch infinity braid on myself – Success!! I am not PERFECT at them, but they are presentable. I will continue to work on this one.
Film a tutorial video/learn how to edit video for Braid in Manhattan – FAIL! Or rather, I should say, I decided in around March that this was no longer a goal of mine. I reevaluated my business and decided it was more important to focus on getting clients and less important to give people tutorials on how to do it themselves and essentially undercut my client base.

Social Media

100 Tweets/Month – Fail!! Every year I make some sort of goal about getting better at Twitter. This was by far my best year yet, but I only tweeted about 650 times total. This is another roll-over goal. I think I will attempt the same thing again.
10,000 Followers on Braid in Manhattan – For my first year of BID, I gained over 1,000 followers from 500, and I thought that the growth would be exponential. I was wrong. I think Instagram also changed the algorithm so I was getting less likes as the year went on. However, I still did gain 2,080 followers over the year so that’s a nice bump! I’ll need to reevaluate my goal on this one. Maybe 6,000 is a more achievable goal.
Post at least 2 blogs/Month – Fail again! As much as I try to be consistent on here, things keep popping up (like surprise trips to Paris) and I lose my momentum. I started the year strong with 3-4 posts/month last year, but tapered off and only totaled at 17 for 2019. This seems like a feasible goal though, and I think I will try for 2/month again.

Relationship

Date Night once a week – Success! I am so happy this worked out, and we really tried to maintain it. I even put a calendar reminder at 7:30 pm every Tuesday night so we would remember. It didn’t need to be a date out, but we tried to switch between Netflix and home-cooked meals in, and fun nights out. Since our weekend activities often don’t line up with work travel and other responsibilities, we agreed to Tuesdays and have stuck to it.

Over the summer at one point, we let it slip and realized we weren’t spending any time with each other so we reinstated it and were much happier. I recently found out that one of my bf’s friends instated their own weekly date night and also love it, and that made me so happy!

Work

Successful Interview Week – Check! This is a week-long event I run every year, and for the second time, it was in LA last year. It was a huge success with a record number of participants.
Title Change – Career Center Director – Success! My actual title is Director of Career Services, which I like even more, but it’s important to really visualize what you want, so I wrote that title down on January 1 and kept looking at it every day!
Raise! $$ – Done! I went through a LONG job search process this year that was originally unplanned (perhaps I need to write a recap of that whole thing in a blog post), but ultimately I decided to stay at my current employer with a new title (as seen above) and new salary!
Run Session at Continuing Education Event – Success! I ran a session this past summer on the Johari Window and Covey Window/Time Management Matrix. It was great practice being in front of a group, and I think my group teaching skills are improving.
Begin Career Coaching Course – Not only did I begin this, I finished it! I submitted my final project last week and I am waiting for the grade so I can begin the credentialing process (a 2020 goal).

Finance

$38K in Retirement Account – Surpassed! Due to a good year in the markets, and a raise in the autumn, I surpassed this goal and I’m almost at $40K. I also maxed out my Roth IRA the last 2 years. That makes my overall net worth about -$50K! LOL
Pay off Private Student Loans – DONE. As I talked about in a previous blog, I transferred these to a credit card to give myself 20 interest-free months to pay them off. And I did! WOO! Of course I still have about $100K in Federal Loans but I’m trying to still run the clock off on those. 4.5 years to go!
Monetize Braid in Manhattan, Make $1000 – Surpassed! This was a great one to track and I had fun with it, filling in segments of a bow on my savings page in my BuJo. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for my fav hobby/side hustle.
Bring Lunch 3x/week – Surpassed. I brought lunch 4-5 times a week! This was a TOUGH one. It was very time consuming, but I saved a LOT of money, and I felt like I was eating healthier meals. It was semi annoying to always be carrying containers with me, but I think it was worth it. I’ll be trying to continue this one. It helps if your coworkers also bring their lunch. I love to go for a walk so I would often go with my coworkers and then get jealous and want to buy something. If we instead just go for a walk without a lunch destination, I save more money and have less FOMO.

Overall, it was a great year for me and I achieved a majority of my goals/resolutions. I am still forming my goals for the coming year. Who says they need to begin on January 1? Mine will probably begin around January 12. Brainstorm a few for yourself and let me know what you’re aiming for in the comments!

Big City Living, Miscellaneous

Breakfast Clown Comes to Town (a poem)

November 27, 2019 2 Comments

It’s the day before THE PARADE, so I think it’s time,

To talk about Macy’s and write a little rhyme.

You know my obsession with the parade runs deep,

I’m out on the streets while you’re all still asleep.

I’ve been watching for decades and some may say I’m obsessed,

But the parade runs in my family and I’d say I’m (hashtag) #blessed.

In rain, sleet or snow, I line the street at 6,

To get my giant balloon and Santa Claus fix.

6:30 am in the streets with my siblings, anxiously awaiting The Parade!

Last year was special and you know why,

For the first time, I marched WITH those characters in the sky.

I was a part of the action as a Viking Clown,

You probably know this, I wrote 8 blogs, I need to calm down.

But I’m not done yet, there are more posts to come,

I’m now officially a Macy’s Clown Alum!

This year is my SECOND one marching downtown,

This year I’m not a Viking, but a BREAKFAST CLOWN!

Butter, eggs or toast, the choices were tough,

Luckily for me, they were all delicious foodstuffs.

