Big city. Bright Light(bulbs?)

Listening to: “For the first time” By The Script.


The amount of incredibly awesome and hilarious things that have happened in the last week combined with my recent intense epiphanies could definitely provide enough material for a novel, let alone a blog entry. We will see how much I can cram into one entry and then we’ll leave the rest for another day. Once again, for school credit purposes I’ve got to start with an “intern update” and I’ll save the juicy stuff…like Ed Westwick... for those of you kind enough to keep reading...

The joys, laughs, and frustrations of being an intern are many. One of my fellow student interns and I have seemed to notice that somehow, the “dumber” the task we are asked to do, the more difficult it seems to be. For instance, ask us to do something intellectual, no problem. Ask us to pick you up a decaf iced coffee, and Newton’s law will send us to the one coffee shop in NYC that has run out of decaf for the one New Yorker who understands that yes, you can have too much caffeine. Ask us to answer the phones while you are out of the office, no problem. Ask us to hang up pictures, and it might take awhile. Please enjoy the pictures below of Kristen standing on the desk-yes, our boss told us to stand on his desk-he was confident it could hold us both..? Let me add that the picture we had to hang up had a crack through the glass, yet it didn’t bother him one bit. Men.




Kristen and I then concluded it’s a good thing we’re not “real interns.” Okay, we are BUT the “personal errand tasks” for the boss have been to a minimum in comparison to most interns that we know. Somehow, it seems that every single easy task we are given becomes complicated due to circumstances beyond our control.

One of the best examples involves a little thing I have labeled “the light bulb incident.”You know how people always say “How many ___(fill in the blank) does it take to change a lightbulb?” Well there is a reason why. Monday at work I was actually asked to change the bulb in the lamp on my boss’s desk. One hour, two trips to a lighting store, three office employees and three very kind Chinese men later, the lamp was fixed and the bulb was changed. I am sorry to those who were stung by the laser guns coming through my eyes as I walked up and down 37th street carrying that damn desk lamp through crowds of people.

I never thought I would miss transcribing. But after the lightbulb incident, I was begging to go back to it. And here’s the thing-my own boss couldn’t get the bulb installed right himself, so I don’t feel like a total dweeb for not being able to do it. So how many “New Yorkers” does it take to change a light bulb? In this case it was 6.


Random View from the Office



On to more entertaining things...

Last week I got to catch up with a great friend that I traveled Europe with. It was so wonderful to cross paths in New York of all places :)


On another day after work I ventured over to Grand Central Station, just for kicks. I've already written about my love affair with trains and stations, so you can imagine how I was like a kid in a candy store here. i just walked around for an hour or so, admiring the beautiful architecture and the fascinating movement among all of the people.




Exciting weekend events included finding the Gossip Girl set in the Meat Packing District. There were filming outside of Diane Von Ferstenburg for the "Fashion Night Out" episode. I am not ashamed to say that my heart did skip a beat when I realized that Ed Westwick was there, along with the characters of Rufus, Lily, and Eric. The girl who plays Fleur in Harry Potter was also there in the roll of Chuck's new love interest. It was quite fantastic to see my favorite show filming-RIGHT before my eyes!


You can see the back of (Fleur) Clemensy Poesy and "Eric" and "Rufus." (Unfortunately, no pictures of Chuck.)








The following night we wanted to go out on the town, so on the way we stopped to see if they were filming in the same location again. They were, only this time they were inside so there wasn't much to see on the street. My friend Abby and I were walking around and passed by the trailers where a group of girls were waiting. I think Chase Crawford was filming that night, so I'm assuming that's who they were waiting for. Abby and I kept walking when all of a sudden, right around the corner comes Blake Lively herself, accompanied by two other women. We were a little way from the crowd so it was literally Blake, her assistants, Abby and myself. Blake is definitely as gorgeous in person as the lovely Serena is on GG, though she doesn't seem nearly as tall. She was definitely in a hurry, probably in work mode, as she made her way by us and to the trailer. Abby and I waited until she was inside before we had the "Was that-Yes-Oh my gosh-Blake Lively!" moment.

Later that night, the 6 degrees of separation somehow led Abby and I to meet a guy at a bar who was born in India but had attended OSU for college on a sort of exchange program. We knew he was legit when he told us his old address and mentioned Eskimo Joes. Small world.

