I have much anxiety over this dress fitting, but there is a motivation for me to get in shape and have a body that I am proud of by my birthday. So let the diet and exercise begin!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
I'm heading for a wedding
As you may or may not know, I'm going to be in my first bridal party for one of my oldest, dearest friend Teresa. We've been friends since 3rd grade and I am so excited to be part of one of the biggest milestones in her life. The wedding is in early April, so I thought that I had plenty of time to go on vacation, eat a bunch of amazing food and wine and beer, and then lose a significant amount of weight. Boy, was I wrong! You apparently have to order your dresses 10 weeks in advance!! That's totally insane to me! I do NOT want to try on this dress and order it for my current size because I am starting to lose the weight already. I also did not budget to buy the dress 10 weeks in advance either, so my money is pretty tight. I think that if I try this dress on in my current 'condition,' I might have a panic attack that I am bigger than I should be. Also, I gain weight in my...errm chest, so my measurements are going to be way off. Oh the joys of being a girl. I have to keep reminding myself that I can be any size that I want to be, but I really am looking forward to get in shape for this wedding. I also want to get my diet back under control and see how well I feel.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The one who became 'the one'
Chris and I just celebrated our one year anniversary this past Saturday and neither of us can hardly believe that it has already been a year.
In December of 2011, I was newly single, newly on American soil again, newly graduated, living with my parents in po-dunk Minnesota and about to move to NYC. I had found a job at an arts school in Brooklyn as well as a place to live pretty quickly and painlessly. After having a very quiet New Years in the city, I had decided that I wanted to actually date people and maybe meet friends. So I threw myself on OkCupid and hoped that I would get one person interested in me. At first I was a little embarrassed to tell people that I was on a dating site, but I quickly discovered that most people in the city are as NYC is notorious for making you feel both claustrophobic and lonely.
As you recall, from one of my earlier blog posts, my dating life was off to a very bad start. The first guy fell asleep in the middle of a Russian Bar (KGB) leaving me to wait for him to wake up because I didn't own a smart phone and had no idea where I was.
I had almost given up on dating, but my friends in NY convinced me to go on a couple more before I gave up completely. I am very happy to tell you that Chris was the second date that I had.
We had actually been matched up by the site and I had looked at his profile and rated him as cute. 4 out of 5 stars because I didn't want to seem desperate and I think that 4 stars means that I had thought about it. When you rate someone 4 or 5 stars on the site, OkCupid sends you an automatic message that alerts you that you are....attractive? lol. I had also been trying to be more forward and assertive, so I took two shots of Patron XO Cafe and made the official first move....online. We exchanged a couple of messages back and forth such as what do you do? What are you interested in? What is your name? before finally deciding to meet up. He suggested a speakeasy that was called 'Lovers of Today' in the East Village and I started to have a panic attack. I thought, 'Woah buddy, I am nobody's lover of today before reading up about the place, where it was, and what the hell a speakeasy was.
A few days passed and I had gotten home from work in time to fix my makeup and look on my computer on how to get there. I also factored in time for me to get totally and utterly lost. With one last glance at the computer, I departed to make it down to the East Village.
If you know anything about me then you know that I get lost all of the time. Even with a map. Even with directions. Even asking people on the street. And Chris picked a place that wasn't on the grid, not to mention that the address was 1/2 East 7th St. Yes. 1/2. CONFUSINGGGGGGGG. When I got to the East Village, I was running late and Chris texted me (no we are both too scared to call) that he was actually in a bar next door called Niagara because the speakeasy didn't open till 10pm. Thank goodness that Niagara has a huge lit up sign because we would have never gone on a date if I had to figure out what a 1/2 street was. I was about 15 minutes late and as I neared the door a wave of panic came over me. What am I doing?! What if we have nothing to talk about!? Regardless of my anxieties, I opened the door and walked inside. I only had seen far away photos of him on his OkCupid profile so I wasn't completely sure what he looked like. Niagara is a pretty traditional bar filled with many different types of people and it's New York so there were tons of guys sitting by themselves in this bar. When I walked in, I saw a cute guy crouched over, vigorously typing away on his phone. He looked up and gave me the most adorable smile I have ever seen and I was praying that he was my date.