Unfortunately, my exact costume I don’t get to pick,

And I was sort of hoping for the butter stick.

However, the one I got has more mobility,

To prance 2.5 miles of Manhattan, I need my agility!

Tomorrow I’ll be on the streets as a PIECE OF TOAST,

I’ll be throwing confetti and doing the most.

Do not fret if you can’t find my bread,

There’s another way to find me – the butter on my head!

I’ll be in a yellow beanie and a gingham suit of red,

I’m not the full butter stick, but I’ll have a pad on my head instead!

Last year’s breakfast clown group. Don’t they look warm and toasty and eggcellent? WINKWINK

If you’re tuning in from home, here’s how to find me,

After the turkey float, Macy’s Stars, and Snoopy.

If the balloon doesn’t fly because of bad weather,

You can find me after the Peanuts float, they travel together!

I’ll be in the first ten minutes if you’re watching from the street,

But if you’re at home, on the couch, and off your feet,

I’ll be an hour after that, because it takes time to walk,

There are 40 streets and many, many roadblocks.

Don’t forget to set your alarm clocks,

Turn on the TV and watch like hawks,

Some clowns are weird and easy to mock,

But my bread get-up is the SEXIEST frock.

All those years I was warned “you are what you eat,”

I’m 5 foot 11 – I’ve never been petite.

I love all the foods, sweet, savory and an occasional treat,

But in my year-long quest to be a marathon athlete

My carb-loading journey is finally complete,

I’ve TURNED INTO BREAD, I am LITERALLY wheat!

Have an amazing Thanksgiving, I hope you have cable,

Or watch live on Youtube, if you’re able!

Big City Living, Fitness

NYC Marathon (in stream of consciousness)

November 21, 2019 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run a marathon? Have you ever thought, “Hmmm… 26.2 miles is a long way and it takes FOREVER. What does one think about while they try not to focus on their legs?” If so, then this blog is for you. I am going to tell you a lot of my thoughts during those 5+ very long hours. But don’t worry, I won’t tell you all of them. Who has 5 hours to kill? (Me… I guess).

Pre-Start Race Corral

Should I try to pee again? I just tried but maybe I should try again? Oh god, what are the port-potties gonna be like on the course? Is now when we need to take off our sweats? Because I’m still cold and I don’t wanna. UGH ok fine I will. Should I keep my tissues with me? Will they get soggy? They’re in a Ziploc but you never know. I sweat a lot. So many questions. EW WHAT IS THAT SMELL!? Oh my god port-o-potties. Wait… I can smell??? Oop! Now it’s gone. Thank god for this sickness. Have people been smelling that the whole time? That must suck.

Start Line

Oh wow! They play Frank Sinatra before we start? That’s pretty cool. The people who work the start line must be reallllly sick of this song if they play it every wave. This would be the… 6^th time they’re hearing it? How many apps do I need to start on my phone? Strava – check. Nike Running – check. Spotify – Check. How long will my phone last with all of these apps on? I wonder if Strava works if my phone is on airplane mode. I probably should have tested that. Too bad I downloaded it last night. I’ll do anything for a free lululemon tank top. Tell me something I didn’t already know. Ok. Time to run this sh*t. Or run-walk it. Or at least survive it. DAMNIT I accidentally left my tissues in the pocket of my hoodie that I just donated. I guess it’s snot-rockets from here on out.

Mile 1

Alright, this isn’t too bad. The views are killer. Is it too soon to stop for a selfie? I’m only doing this for Instagram likes anyway. Ok, that’s not entirely true. Damn, I really wish I had my tissues. Should I still stop every 5 minutes to walk like in my training? Everyone always says to take it easy through Brooklyn but no one said anything about on the Verrazano. Then again, I don’t want to get trampled. I guess I’ll stop to walk for 30 seconds and take a pic. Who knows how long my phone will last.

Mile 2

*sees sign “Yo! Welcome to Brooklyn!”* Oh cute!! Signs! I hope I see some witty ones. Someone just welcomed me personally to Brooklyn by name. Such a good idea to put my name on my shirt.

Mile 3

This isn’t too bad! I wish this was a Turkey Trot. I’d almost be done. 23 miles to go. FML. Wait, where did all those other people come from? Are they running the race, too? Let me ask one of them. Ah yes, they are. They just started on the lower level of the bridge. I wonder if that sucks. Not as many insta-opportunities. Well, look at all of us together now. 53,000 people in one HUGE happy family.

Mile 4

Thank GOD there are people out here with water bottles and TISSUES. Next year when I cheer, I am def bringing a box of tissues. You never know if there will be someone out there snot-rocketing their life away. Also, I’m glad I didn’t run with a water bottle. It’s so nice to have my hands free! And there are people all over the place handing them out.

Mile 5

First person I know!! My coworker brought the whole family out to cheer for me! Gotta stop for a selfie. OMG, her sign is made to look like my Braid in Manhattan business card!! Am I too sweaty to give hugs? Meh whatever, they can shower. I can’t shower. for 21 more miles. Woof.

Mile 6

I should be looking for more people from the gym. YES! Spotted!! This is fun. It’s like a super, super hard game of Where’s Waldo through the 5 boroughs.

Mile 7

Everyone wants to high-five me but I don’t think they understand the germs on my hands. Ew. Oh! That woman is giving high-fives with latex gloves on. Smart lady.

