Back from Vacay...

I'm back! Back from a week of relaxation in the mountains of Arizona, where my biggest concern was how I wanted my eggs prepared each morning and whether I would prefer to ride bikes, go sightseeing, do something "sporty" or just lounge on the patio reading my new Kindle all day. It was a lot a different than life in the big city so for that reason, it was truly a vacation.

That being said, I realized the beauty of vacations - they are an escape from your normal everyday life and are meant to be temporary. When I lived in Newport, RI people used to tell me my life was like a permanent vacation (which was kinda true) but that got me thinking...what's so wrong with that??

I think you can determine where your truly meant to live by where you'd vacation if money were no object. My vacation destination preference always, always, always would be a beach. It could be argued that if I lived by a beach I might chose to explore big metropolis's or jungles or deserts on my vacations - not true. When I lived ON a beach, I still vacationed to other beaches. To me, beaches are like snowflakes in that no two are exactly alike. I dream about experiencing new beaches and beach towns and comparing them all one-day in some giant interactive info-graphic... (the nerd in me speaks)

Sure I want to see other cities (London, Paris, Sydney and Rio De Janiero top my international list), sure I love escaping to some fresh country or mountain air and there are definitely a few non-beach places on my list of must-go's (Alaska and Central America's rain forest region to name a few) but my ultimate win vacation destination is beach.

I understand why living at the beach may not be the most practical. I get why people flock to big cities. I obviously appreciate how "lucky" I am to live and work here. I just think that people who do live here aren't always outwardly honest about how it really is (unless their rich, then yeah, their life probably rocks). If you're like me and don't have a trust fund, a rent-controlled apartment or a driver, then you probably do that thing NY'ers do where you convince yourself

that your life is really awesome and it's totally normal to spend $2000 plus a month to live in a glorified closet because yeah, you can tell all your friends that you live in "the city" (because to NY'ers there is only one!). <-- *Editor's note - I sometimes do this too...

I know how after a glorious NYC filled weekend of brunching and central parking and frolicking or even an excitement-filled weeknight adventure (complete with bar-hopping and bomb scares on a Tuesday night) you start to feel that "I love it here and could never live anywhere else" feeling. Despite all my whining on this blog, I've felt it often - I promise! My one difference is when I leave the city I am not filled with that "omg I miss it and need to go back" feeling that I hear others are (or claim to be). I am more often than not thinking how I could be happy in X-place and how if I lived in X-place I'd probably be able to have all the things I dream about but can't afford in NY (little things like...say...a closet, or outdoor space, or somewhere to store my beach chair...)

So what do you think folks, is life meant to be a beach or should I stick it out in NYC just a little bit longer? Comments please!

PS - Please enjoy a few pics from my trip. It was truly beautiful there!

Last post before 30...

The next post you read I will be 30! I'm sure you're all pretty sick of hearing about it by now so you are off the hook for a while...until 40 approaches :)

Tomorrow I head to AZ to visit an old friend, spend time with my family & the boyfriend and do a little relaxing and soul searching in between. I plan on spending my 30th at the Grand Canyon! Coincidentally, it will probably be cooler there than it is currently is NYC (it's close to midnight here but the temp is still triple digits!). They'll be lots of pictures and reflection to come - but you'll have to wait a whole week since I am digitally detoxing and will likely not touch a computer for the next 8 days. *GASP*

Disclosure - I WILL still have my iPhone so I won't be totally out of touch. Stay well NYC - see ya in a week!

Something different...

Warning! You MAY be seeing a few long forgotten "I love NY" type posts popping up in the next week or so depsite my recent anti-NYC rants...shocking, I know!

As I plan my birthday party for this weekend and get ready for some friends to visit and to enjoy a good old-fashioned "out til 4am, dancing, laughing, singing in the cab, bacon egg and cheese and a vitamin water the next morning" type of nights it is conceivable that I might be pro-NYC again, if only for a weekend.

You've been warned... :)

I'm back!

Ok, I took a longer break than expected because I literally couldn't bring myself to leave my mini-paradise island in Rhode Island!

Had a great weekend in Newport, where I slept peacefully to the sound of birds chirping and a gentle fan breeze, consumed mass quantities of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, potato chips and coronas and almost forgot I didn't still live there!