We talked for hours about everything and had many, many drinks. He let me drone on about my passion for higher education, moving to New York, and my obsession of Henry VIII and the English Renaissance. We eventually migrated next door to Lovers of Today and I kept telling him, "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE NORMAL!!!" and "YOU GET POINTS FOR NOT FALLING ASLEEP ON ME."
We shut the bars down before we called it a night and he walked me to the train station. I lived in midtown and didn't understand the subway system sober, so I somehow wound up in Brooklyn before getting home later. Chris texted me at the end of the night and made sure that I got home okay. :) And the rest is history my friends!
I love you Chris!!!
In December of 2011, I was newly single, newly on American soil again, newly graduated, living with my parents in po-dunk Minnesota and about to move to NYC. I had found a job at an arts school in Brooklyn as well as a place to live pretty quickly and painlessly. After having a very quiet New Years in the city, I had decided that I wanted to actually date people and maybe meet friends. So I threw myself on OkCupid and hoped that I would get one person interested in me. At first I was a little embarrassed to tell people that I was on a dating site, but I quickly discovered that most people in the city are as NYC is notorious for making you feel both claustrophobic and lonely.
As you recall, from one of my earlier blog posts, my dating life was off to a very bad start. The first guy fell asleep in the middle of a Russian Bar (KGB) leaving me to wait for him to wake up because I didn't own a smart phone and had no idea where I was.
I had almost given up on dating, but my friends in NY convinced me to go on a couple more before I gave up completely. I am very happy to tell you that Chris was the second date that I had.
A few days passed and I had gotten home from work in time to fix my makeup and look on my computer on how to get there. I also factored in time for me to get totally and utterly lost. With one last glance at the computer, I departed to make it down to the East Village.
If you know anything about me then you know that I get lost all of the time. Even with a map. Even with directions. Even asking people on the street. And Chris picked a place that wasn't on the grid, not to mention that the address was 1/2 East 7th St. Yes. 1/2. CONFUSINGGGGGGGG. When I got to the East Village, I was running late and Chris texted me (no we are both too scared to call) that he was actually in a bar next door called Niagara because the speakeasy didn't open till 10pm. Thank goodness that Niagara has a huge lit up sign because we would have never gone on a date if I had to figure out what a 1/2 street was. I was about 15 minutes late and as I neared the door a wave of panic came over me. What am I doing?! What if we have nothing to talk about!? Regardless of my anxieties, I opened the door and walked inside. I only had seen far away photos of him on his OkCupid profile so I wasn't completely sure what he looked like. Niagara is a pretty traditional bar filled with many different types of people and it's New York so there were tons of guys sitting by themselves in this bar. When I walked in, I saw a cute guy crouched over, vigorously typing away on his phone. He looked up and gave me the most adorable smile I have ever seen and I was praying that he was my date.
We talked for hours about everything and had many, many drinks. He let me drone on about my passion for higher education, moving to New York, and my obsession of Henry VIII and the English Renaissance. We eventually migrated next door to Lovers of Today and I kept telling him, "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE NORMAL!!!" and "YOU GET POINTS FOR NOT FALLING ASLEEP ON ME."
We shut the bars down before we called it a night and he walked me to the train station. I lived in midtown and didn't understand the subway system sober, so I somehow wound up in Brooklyn before getting home later. Chris texted me at the end of the night and made sure that I got home okay. :) And the rest is history my friends!
I love you Chris!!!
Friday, January 11, 2013
My Belated 2013
Dear World,
I am alive. Thank you for reading. In the next few days, I will be posting lots of blogs about our trip to London and Paris. I have been so exhausted with jet lag and working that I just have not had the energy to accurately explain all of the journeys and memories that have taken place. I promise that I will catch up (with tons of pictures) over the weekend.
That being said: Our trip was so much fun! Chris had a blast exploring the streets of Europe and I had fun showing him around. We were walking about 10 miles every day while over there because the trains were down over the holidays, and in London, there are no boring neighborhoods. If or when we go back, however, Chris and I will allow us more time to enjoy ourselves because we are still exhausted from all that we managed to cram into 2 weeks.
And that is all that I will write as an overview of our trip, because any more will be it's own blog post. I have many, many things to share with you.
And because I was abroad with limited internet access, I will go over my New Year's Resolutions and my top and bottom highlights of 2012.
My second favorite part about 2012 is meeting Chris. He has made me a better person and has been with me through some very tough periods in my life. I am the happiest I've ever been and he is perfect for me. Our one year anniversary is coming up tomorrow (go us!) so I will be posting about our first date tomorrow. I love you Christopher!