It’s 11:30! Time for more Dayquil! “Um, ma’am? Excuse me? My hands are shaking and I really need to open this Dayquil. Yes, I’m sick. No, I don’t feel great. Thanks!”

Alright, well that took a full 90 seconds. Good thing I already knew I wouldn’t be making any sort of time record. How many miles ‘til those meds kick in? 3? 4? 19? UGH.

Mile 8

The street names are words now instead of numbers. I’ll never find any of my friends. My dripping sweat is impeding my vision of street signs. OMG GYM FRIENDS! YAYYY BROOKLYN! I have to stop for a photo or two. Another coworker! This is so fun! More photos, please. Make sure everyone knows I am still alive. For now.

I actually turned around and walked back for this photo opp. #worthit

Mile 9

Full mile with no one I know. Wahhh, this isn’t fun. Why am I doing this again? Also, every time I stop for my scheduled walking breaks people scream my name to try and make me run again. Maybe I shouldn’t have put my name on my shirt?

Mile 10

SISTER!!! I hope I make it into her 1secondeveryday. I even made sure I was running! I can give her a hug despite the sweat and snot. She’s related to me. Hopefully she tells my mom I’m still alive. I wonder if I’ll spot her in Manhattan, too. I think my Dayquil is setting in! I can ALMOST smell. Smell myself, that is.

Mile 11

SO. MANY. JEWS. I was warned about this deadening silence. Like, I see them. They see me. But they’re pretending it’s just another normal day and 53,000 people aren’t running down the street. Cool, cool. JK, not cool, this is annoying AF. I almost wish I had headphones on. ALMOST.

Mile 12

No friends here either. Well at least there are a few spectators again. Why is everyone handing out candy? Oh yeah! It was just Halloween. I think I’ll stick with my Clif Bloks. I’m not trying to make any port-o breaks. Who knows how a Snickers will react in my stomach with all that Gatorade.

Mile 13

Remember when I ran a half marathon and I was like EW NEVER AGAIN? Why the hell did I think, “yea, let me do that TWICE IN A ROW.” I could be DONE now! And to make matters worse, it’s another bridge! Wahhhh I hate uphills.

Mile 14

Another huge bridge coming up. This is what I trained for. I’m EXHAUSTED. And the last two people I was supposed to see, I couldn’t find. This isn’t fun anymore. Should I just walk this whole bridge?

Mile 15

Oh, ok. So EVERYONE walks this bridge. It makes sense, because I’m walking relatively quickly and I’m almost passing some of the people “running.” Why waste my energy? SELFIE BREAK! There are NYRR volunteers stationed in the middle of the bridge specifically to take our pics. Ok, that’s probably not what they are specifically there for, but it’s a good bonus. Sure, I’ll stop. Why not. I’m not going very fast anyway.

The halfway mark! (and ANOTHER bridge, the Pulaski into Queens)

Mile 16

FRIENDS FRIENDS EVERYWHERE!! I needed excuses to stop and chat. Just a little coffee-clatching while very very sweaty. Should I change my shirt? My amazing emoji bf brought me a change. If my hands weren’t working enough to open Dayquil, I will probably struggle with the safety pins on my bib. Meh, I’ll just stay sweaty. “Only” 10 miles left anyway. It’s so fun to see my friends and their signs! Maybe I should just stay here. Ugh, ok FINE I guess I’ll go.

MY SISTER AGAIN! YAY! She noticed I didn’t change my shirt, HA! And our friend brought tissues. Thank god. Is it possible that Dayquil isn’t effective if you’re pushing your body like this? Like how antibiotics make birth control not work? Hmm, I should ask somebody that.

Mile 17

MORE FRIENDS! Omg Jacy brought her baby! That is dedication. Gotta take another pic. First baby on the course!

My sister disgusted by my nose-blowing and Sheridan’s festive hat

Mile 18

Gotham Gators out here with a personalized sign for me. Gotta chomp with them. At this point, I do realize I’m just taking any opportunity I can to stop running. Where the hell are the people with the water bottles like in Brooklyn?? I’M SO THIRSTY. I wonder if people in Manhattan are too broke from paying rent to be handing out free bottles of water. I really should have taken a water bottle with me. Come to think of it… it’s been many many hours and I’ve been drinking water and Gatorade at every mile… how don’t I have to pee at all? Is it all coming out of my nose? Is that a thing? I should ask someone that question, too.

They had a sign with my name on it too, but I think I liked this one better.

Mile 19

PERSONAL RECORD! I’ve never run more than 18 miles before. Yes, I feel like I want to die but I did it! Even if I don’t finish, at least I am breaking my own records. GOD I’m exhausted. Where is Sara? She said she’d be right on this corner! I better stop to look for her. Also because I MUST STOP.

Wait, is that her ponytail walking away? “SARA!” Omg! It’s her!! Come, walk with me. Forward is forward. Let’s take a selfie. Ok. Gotta go to the Bronx, I’ll be back in half an hour! I hope…

Mile 20

Willis Ave. Bridge. Well, good news is, I’m not the only one walking. Literally EVERYONE is. This is a secret piece of info no one ever told me. I did wonder how people run the whole thing. I guess the answer is, they don’t. Let me take a selfie and check on the battery percentage of my phone. 17% DAMN! I still have at LEAST an hour left! Oh damn, there’s a photographer. I guess he just got a pic of me on my phone and walking. It is what it is. #WorthIt for the selfie.