After stepping off the Amtrak in a crowded, humid and smelly Penn Station I pretty much decided that me and NYC were officially seeing other people. NYC, it's not you, it's me, but I really think it's time we ended our tumultuous love affair....at least until I've had some time to clear my head and figure out what I really want...

Tomorrow I'll be back to my regularly scheduled blogging countdown to the big 3-0 but tonight I'll leave you with the attached few images that will surely help frame my next few posts. Stay tuned!

The Great Debate...

Since I've moved to NYC, there are a lot of things I have grown to accept. Coming from growing up in the 'burbs and then spending most of my adult life living in quaint little beach towns, I've definitely had to make a few "adjustments." I get my groceries (and laundry, and breakfast, and occasionally beer) delivered, I pay $12 for a drink and think it's normal (or I pay $7 for a drink and think it's a steal) and I've even gotten use to the whole subway and cabbing it everywhere thing. One thing that I am still holding onto however is my belief that people shouldn't wear bathing suits where there is nowhere to actually bathe. For example, Central Park. Or a Yankee Game. Or a blacktop roof. You get the idea...

Thing is, NY'ers seem to think this is totally normally, and actually where bathing suits were meant to be worn. Have they never seen the ocean? Do they not know that glorious beaches exist a mere train ride away?

I'm not shy at all about wearing a bathing suit in public, it's just that the reason I wear

a bathing suit is because at some point while wearing it, I plan to get wet! As much as I love Central Park, there is just no chance of this happening unless you buy a bottle of water from the sketchy men selling it out of their backpacks and shopping bags and proceed to dump it over your head...

Today however, as I enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous day at the park (donning jean shorts and a black tank top) I felt for the first time like maybe I was the crazy one. As I entered the gates of Sheep's Meadow, I instantly felt overdressed as I saw a sea of shirtless men playing Frisbee and ladies bearing all in their skimpy bikinis, oiled up and everything. Could it be that I'm wrong?

I just can't decide so I need your help!

Please let me know in the comments if you sunbathe in your swimsuit in the park (or really any public place that ISN'T a beach or pool!). If the majority says it's totally cool, I promise to make (and document!) a bikini-clad trip there very soon!

Just another day...

Some days nothing out of the ordinary happens...other days you have a totally random only-in-NYC-and-at-Likeable kinda day. Today was one of those.

The day included:

...My buzz builders (what we call our interns) making a remix of the Fresh Prince of Belaire rap and making me sport a fluorescent NKOTB hat while they filmed me

...People randomly laying face down in different odd spots around our office - or what I later learned was "planking" -Never heard of it? Neither did I! Read about it here - You're welcome :)

...A good old-fashioned hot dog eating contest with an added Likeable twist - contestants had to wear our now -famous orange foam thumb while competing

...A late lunch break at Bryant Park where I got all weepy missing my boyfriend and remembering when he used to meet me there for lunch breaks back in the day

...An awesome run along the Hudson river followed by a frozen yogurt delight on a park bench

All in a pretty solid day dontcha think? Oh - and happy #socialmedia day to those who celebrate...(I say that because I'm often reminded by my non-SM friends that they don't know what I'm talking about half the time.) Just today, I got questioned when I wrote on a friend's Facebook wall "FTW." Jen/Erin if you're reading this, it means "For The Win!

Keeping it up...

Bet you didn't think I'd really do it did ya? Here I am! :) Let's see, what significant happened today...

Well the planning for the 30th is fully underway. I realized that everyone has their own idea of the perfect party. It's funny because usually the best nights I've had have been completely random, unplanned and not at all what I would have described as a perfect evening. On the other hand most of the times I've carefully orchestrated a "perfect evening" it's gone horribly wrong.

When I thought of my ideal 30th - it obviously included my best friends and my man (who probably won't be there...sadface). Beyond that though, my "demands" were: trendy neighborhood (althought I'm not sure why because I never actually hang in trendy neighbors now...), juke box (this is big one for me but may have to deal), a comfy seating area while also having an ample "dancing area", oh, and free private room, and of course, cheap and delicious drinks. That's not too much to ask is it??