Other weekend high points included when a sweet little Chinese family asked to take pictures with me Friday when I was walking around Rockefeller Center. "We're from China. Can we take a picture with you?!" It was fantastic.

Saturday went to Long Beach with the girls. It was so beautiful!! It was the cutest little beach town. I was in heaven. There was even an adorable market up and down the board walk and beautiful, clean sand.





Sunday Abby and I went to Astoria. (I went to Queens! And liked it!) Astoria is a really great little neighborhood community. Very ethnically diverse and family oriented.

Well, that's all for now folks. Recap of American Idiot on Broadway and life epiphanies to come later this week! Tomorrow marks my 7 days countdown till I'm back in OK! Time is flying...

XOXO

I can now return to Oklahoma satisfied.

A little Tasti D-Lite and a little Ed Westwick? Yes please.

Found the GOSSIP GIRL set last night in Chelsea...more details and a few pics to come in the next post :)

On a side note, my flight to OK is in less than two weeks. Despite being really burnt out on the constant crowd and noise here, I knew once I had my flight home I would start seeing everything here in that sentimental light. Whether I end up living here someday or not, this has been my temporary home. I know the streets and even most of the subways(SUCCESS!)...and when something becomes ingrained in you like that, it becomes more personal. I will never look at New York City the same after this summer. No longer will it be that big, intimidating giant on the East Coast. Nope. It's a little part of me now.

Try to see the world beyond your front door...

Listening to: "Pinch Me" by Barenaked Ladies

Before I get to the other stuff, I have to do a quick work update!
Things have been fun at the office lately. I am an official key holder now, so that's cool ;). At lunch the other day there was a great discussion about morals/ethics and documentary film. In a world OBSESSED with reality TV, I'm sure you can imagine the way this has changed the world and expectations of documentary film making. I was so impressed with the producers I work for and their drive to stick to real, honest, chronological, story-telling. They are the real deal.

Anyway...


I've reached the " TWO weeks left" point in my summer, so I think it's time for a new, updated bucket list :)

1. Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
2. See American Idiot
3. Spend more time in my favorite coffee shops by NYU...and write.
4. Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn..more of it.
5. Go see the Swell Season at Prospect Park ...AH
6. 5 mile run in Central Park
7. Go to the top of the Empire State Building
8. Go to more pubs with Guinness on tap :)...(One of the best things about the pubs here..chances are good that your server/bartender is actually from Ireland!)
9. SLOW DOWN and just appreciate being here.

That last one is the most important. This city is amazing, but honestly, it is so hard to remind yourself to take one step at a time. Even on days that I don't do much other than work, I still feel a little overwhelmed with the movement and the people and pressure to go out and be a part of the crazy world outside my window.

This is where the coffee shops come into play. I love these little local ones I've found, because the employees are so nice and when you step inside, it's a nice little escape from everything else going on.

Anyway, the fam was here this past week. Highlights include:
-A fabulous dinner in Union Square with Gary
-West Side story with Jeremy Jordan starring as Tony...new love of my life.
-5th Avenue "fabulousness"
-Magnolias with the fam...and documenting it...and then laughing till I cry at the ridiculous photos that we manage to take.
-Successful bargaining in Chinatown.
-Hanging with Annie at the Webster and having a rooftop photo shoot.
-Randomly coming across Corbin Bleu and Bernadette Peters outside the restaurant we went to Saturday night
-Seeing Phantom of the Opera last minute...and tearing up at the absolute, overwhelming powerful music. I always knew I loved phantom, but MAN-do I love Phantom. My apologies to the row behind me who were the victims of my obsession when I felt the need to "SHUSH" them during the second act. They were interrupting my escape into the story and music, what can I say?


The weekend ended with a confirmation of everyone's worst fears of a hotel room. Poor Annie, forced by our dad to search the room for any unpacked belongings, happened across evidence of the "past guests" underneath the bed...yeah...you know what I'm talking about.

THE TRUTH.

People ask me about life in the city.

“How is it? Seems like you’re having a fabulous time.”

People ask me what I’m doing after graduation.

“So what do you want to do exactly? Are you going to move here? To LA?”

Well, people have also told me that my blog has allowed them to get insight into something they haven’t done, or haven’t chosen to do in their life.