Mile 21

Good lord this is not easy. There’s a whole slew of port-o-potties. I guess the good news is, I still don’t have to pee at all. Bad news is… why? Should I be worried? My left ankle hurts. That’s weird. It’s not even my “bad” ankle. It’s not too bad, though. Oh, a biofreeze station, I’ll ask them to spray me. Hmm, that worked a little bit! And there’s an NYRR volunteer with The Stick. I’ll roll my quads a little. Plus, I need another break. God these stick thingies are miraculous.

I haven’t been to the Bronx since I filed something in court here. But now I guess I live here because I cannot move my legs anymore. HA! I cannot live in the Bronx. Jenny from the Block loved it so much and even she left. I must move. Forward is forward. I cannot stop coughing! I think these coughs are getting way worse. FINAL BRIDGE. A lady just screamed “This is the last f*cking bridge!” Hell yes, lady. Also, I enjoyed the sign that said, “F*ck it up, buttercup.” Obscenities are infiltrating my every thought at this point.

Mile 22

Holy hell this is HARD. And my coughs are def getting worse. I don’t want to stop but I have to double over from these coughing spells. I have some cramping in my abs, even, from the coughing. Oh, thank god. There’s Sara again. PLEASE WALK/RUN WITH ME. Yes, let’s go on Instagram-Live to distract me. No, I don’t think it matters that you’re just joining the race course. I NEED HELP! I wonder if I’ll regret talking about nipple chafing on Instagram? Meh, too late now. COUGH COUGH COUGH OW. Well, good news is, everyone around me limping and walking super weird. I’m running/walking totally fine. Except for when I’m doubled over struggling to breath between coughs.

Mile 23

5K left! I can do this. I’ve run a 5K a million times. Granted, I’ve never done it after running 23 miles. Also, why is this uphill? Seems like a cruel joke. But the crowds here are deafening. God, I love Manhattan.

Struggling to breathe through coughs at mile 22.

Mile 24

Time to go back into Central Park. I can do this. I can do this. I know this park like the back of my hand. Why do people say that? Do people look at the backs of their hands a lot? I think I’m delirious. The sun is setting! I should take my sunglasses off. What time is it? Damn. 5 hours. I’ve been running for 5 hours. I thought I would be done by now. Oh well. I guess my new goal is beating the sunset.

I just passed a 40K sign. What the hell does that mean? How many K’s is a mile? Wait, 5K is 3.1 miles… 40/5 x 3.1… I cannot do mental math. I think I’m close to the next mile marker? My phone is at 5%. I need to remember to stop my Strava at 1%. I WILL NOT LET MY PHONE DIE.

Mile 25

25! More coworkers! And another racecourse baby! The spectators keep saying “you’re almost there, Emily!” and FINALLY they are telling the truth! They’ve been saying that sh*t since mile 13. Which was incredibly annoying. But finally it’s TRUE! Oh my god it’s so close. I can run, still! I need to run through the finish.

This was just past the 40K mark (see it in the back?) I was definitely doing mental math here.

Mile 26

26 freaking miles. The .2 is a cruel joke. Ok, that sign just said 800 meters to go. How long is a meter? It would be really helpful to understand the metric system. I know I’m close though. I bet I can run the whole rest of this. Phone at 2%. Omg this is like the Hannukkah oil that lasted for 8 nights. Incredible. Will it last ‘til the finish line???

Mile 26.1

Back in the park! Look at all of these flags lining the street. SO COOL. I am so so so close!

Mile 26.2

400 meters to go. Welp, still don’t know what a meter is but I SEE THE FINISH LINE! I WILL CROSS THIS THING WITH MY HANDS IN THE AIR!

FINISH

HOLY CRAP. I did it. I DID IT! I thought I would cry but I don’t think I have enough fluids in my body for that. Speaking of… how come I still don’t have to pee? And where is there water?? I earned this medal! AHHH so cool! Phone at 1%. End Strava. End Nike+ Run. End Fitbit.

“Hi! Excuse me. First of all, congratulations. Second of all, will you take a photo of me with my medal? Here’s how you switch the camera around. Oh. Sorry, my phone just died.”

“Hi, sir? First of all, congratulations. Second of all, my phone just died. Can you maybe take a photo of me with my medal at the finish and then send it to me? Yes, I need you to take it on your own phone. Then send it to me. My phone died. Oh, you live in France and don’t have service? Ummmm, do you think you can Whatsapp it to me later when you have wifi?? I’d be soooo thankful. I’m never doing this thing ever again. Ever.”

If you made it all the way through this journey with me without even carb-loading first, you deserve a Gatorade. And a medal. But not my marathon medal because I’m never giving mine away. After reading this, do you think you want to run a marathon? No? Me either.

Last photo taken on my phone before it died.

Fitness

I Ran a FREAKING MARATHON

November 7, 2019 2 Comments

I ran a freaking MARATHON. Do you know how long that is??? 26.2 miles. I literally ran from Staten Island, through Brooklyn, into Queens, into Manhattan, into the Bronx, and then BACK into Manhattan. On my own two feet. And yes, I am pretty damn proud of myself. And the only thing that matters is that I FINISHED! And also I got a pretty SWEET medal shaped like an apple.