Anyway, stay tuned because I think we may have found the "perfect place!"

30 'til 30!

Yup that's right. In 30 days, I'll officially be the often-dreaded, newly celebrated age of three-oh. Thankfully I have some good stuff planned in the next 30 days to ease the blow...and more importantly, I have a great feeling about my 30 PLUS chapters...

Upcoming cool things!

• Celebrating the 4th in my "happy place" of Newport, RI (with a detour to visit the old sorority house at URI and a day spent "down the line" in Narragansett)

• NYC-joint b'day party/commiseration with some of my same-aged gals

• Birthday week trip to Arizona (Grand Canyon! mountains! nature!) with the best people in my life

To fully enjoy the last 30 days of my twenties - I plan to post (nearly) EVERY DAY - even if it's just a short excerpt or photo! (Except for when I'm away because who wants to bring their laptop to the beach?) See ya tomorrow!

Everything Happens for a Reason...

This title is courtesy of my Sigma Kappa days which are now almost 10 years in the past. It was one of the cliche phrases repeated to us over and over again during pledging. Even though it's pretty cheesy I've always kinda thought it was true (and hey, I'm kinda cheesy myself) and have said it to myself hundreds of times when dealing with bumps in the road.

Lately I've been having my annual (OK, monthly) "where am I going? what am I doing? am I living the life I'm supposed to be?" freakout and I'm sure a few people around me (sorry FF) noticed. I'm sure it's the approaching 3-0, or maybe just the Newport nostalgia I feel ever spring when the weather turns nice and I can no longer go for a walk on the Cliff Walk or for a Astro Bomb at Johnny's. (For those of you who don't know about Johnny's Atlantic Beach Club - read my one of my favorite old columns here!)

Anyway...this week I was lucky enough to attend the 140 conference hosted by Jeff Pulver. The conference was a 2-day event that focused on the power of now. What the heck is that you ask? Well as it turns out, it was exactly the inspiration and reminder I needed that:

1) I can do anything at anytime, it's never too late

2) I love what I do now

3) I can always do more, do something different, go somewhere else, nothing is impossible!

There were many amazing speakers, some you've obviously heard of like Ann Curry (swoon!), Mayor Corey Booker, Dennis Crowley (co-founder of Foursquare for all my non-social media friends) and then there were some you definitely haven't heard of, which is what I thought was so cool. Some were completely and utterly random and even a little eccentric but they were all inspiring and shared a common trait of passion and drive. Most wanted to accomplish something and did, in most instances more than they ever dreamed. All of them used social media in some way to achieve their big things and it was pretty rad to feel their energy and hear their stories. A few sound bytes from the day really struck a cord with me, which brings me to my title, "everything happens for a reason." I think I was meant to be there and here those things and be re-inspired and reminded that I can still do it all, make my mark and conquer the world. Perhaps most importantly, I was reminded of something that is extremely easy to lose sight of, especially living in Manhattan.

Money can't buy happiness....

We've all heard this a million times but I will be the first to admit, I don't "buy it" for a minute. I can almost guarantee I'd be happier if I had more money. If I had more money I could travel the world which I KNOW would bring me happiness. If I had more money, I would help family members and loved one do the things they can't afford to do, and if I had more more money, I'd hire a personal trainer, buy a boat and buy my first pair of Christian Loubotins (OK these are the totally superficial and selfish ones, but still...I would!)

After hearing a lot of people tell their stories of how they chased their dreams and never once did it for the money, it reminded me of something my small-town heart already knew deep down, but that I may have temporarily lost sight of. That thing is: people in this city often put too much weight into the pursuit of material wealth. How can you not in the most expensive city in the world I guess? It's often all about where you live, what you wear, even where you eat and drink but it's rarely about what you've done and what you believe and who you are. It's good to be reminded of the things that matter and also to be reassured that yes, it is possible to be successful and happy and NOT rich...although often times if you stick to what you know and love, you just might get rich doing it...someday.

OK enough preaching - goodnight NYC - I still love you, I just have to be reminded every once in a while that the size of my apartment doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things!

Sunday night somethings...