I feel like I have more than done justice to the amazing, wonderful, opportunities in this city. (Such as seeing Penn Badgley filming a scene for his new movie from five feet away ;).So, now it’s time for a post about realities. Realities about life in the city and realities about well, realizing how I want to live my life. (Dun, dun, dun).


Life in the city is wonderful, but it also extremely overwhelming at times. I’m going to be brutally honest. Living in Midtown is often less than desirable. Before you jump all over me for sounding unappreciative, let’s remember that my first blog posts pay fair tribute to the amazing view that I have and that I still appreciate every time I look out my window.

I think that people sometimes forget that just because you’re living in a big city, you still might want some “normalcy" too. Midtown doesn’t really allow for my definition of that. The number of tourists is outrageous. It’s extremely hot with nowhere for the air to go because of the tall buildings and excessive concrete concealing it in like some sort of life-size incubator. It’s dirty. And most of all-ITS LOUD. The honking horns and sirens never stop. The whooshing of Lincoln Tunnel will sometimes wake me in the middle of the night for fear that something is collapsing outside my window.

I have recently discovered why places like the upper East Side are excessively expensive. I think there are hidden charges for the “quietness.”

Anyway, there is no such thing as a quiet, pleasant stroll around Midtown. The crowds are really, well, intense and I’m sure they will only continue to grow as we head into July, aka, prime tourist time.

One change I have found in myself that seems induced by city life is that I am a little more on edge than normal. New York is relatively safe, but you do need to constantly be aware of your surroundings and if you’re trying to get anywhere on schedule, you have to be aggressive. You have to actively know where you’re going and not be afraid to literally “cut people off" while you’re walking. Yes, I’ve become one of those impatient (wannabe) East Coasters. But seriously, all of the people moving slow with their eyes turned upward instead of in front of them can be exhausting. The constant stimulation of movement and loud noises is a lot to take in 24 hours a day.

There. I did the semi-unthinkable. I said I don’t like Midtown. The area where I am living my “dream summer” in New York. But honestly, I would be doing my own credibility an injustice if I wasn’t honest about my experience.

I will give it this-it’s incredibly convenient. It’s close to my work and I have access to almost every major subway line I need. And my dislike of Midtown isn’t some kind of hatred that I’m obsessing over. It’s more of an observation. The same kind of observation you make when you order something you don’t like at a restaurant but you don’t send it back because in reality-it’s not that big of a deal. So I don’t like Midtown, that’s okay. I’m still enjoying myself and am thankful for the positives-the number one being that I’ve made some great friends where I’m living.


Well, that’s almost enough honesty for one night. I really have had a lot of “reality-checks” lately though, and I’m definitely planning to put them on here in future posts. After all, this blog is about my “experiences while living in the city” and that means the good, the bad, the fabulous and the ugly.


For now I will leave you with a quote from Sabrina: a movie that everyone MUST see at some point:

"I have learnt how to live... How to be in the world and of the world, and not just to stand aside and watch. And I will never, never again run away from life.”

While I'm at it, I can think of a few cities that deserve credit in teaching me how to live, through the good, the bad, the ugly and the GREAT-


Tulsa gave me Hanson, fountain drinks, and a home that really, really feels like mine. Door County taught me how to love and that certain experiences will become a part of you forever. San Diego taught me how to be a better driver, that you can’t take best friends for granted, and that its okay to admit when you just want to go home. Norman gave me the opportunity to actually like school and to realize how cool it is that people you knew in the sixth grade could end up being your roommates one day. Florence allowed me the chance to rediscover both confidence and happiness after I sort of lost myself for awhile. Prague was a true example of “it’s not where you’re going-its who your with,” but it never hurts when “where you’re going” is some of the most fairy-tale locations on the planet. Brussels taught me to run in the rain and not care. New York is teaching me that its not “what career” I have that matters to me, it’s the experiences that I want to have in my life and it’s the people that I want to share them with that really do matter the most.

So here’s to being honest. To saying, I don’t know if I’ll move to New York or LA. I don’t know if I want to work in film. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I graduate. BUT I am a very lucky girl and I couldn’t be more thankful for the experiences I have had this far in my life.

Here’s to learning to live one day at a time.

Cheers to good things...whatever they may be for each of us :) (And mega cheers to you if you actually read all that!)

I woke up in New York City

"Wherever you are, be there totally."
-Eckhart Tolle.