When I ran my half marathon back in 2017, I took you mile by mile stream of consciousness through the course with me. Since this course was twice as long, I’m going to save that for a second installation. For this one, I want to tell you all about what went WRONG for this race. Then I will tell you guys what went RIGHT. And then next week, I will take you through my thoughts as I made my way from Staten Island, allllll the way back to my home borough.

I told you guys a little bit about my training back in mid-September, and after that day, things went a little downhill. Almost everyone who runs a marathon will tell you that they didn’t have the perfect training, so I wasn’t incredibly worried about it, but I was a little. Here’s what happened. First of all, I started traveling a lot. I traveled to Paris and had no problem keeping up with some training because my mileage was low then. But according to my training schedule, I was supposed to run 18 miles one Saturday while I was on vacation in Greece, and I just knew that wouldn’t happen. So instead, I shifted that run a week early, and hoped to do a 20-mile run when I came back from vacation. I successfully completed the 18-mile run in Central Park (BRUTAL), and in the process, I hurt my foot. I can’t say for sure what I did to it, because I was too scared to go to a doctor. I took my talents to WebMD, and I was convinced I had a stress fracture. So, I did what anyone does, I decided to take a week off from running, and just walk 20,000 steps/day in Greece. I’m sure that is what any doctor would have recommended…. NOT! Anyway, when I actually got back to the States, I decided not to run the 20-miler at all, and to instead focus on getting to the start line with healthy limbs. This was Strike 1 to my well-intentioned training plan. It meant that I’d have to find 8.2 additional miles within myself during the marathon to take me from my longest run of my life (18 miles) to the marathon finish line. However, I was feeling good, and my foot pain cleared up significantly to the point where I was still able to do a 10-mile training run 2 weeks before the race with the NY Flyers, which let me see the last 10 miles of the marathon course and try to internalize it. Everything was going semi-according to plan.

Strike 2 came the week before the marathon. I knew I had to travel to California for work during the Fall, but I was presented with only two options. Either the week before the marathon, or the day after. I knew that the worst possible thing for recovery was sitting still. And even worse, to be cramped in a small space (HELLOO LONGLEGSbigcity) for 6 hours. I thought I was being smart by picking to travel the week before the race. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a bad idea as well. Not only did it throw off my sleep schedule, you guessed it, as one does when they travel across the country and back within a 48 hour period, I got sick. Very sick. I actually made a doctor’s appointment from the airport in LA and went there directly after my flight. Ok, not directly, I showered first because I am not gross.

Anyway, I guess the travel and the sickness count as strikes 2 and 3. The good news was that I did not have strep, which is what I predicted. The bad news was that since it was not strep, there were no antibiotics to help me, and the doctor said it was likely to get worse before it got better. And it did. I spent the next 2 days trying to get better. I called out of work, overdosed on Mucinex, finished an entire bottle of airborne gummies, took multi-vitamins, went to Juice Generation and maxed out on fruits and veggies and ginger, and still yet, I woke up Sunday very sick. But not running was not an option, so I packed Dayquil in my race bag, and I headed to the start village anyway.

Now guys, I already started this blog by saying I RAN A FREAKING MARATHON, so obviously some things had to go right, right? Hell yea. A lot went right. First of all, I FINISHED THE FREAKING MARATHON!!!! Did I say that yet?

Another thing that went right were my friends in the start village. I was a little nervous and loopy from my Dayquil, and I took the ferry to Staten Island alone. I was afraid I wouldn’t find my friends, so I brought a magazine for my 3-hour wait until my start time, but soon enough, I found two of my friends who were in the same corral as me, and we hung out and chatted so my nerves couldn’t kick in. They kept me company in long port-o-potty lines, and we even went to the “therapy dog” section of the village to hang out with some doggies. I don’t love animals, but it was distracting and that’s all I needed. Of utmost importance – my friend’s friend brought extra body glide! I thanked him profusely later, as I watched person after person go to the med-tents for Vaseline popsicle sticks they were handing out for chafing purposes and I was a-o-k.

Keeping warm in the start village
Group Pic!
I don’t love dogs, but the distraction was nice.
Shedded our layers, ready to run for hours, starting with the Verrazano behind us!

Speaking of med tents – I didn’t need them AT ALL! I have been plagued with injury after injury for the past few years. Ankles, knees, hips – you name it, I had it. The fact that I did not have to stop once for help was a feat in and of itself. My left ankle flared up a bit and I sprayed it with some Biofreeze at mile 20, but it was definitely still runnable. I think my sickness was a blessing in disguise here. I was so distracted by my runny nose and debilitating cough that I was barely focusing on my legs at all!

This was basically me the whole race. When I wasn’t coughing.

Now about the MOST important thing that went right: the spectators!! I had heard that from many runners throughout my years, that the NYC Marathon is like no other because the crowds are great, and everyone absolutely proved it to me. The main thing I knew I wanted to do from my years of cheering for the marathon, was to put my name on my shirt. So I got my iron-on letters from the same Etsy shop where I ordered my iron-on for the half marathon (for that race, I put “I Hate Running”) and I put EMILY emblazoned on the front, and “Braid in Manhattan” on the back. The crowd delivered. From the second I stepped foot in Brooklyn, I heard “WELCOME TO BROOKLYN EMILY!” And for the next 25 miles, people cheered me on when I needed it the most. The spectators were electrifying, and they were there the ENTIRE time. (Except for the Chasidic community in Brooklyn, but that’s for the next post.) By mile 25, every time someone said “Emily, you are SO CLOSE!” I knew I could pick it up to a jog again and bring it home. I actually increased my speed the last two miles because of the morale boost from the random strangers! It was awesome.