My third highlight of the year would be this trip we just took. And, because it was until January 7th, I can recycle this highlight for 2013 as well! It was a bonding experience and we had so many laughs and did so many amazing things that I hadn't done when I lived there.
LOWLIGHTS
The obvious lowlight is Hurricane Sandy. It was quite terrifying and eyeopening at the same time. Not being able to get to work, having no power, heat, hot water was scary. Not having cash to buy essential items because the ATM's were down really brought out the Darwinism effect. Not knowing if the people I knew were okay and not being able to reach out to them was definitely difficult. NYC felt very isolated and deserted during the Sandy aftermath. SNL did my favorite sketch ever though, and that lifted all of our spirits on the east coast. Here's the clip
My other lowlight is breaking my foot and having it broken for over 5 months. I have never been so miserable for so long! Crutches are awful. The boot is awful. Breaking your foot or leg in NYC is just plain awful. I have so much empathy for the disabled in this city. Getting around, with all of the stairs you have to take is virtually impossible. It healed in time though for London, so I cannot be more grateful. I will not be doing that again any time soon!
CONCLUSION
Through the ups and downs of 2012, I look forward having only ups in 2013. I'm looking forward to settling into this city more and to get a permanent address that will last longer than a year. I have been a traveling gypsy for many years and I am tired of literally living out of my suitcase (which I still am. Seriously, no closet or dresser). I look forward to meeting new people and sharing 2013 with my loves!
Happy belated 2013 everyone!
I am alive. Thank you for reading. In the next few days, I will be posting lots of blogs about our trip to London and Paris. I have been so exhausted with jet lag and working that I just have not had the energy to accurately explain all of the journeys and memories that have taken place. I promise that I will catch up (with tons of pictures) over the weekend.
That being said: Our trip was so much fun! Chris had a blast exploring the streets of Europe and I had fun showing him around. We were walking about 10 miles every day while over there because the trains were down over the holidays, and in London, there are no boring neighborhoods. If or when we go back, however, Chris and I will allow us more time to enjoy ourselves because we are still exhausted from all that we managed to cram into 2 weeks.
And that is all that I will write as an overview of our trip, because any more will be it's own blog post. I have many, many things to share with you.
And because I was abroad with limited internet access, I will go over my New Year's Resolutions and my top and bottom highlights of 2012.
Jessica's Highlights and Lowlights of 2012
HIGHLIGHTS
My fondest memory is actually moving to New York. New York has not been easy, but I feel that I have come to like it ALMOST as much as London. I was a bit afraid this time last year that I had perhaps made the wrong decision to move out here and that I wasn't able to take the big city life. I have since come to enjoy it immensely and am very happy with my job and my friends.Walking off that plane with my luggage was terrifying and so incredible. Learning the subway system and all the boroughs of NY? Well that took me months and is an ongoing learning experience....My second favorite part about 2012 is meeting Chris. He has made me a better person and has been with me through some very tough periods in my life. I am the happiest I've ever been and he is perfect for me. Our one year anniversary is coming up tomorrow (go us!) so I will be posting about our first date tomorrow. I love you Christopher!
My third highlight of the year would be this trip we just took. And, because it was until January 7th, I can recycle this highlight for 2013 as well! It was a bonding experience and we had so many laughs and did so many amazing things that I hadn't done when I lived there.
LOWLIGHTS
The obvious lowlight is Hurricane Sandy. It was quite terrifying and eyeopening at the same time. Not being able to get to work, having no power, heat, hot water was scary. Not having cash to buy essential items because the ATM's were down really brought out the Darwinism effect. Not knowing if the people I knew were okay and not being able to reach out to them was definitely difficult. NYC felt very isolated and deserted during the Sandy aftermath. SNL did my favorite sketch ever though, and that lifted all of our spirits on the east coast. Here's the clip
CONCLUSION
Through the ups and downs of 2012, I look forward having only ups in 2013. I'm looking forward to settling into this city more and to get a permanent address that will last longer than a year. I have been a traveling gypsy for many years and I am tired of literally living out of my suitcase (which I still am. Seriously, no closet or dresser). I look forward to meeting new people and sharing 2013 with my loves!
Happy belated 2013 everyone!
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