The big 3-0 is getting closer and my mind is racing! So many things to start doing and stop doing and focus on and not worry about and places to see and people to meet - oh my!

Some random summer focuses...

1) Run, run, run - and get new running shoes from The Super Runners Shop where they let you run around for them and then they tell you the best shoes for your stride - however awkward and "Phoebe-like" it may be (Friends reference number 4,864...)

2) Take advantage of the coveted rooftop deck of my apartment building - anyone want to join me for sunset cocktails? (weather permitting!)

3) Beef up my international travel fund (so I can stop spending so much time loitering in the Travel section of Barnes and Noble living vicariously through Frommers and Lonely Planet...)

4) Decide where I should live for the rest of my life (or at least for the "early thirties - no kids" chapter of my life...)

Oh, and in honor of the Tony Awards that I am watching LIVE while writing this (from the Beacon Theatre a few blocks away) I'll add "see more Broadway Shows!" to this list too... :)

Pondering life from 30,000 feet...

Currently en route back to NYC from Lala land... Had a great few days in LA with coworkers and a great meeting with a new client. Sitting at an outdoor cafe a few hours before boarding my flight back to the concrete jungle I had yet another epiphany about life. NYC is NOT the place for me. This time I mean it! I am beach person - always have been, always will be. I instantly feel better just knowing that the ocean is nearby...and when I can SEE it and SMELL it and FEEL it - I feel 100% at home. I guess techincally NYC is an island and the ocean is nearby, but dirt doesn't count as sand and for some reason there is no "ocean breeze" to be found...

When I think back on my years living by the beach in Narragansett, RI, Newport, RI and then again in Long Beach, NY - I realize I was A LOT more relaxed and "chill" and "easy-going"...

These words used to describe me but now I am just another nervous-nellie (as Carrie Kerpen my lovely boss calls me), high-strung, uptight, stressed out, negative-Nancy NY'er. Not cool :(

Yes, I moved to NYC to focus on my career, dream big, live the NYC life and expeience it all while I was young and uninhibited. But now I'm not so young, not so unihibited and fully aware that I can HAVE an amazing job and DO an amazing job from anywhere (well maybe not anywhere, but definitely from somewhere other than NYC...like say a beach town in Cali, New England or elsewhere...)

Will I feel this way tomorrow? Who knows... When I wake up tomorrow morning to the bustling scene of a NYC spring morning on the Upper West side and go get my morning coffee and bagel from Zabar's will I still feel like I need to immediately move to a beach town and chill down my lifestyle? Not sure... But for today - I have decided, in the words of the great Ray LaMontagne - "Gotta get out of New York City...New York City's killing me..."

Love...

One thing I decided my blog is lacking is photos... I'm really more of a words person than an artsy picturey type person but I do love taking pics and hope that I am getting more artistic with age! That being said, I'd like to integrate a lot more photography or at least fun moment-capturing pics into this blog. I also think it will help me "cheat" on days I don't have a lot of time to type a lengthy post - I'll just post a cool pic and a caption and be on my way :)

Anyway...

This picture might not seem like anything great but it was a moment in my weekend worth sharing so I thought I'd do so here.

My few and proud loyal readers know that my boyfriend currently lives in a far away land called Buffalo, NY. The long distance thing is hard and sometimes I turn all winey girl and admittedly make it even harder. Last night was one of those nights...

This morning I woke up to a rainy Sunday and my mood wasn't much better than the night before. But then I got a text from the bf telling me to check my twitter (editors note, FF is NOT a frequent tweeter by any stretch...) When I checked it this was the tweet I saw:

About 30 minutes later, french toast and coffee arrives from Big Daddy's. This little gesture made my heart melt (something I normally don't admit) because it was thoughtful and perfect and one of those "little things" that is really a big thing.

Also major bonus points for incorporating social media into it all! :)

The Dirty Thirty?

Is it? People make up all kinds of things these days to hide the fact that they are indeed, getting older, and yes, it kinda sucks! You hear, "40 is the new 30" but does anyone really know what this means?? What was the old 30 then?

My mantra in my post-25 years has always been, I got a late start on life, because in a way, I did. I feel behind the curve on the whole, marriage, kids, savings account, house, picket fence thing and feel like I'm running at about a 26/27 year-old pace right now, tops...