Taken by a friend/spectator/morale-booster
Show off them braidz!

And last but CERTAINLY not least, extra shout-outs go to the spectators I actually DID know – my friends and family. Starting at mile 4, I knew people along the racecourse at almost every other mile. It gave me something to look forward to, an excuse to stop for selfies (and cough breaks), and in some cases, a running buddy. At mile 4, I saw my first coworker. In an office of only 10 full-time employees, 3 of them came out to cheer separately! At miles 4, 8 and 25, I had the support of my office. And I know Brooklyn is meant to have great crowds and energy, but the energy you get from people you actually know is different. I was so lucky that my crew from the gym where I teach came out to cheer for me, as well! I saw 4 different people from my spin classes, and I was able to stop and say hi before I was on my way again. It was the first time I was thankful to teach in a different borough from where I lived. And then as I was about to go into Queens, I had a group with my sister, her husband, his brother, and they were cheering and screaming and even got a short video of me running up to them!

Best part about friends on the sidelines: extra water and TISSUES
Sister-Sister!!

When I hit Manhattan, it felt like I knew people every other block. First there was a group of 17 people (SEVENTEEN!!!) at 64^th street. They had signs and they were cheering so loud, I heard people near them asking if I was a celebrity! And my sweet boyfriend brought a shirt for me to change into, which I originally planned to do, but decided I was too exhausted. Then 4 blocks later, I saw more friends and my sister AGAIN! The MTA clearly travels faster than my feet. It was so awesome to see my sister two times. I saw some other spectators multiple times, as well! It helped my morale because I was thinking… if these people are so dedicated to cheer me on throughout this race, then I better give them what they’re looking for and keep chugging along!

10 blocks later, I saw another friend and her baby out to cheer for me some more. And 10 blocks later, there was a huge University of Florida Gotham Gators cheer squad with a sign for me! I stopped for a few chomps and then kept chugging along. I won’t take you mile by mile, because I already promised that would be another post entirely, but I do want to mention my final push, helped specifically by another friend of mine. I saw her at mile 19, and she told me she’d catch me again at mile 22. She didn’t know at the time how important that would be for me. By mile 20, I was coughing a LOT. It was taking so much energy for me just to breathe that running was getting extra tough. When I saw my friend at 22, I was on the struggle bus FOR REAL. I didn’t even try to pretend I was running when I saw her. I solely walked up to her, coughing all the while. She saw my struggle and hopped right into the racecourse, holding her neon pink poster board and everything. She literally ran the entire mile 22 with me, stopping to walk when I needed coughing breaks, and joking with me to keep me laughing. She even turned on Instagram Live at one point, joking with me about the bleeding-nipple-chafing she had witnessed, which kept me laughing through the coughs. Once we hit mile 23 and I knew I had “only” a 5K to go, she told me to run like I trained and that she knew I could finish strong. I don’t know how I would have gotten through that mile without her!

Some of the group of 17
More of the 17, including my sweet emoji BF
Gym buddies!
More of the YMCA Crew in Brooklyn
The second time I saw my sister! Much sweatier than the first time.
Old gym friends further in Manhattan
More friends
Coworkers!
GO GATORS!

The energy and support I received all day was just unbelievable. I had people tracking me from Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and even Singapore. By the time I turned my phone on (it died at the finish line), I had 78 text messages, 3 Facebook messages, and 26 Instagram DMs. I was BLOWN away. When I got home, my sweet boyfriend presented me with flowers, and even more romantically, with 2 bags of ice. He helped me into an ice bath and brought me water and more meds while I sat in it.

When I saw my friend the night of the marathon, she asked me if I loved it. The answer is pretty simple: no. I don’t love running and running 26.2 miles is absolutely torturous. HOWEVER, I feel incredibly accomplished and I’m so happy I did it. People keep asking me if I plan on running it again and the truth is, I think once is enough for me. But there is a small part of me that wonders what I could have done if I had gotten to 20 miles in training, and if I hadn’t traveled the week before, and if I hadn’t been incredibly sick. And as the days pass and my legs feel normal again… I am thinking maybe I could try again??? I am currently signed up for the lottery for the 2020 marathon. I have lost the lottery 5 times before but if it’s meant to be…

SUCCESS!!!
See you next year? LOL

Travel

Pre-Travel Tips and Tricks

September 25, 2019 2 Comments

It’s almost time for another vacation! Even though I didn’t blog about my recent adventures to Italy and France, you probably still know that I travel A LOT. When I turned 27, I realized I had barely traveled outside of the USA/Caribbean, and I starting budgeting and credit card churning to make sure it happened more often. I’ve been making up for lost time, and for this upcoming trip to Greece, I paid for my flights completely on credit card points!

When you travel as often as I do, you get it down to a science. I want to share a few tips with you that I use to make my packing and traveling seamless. Last year, I took 10 round-trip flights, and if you include train travel, I made even MORE trips. I’m a pro.

Tip #1: Have a Good Suitcase.

