weekend

An El Salvador clan reunion a mi casa with late night pizza making and inside jokes,

a very entertaining commercial shoot,

a fantastic concert by Ryan Innes (blows me away every time, check him out here),

an uplifting and hilarious Sunday watching Downton Abbey and Boy Meets World with a favorite movie-watching comrade,

Kneader's all you can eat french toast with the roomies this morning,

and this beautiful Monday holiday.

Couldn't have asked for a better weekend.

Hopefully this means I'm refreshed and prepared to kick some advertising butt this week getting ready for next week.

Wish me luck.

one for the readers

I haven't been a very good blog friend lately.
I've written a few posts, but none that are worth sharing with the world. Some too personal, some just not inspired.

Either way, here's an update:
I leave for El Salvador in less than 24 hours. Read about my adventures here. I probably won't be posting much on this blog until I get back.

Anyway, what it really comes down to is this: I'm going to El Salvador!!!!!!!!

twenty-two

I'm back from New York.

Back to my own bed.

Back to {trying} to eat normally and not spend all my money on hot dogs and bagels.

Back to school.

Back to real life.

Back to doing my hair {maybe} and not living out of a suitcase.

I'm happy to be back.

But I'm definitely going to miss my east coast almost home. Even if it was only for 6 days.

I'll miss street food.

I'll miss feeling like I can spend as much as I want.

I'll miss the subway.

Oh and today, well, it's my birthday. The big 22. Which really isn't as old as it sort of feels right now.

But 21 was a great year.

And I'm looking forward to discovering the 22 year old version of myself.

Here's to life.

image via deviantart

these lights will inspire you

I just got chills realizing that, this week, I'll be checking #6 off this list.

I've daydreamed about soaking up those big city lights since at least the first time I saw You've Got Mail.

But probably before that.

On the list of things I really want to do are, among other things:

Eating at least one hot dog every single day.

Eating legit New York pizza (my jersey girl roommate raves about it)

Finding a free concert.

Mets game.

Broadway!

Pretend like every night is my birthday.**

And, most importantly: live and breathe the world of advertising. visit big agencies, and little boutiques. take copious notes in the new journal I just bought, and soak up as much knowledge about this industry as my mind can contain.

And I just might buy myself a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.

**Because, oh yeah, the day after we get back I turn 22. Madness.

I won't have a ton of extra time, apart from the business of Advertising Week, but if you only had one day to do whatever you wanted in NYC, how would you spend it?

image via google

long time coming

" She leaned over to him and said, 'we've been in love for so long.'
He said, 'you're the only girl I've ever loved, and I've loved you since I was 15.' "

Congratulations to my friends Kortney and Clayton!
(they got married on Friday)

If you ask me, they've been made for each other since they were in high school, and I'm so happy for them.

solitary soul

Things I love doing by myself*:

-watching movies

-shopping...because I can take my time

-getting lost in a used bookstore

-reading one of those used books, while drinking hot cocoa with a shot of hazelnut at a quaint little coffee shop.
-learning about the wonders (and not so pretty aspects) of mass transit

Next week I am going home for my friends' wedding (two friends from high school who are getting married to each other), and I get to explore the wonderful city of Portland.

I'm getting into the city in the morning, but I'm not meeting up with friends until afternoon or evening.

But, you see, I planned this.

I love exploring new places, and don't mind doing that by myself at all.
I fully plan on getting lost in Powell's City of Books for at least two hours.

After which, I will probably meander over to Mio Gelato for a bambino of donatella gelato.

I want to find a great place for lunch. I'm thinking maybe Indian food.

I'll probably spend some time at Oblation Papers & Press and Everyday Music.

But, most of all, I hope to find a new favorite place to visit when I go to Portland. A bakery, or restaurant, or record store.

And I hope to feel a bit more like a city girl, and a little bit more like a more grown up.

image via google

*this is not to say that I don't enjoy doing these things with other people.

I only wanna break break oh break break breakdown.

To do list for this week:

Stay alive.

Keep breathing.

Learn to juggle.

image via deviantart

fresh

summer is about discovery.

and swimsuits and sunscreen.

and late night conversations.

and baseball games and ice cream cones.

and butterflies.

and trying new things.

like letting my heart do the thinking.

and opening up the windows and letting some new light* in.

oh yes. summer is about butterflies.

image via vi.sualize.us

*or love..?

MAJOR Love

Remember this post?

And this one?

Well.

I got in.

If you haven't seen this commercial, do watch it. It's fabulous.

And this one, too.

*sigh of relief*

New

2009 was a good year.

It was a year of trying new things.
A year of tempting fate and failure and being alright with the outcome.
It was a year of growth and getting to know myself a little bit better.
It was a year of really being myself...and loving it.

I...
-renewed my love for writing/blogging.
-trusted my intuition.
-found a major I love. (and hope will love me back.)
-made difficult decisions.
-explored the town I go to school in. and found out that it is not lame.
-made friends in my classes. really awesome friends.
-flew in the face of failure and inhibition and went after what I wanted.
-believed in myself.


A friend mentioned to my roommates and me that our apartment has a "different feel" this year. I believe it. I think we all did a lot of growing up last year. And I think it's a good thing.

image via sabino

Vectors, guides, cloning, and spreadsheets*

I'm trying to become more technologically-savvy (and less technologically-loathing).

I'm trying my hand at graphic design, and, for once, not expecting to be great at it right away.

But I'm loving it, and let me just tell you, they call it the Creative Suite for a reason.

I'm getting my fingers wet, and it's glorious.

And it's fulfilling my number 3 on this list.

image...forthcoming...once I have something to show

*this last one just refers to me figuring out how to, once again, begin keeping track of my finances.

It happened.

I'm FINALLY a full-fledged, no longer in training, recipient of tips, SERVER!!!

This is very exciting news for me.

Can't you tell?

Also. Today. Thursday. Was NOT terrible. (and believe me, I have had some very bad thursdays in my time).

A few things that made my thursday, slightly less than wonderful:

-weird comment from someone after I mentioned I go to college in Utah.

-my foot/ankle hurts.

-stress/sadness about how my schedule majorly conflicts with auditioning for a ballroom team next fall, and the *very slight possibility* of actually making it. Boo.

-I did not go work out. And I should have.

ishoulddefinitelybesleepingbynow...

Exciting things so far this week:

1. I got an A in Spanish!!
2. I get to see my beautiful mother in...less than 36 hours! :D
3. I have an almost tan from California!
4. My friends ROCK.
5. I don't have to go to class until September!

BUT. I am sad to be leaving to everyone here. Goodbyes are so hard. I'm not very good at it.

So to all the incredible people I have been surrounded by this year:

You are great. You made my semester/year/day/moment. Don't know how I would have done it without you all.

Thanks. More than you know.