That being said, I have always been the type of gal that you'd expect to have a long "before I'm 30 list" and in fact, I used to have one until 30 started getting so damn close! At around 28 I abandoned the formal list realizing I was nowhere near on track to hit my once concrete "before I'm 30" milestones. I've decided that since 40 IS the new 30 (or whatever) I can give myself until I'm at least 35ish to accomplish my "before I'm 30(ish)" goals...

• TRAVEL (travel travel travel)
• Eliminate my credit card debt/raise my credit score
• Have a significant retirement plan of some sort (or as Phoebe Buffet on Friends called it, "a four-oh-wunk"...) {Editors Note - I actually thought I had crossed this one off my list but then found out that while I did open and put money in a ROTH IRA (so proud of myself btw) I actually didn't invest it into any funds so my money is just kinda chillin in there in the same way it would chill in my sock drawer...) but anyway, I digress...
• Have more of my writing published (ultimate dream is to write a book but realistically that will be a retirement project so I'd be happy with a column, article, etc.)
• Dare I say, own a home (or apt, or condo, or...boat?)
• Discover a NEW passion/hobby (as Ive gotten older I've tried to explore new things beyond my old standbys of: beach, music, writing, reading but haven't found anything that really rocks my world yet - suggestions welcome!)

You'll notice that the whole married with kids thing is missing from this list - it's NOT because I don't want that or see it in my future (because I totally do) it's more that I don't want to put it on a list, especially a list that is about me and my personal long term goals and accomplishments.

The other night I was out at a sophisticated club having dinner, drinking good wine and listening to good music. I was caught in the moment and thinking to myself, this is happiness -good food, good wine, good music and good company - don't need much else. Sitting beside me was a child no more than 12 or 13 who looked miserable. She was bored out of her mind and probably silently cursing her parents (also enjoying themselves) for making her "suffer" at this place. If my life had sub-titles, that scene would read "Allie realizes she's an adult now." Guess I'm catching up to my actual age afterall these days...

Getting back on the (blogging) horse...

It's been nearly 6 months since my last post! So long in fact, that I contemplated trashing this blog all together and starting over again. But then I read through the last three years of blog posts (I started this blog back in January of 2008) and realized there is some great stuff on here and I owe it myself and my short list of readers to get back to bloggin'! While reading through old posts, I was able to take a trip down memory lane and relive some really life changing milestones over the past few years. Meeting my boyfriend, changing jobs, adjusting to living in NYC, and missing old friends have all been documented, and after re-reading years later, I was brought back to specific places and moments with vivid clarity.

Ironically, one of my first blog posts, written on February 2nd, 2008, mentions a "neighbor" who is now my boyfriend of almost 3 years. Read the post here if you ever wondered about one of FF and I's first encounters...

As you can imagine, a lot has happened to me in the last 6 months and I'm not going to re-hash it all now. One thing that has inspired me to resurrect this blog though, I will share now. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to go on a cruise with my entire company. We shared a lot about our goals and dreams and I shared my goal to one-day write a book that incorporates a lot of my life stories including my crazy college tales, my summers spent in Newport, RI and my years working at 2 different bowling alleys, as a jell-O shot-girl , a magazine intern, a cocktail waitress, a freelance writer, a publicist...the list goes on. Needless to say, I've been told many times after sharing a funny story or two with new friends, "you need to write a book."

As I shared this passion and dream with my co-workers, many who know my quite well by now, I realized that I have put that dream on the back burner in recent months and have been very caught up in the sometimes "rat-race" of living and working in NYC. I love my job, but haven't stopped to make time for my passions in a while. That being said, as I approach the big 3-0 this summer and come to terms with the fact that many of the things I long ago thought I would have accomplished by 30 may not happen, I am going to focus on accomplishing them in due time, at my own pace, in my own way.

I always tell people that I "got a late start in life" because I didn't get a full-time job until the age of 26. So to be fair, my "by the time I'm 30" list really deserves at least a couple year extension!

On the top of my list is making more time for writing and travel. As I enter a new age bracket, I plan on solidifying these goals and making an iron-clad strategy for accomplishing them. Join me?