For more than a year, I had a suitcase that only had two wheels and one of them was jacked up. I basically had to drag it through airports using sheer strength. Don’t be like me. I ordered a new suitcase from Amazon that was $60 and had a year-long warranty. It has 4 working wheels and it is a breath of fresh air. Especially when you live in New York and your pre-travel travel includes blocks of walking, subway turnstiles and many stairs, a good suitcase is essential. I won’t say “invest” in one because they’re NOT EVEN EXPENSIVE!

Tip #2: Use Packing Cubes.

Nowadays, you basically always need to use a carry-on bag because airlines charge you for everything from a seat to air. Suitcase space is limited and very important. The best way to cram as much stuff as your can into your suitcase, while still remaining organized, is packing cubes. First, I accidentally purchased a set of varying sizes and only the smallest two sizes worked for my purposes, so I found smaller ones that work much better. They were $21 and life-changing. You can basically view them as zip-able drawers for your suitcase. I usually separate underwear, swimsuits, socks, and sports bras in one, workout clothes in another, dresses in another, and jeans (rolled) in the 4^th.

Tip #3: Keep Your Travel Toiletries Ready and Together.

This is probably my biggest time-saver. I keep a Ziploc bag pre-packed with travel body wash, travel/disposable loofah, shampoo, conditioner, razor, lotion, zit cream (I’m so refined), toothpaste etc. It’s all in one place so I can just throw it in my bag when I go on my next trip! The key here is that you need to refill everything when you come home and replace the loofah. This way everything is set to go next time!

Tip #4: Use & Keep a Pre-Made Packing List

THIS IS CLUTCH. Personally, I use an app called Wunderlist on my phone. I put EVERYTHING on this list. Every. Thing. My current list has 84 items. I even put toothbrush and toothpaste as separate items. This insures that I do not forget anything! I only check the item off when it is physically in my bag. If I am wearing my sneakers to travel in (more on that next), I do not check it off until they are on my feet that day. Also, if I forget anything, I add it to the list ASAP. This happened fatefully on a girls’ trip to Spain with LOTS of drinking when I had forgotten Advil. Never again.

Here’s a tip: you can have multiple lists for different kinds of trips (international, business, leisure beach, leisure in the winter), OR, you can just have one big list and include anything you’d want for any type of trip. I choose to do the latter and I check off the items first that I know I don’t need. For example, there’s no need to bring my Global Entry card or electricity converters for a domestic trip, but I just check those off first when I’m going within the country. Another tip: don’t check the item off if you want to triple check for it before you leave the house (I do this with “Passport”).

Tip #5: Plan to Travel in Your Largest/Heaviest Outfit.

This goes without saying, but clothes take up space, especially if you are 5’11” like me. Shoes also take up space. I try to wear my largest items like my jacket and my sneakers (or boots, depending on season). Like I said before, having a small/light suitcase is more important than ever, so try to remember that strategically!

Tip #6: Bring an Empty Reusable Water Bottle.

Once again, airlines have started to suck more and more. Some airlines refuse to offer water now. Even on international flights. This just happened to me on my way to France. Be aware of the airline you are traveling on because dehydration on planes is a huge thing! You are allowed to bring a water bottle through security as long as it is empty. Every airport I have been in recently has water fountains by the gates, so fill up your bottle before you board. You’ll thank me. You can also use it when you get to your destination. DRINK MORE WATER, PEOPLE!

Tip #7 & 8: Print Everything and Give Someone A Copy of Your Itinerary.

I know we LOVEEE our phones. Trust me I know, I have 3 Instagram accounts. But sometimes phones mess up, or get stolen, or there’s no wifi, etc. Print out your arrangements before you leave, whether it’s hotel reservations, train or museum tickets, or Groupons for Segway tours (duh). Also, write down your itinerary, bring a copy with you, and give a copy to someone else stateside for safety! If you are a crazy person (like me and my friends), you can just put it in a Google Sheet, print a copy, and share the document by email with your emergency contact. Safety First!

I have many more tips, but I should probably stop writing and start packing – I leave in 48 hours! Hopefully I will have time when I get back to tell you about my trip and share GORGEOUS photos. If you aren’t already, follow me on Instagram for daily updates!

Fitness

Marathon Training

September 19, 2019 3 Comments

Hey guys! Long time, no see! I’ve been literally running away from my followers for the past few months. But honestly, I couldn’t even see you in my wake because of all the sweat in my eyes, so whatever.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about because you voraciously jumped into this blog post without reading the title… I’M TRAINING FOR A MARATHON! And I broke the very first cardinal rule of training: TELL EVERYONE YOU ARE RUNNING A MARATHON. There, I said it! It’s true! New York Road Runners already has hundreds of my dollars, they have many hard hours of my work, and they have quite a few blisters on my feet. Ok, they don’t have the blisters, I do.

I feel like every time I write a blog post, I start by apologizing for not writing more often. I am not apologizing anymore! I have been BUSY! If you’ve been following along for a while, I ran 9 races last year so that I could qualify for the NYC Marathon this year. It’s a long road to running the 26.2 miles through 5 boroughs of New York. Maybe they make the process so long so the race itself seems short. I literally just had that epiphany while typing this. I think that’s what Oprah calls an “A-HA Moment.”

Anyway, I took you guys through my journey 3 races at a time last year, with the first 3, then the next 3, the volunteering (+1), then I think I gave up on blogging about it because I got very involved in a new hobby – hair braiding. Although I ran 9 races last year, the longest distance I ran in one single race was a 10K, or 6.2 miles. I do not know how that qualifies me to run 26.2, but I set out to figure it out.

Back in 2017, which seems like ages ago, I ran one half marathon. I remember when I finished that race, someone said to me, “what’s next? A marathon???” And I remember saying “Hell no, I am not psycho.” And it’s true! I am not someone who enjoys running, and therefore, running more than 26 miles seemed like idiocy to me.

However, a small part of me always wanted to run the NYC Marathon. Ok, a big part of me. I have loved the 1^st Sunday in November ever since I moved to New York. I love the vibe of all of New York’s citizens heading to the streets to cheer for complete strangers. Us New Yorkers, we get a bad rap. It’s really not fair. We are nice people! We are also BUSY people. We don’t have time to hold doors or walk slowly. But on the first Sunday of November, we have time. Time to cheer for our neighbors, our countrymen, and visitors from across the world who fly to our city and spend astronomical amounts of money on hotel rooms. Time to drink beer at 9 am so we are toasty when the pro runners speed by mile 17 at 11 am. Time to make scrappy signs to show our support for runners’ dedication and training (or AMAZING signs in my case). I LOVE being a part of the crowd. But I also had a strong yearning to be in the street, not on the sideline. To high five everyone and to cross the quiet, no spectator zone on the Queensborough Bridge and hit the “Wall of Sound” on 1^st Avenue. I tried to enter the lottery many times to run the race, but I officially committed in 2018 by running the 9 races, volunteering at one, and earning my 2019 race entry.

Unfortunately, I hit a roadblock. Right before my 9^th race in 2018, I sprained my ankle for the FOURTH time. I knew that if I was going to train for the full marathon, I needed to take some time off. So I took a full 6 months off from running. I did a lot of Spinning, I did a lot of swimming, a lot of ankle exercises, and I bided my time. Then in May, I started running again. First with short distances, then slowly adding up to a mile, 2 miles, etc.

Back in 2017 when I ran my half marathon, I told you guys how I prepared for my training runs by double tying my shoes, filling my water bottle and braiding my hair (OMG guys… foreshadowing??). And I will say, some of those things have remained the same. Most days I do not leave the house without my #FastBraids for a run. But some things have changed. For one – THE CHAFE LIFE IS REAL. I promise not to give you many details here, but I will say I have some weird scars, like a straight-line rug burn across my chest, redness on the inside of my upper arms, etc. I have tried all of the things: glides, lotions, cremes… I give up. Also, I no longer eat eggs before my runs. I eat nothing. If it’s more than 8 miles, I have a Gu. And definitely do not drink coffee. Coffee is a strict no-no when bathrooms are not guaranteed. As I once said in my own marathon sign, I leave the bacon and coffee to the spectators.

I meant to write this blog about my actual running training, but as I was free-flow writing, I realized that it is a very boring topic to a majority of people. I have learned, over the past few months, that people’s eyes glaze over once I start talking about my training. I will just leave you with a few bullet points about my actual training:

I’m loosely following Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 Training Schedule
Even though I am in shape from teaching fitness classes, I still considered myself a novice 1 because I never ran a marathon before! Also, I am recovering from a recurring injury.
No, I did not buy the Higdon program because I am cheap. I just copied a photo from google images and put it in my own Excel spreadsheet.
Yes, I put it in my bullet journal.
Yes, I’m still bullet journaling even though I know I told you I quit.

Due to my ankle injuries, I did a lot of research and many people recommended the Galloway Method – basically doing running and walking intervals.
I have done a majority of my training this way – running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 minute. I use an app on my phone called “Interval Timer” which beeps very annoyingly at me. This has helped both with reducing injury and mentally breaking a 3 hour run into manageable time chunks.
I have realized that I sweat a LOT. I already knew this, but it’s very important when running. I now always bring supplements with me on long runs, specifically Clif Bloks (the extra sodium ones – margarita flavored!)
They actually taste like lemon lime Gatorade, but margarita makes it sound WAY more fun.
I also have a Gu with 25 mg of caffeine in it before I start a long run. This helps for energy and is a substitute for my lack of coffee.
No, I am still not enjoying training.

As my last bullet point said, you may be wondering if I officially like running. The answer is no. I do not. I enjoy being outside, but in the summer, it is HOT. Too hot. Too hot to walk, nonetheless run many miles. Also, Fall is my favorite season and it now has this huge black cloud of the marathon hanging over it. Also, no drinking on Halloween. Also, no drinking many weekend nights during college football games due to long runs the next morning. So no, I am not thrilled with the training, but I AM excited to finally take part in something amazing here in NYC. I’m all about the bucket list items, and since I’ve already been in the Macy’s Parade, this seemed like the next logical (illogical?) step.

Most likely, I will continue to write in my blog about Marathon Training, because it’s the biggest thing going on in my life, and it’s MY BLOG, SO BITE ME! I hope to make it semi-entertaining. And interactive. So here I will ask for your participation: What should I write on my shirt for the Marathon? Just “EMILY”? Should I put “Braid in Manhattan” on the back? Should I put it in Duck Tape? Fancy Duck Tape? Should I order fun, sparkly, iron-on letters from Etsy and commit to “ruining” a nice lululemon shirt? I did that for my half marathon and I do not regret it. Let me know in the comments!

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