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!

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!

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... :)

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! :)

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?

life on the bus...

More and more of my blog posts lately are either A) about riding the bus or B) mentally written while ON the bus. What can I say, riding the bus brings a whole new element to my life!

Tonight I worked late and took the cross town bus home at 10pm. I started walking but then saw the glorious lights of the bus coming my way and couldn't resist its appeal after a long day at the office, two slices of peperoni pizza and a big gulp sized Coors Light (thank you for existing Pronto Pizza). Anywhere else in the world, 10pm on a Monday is probably a pretty quiet time, but not in NYC! Sometimes you really lose all sense of time and "normal" business hours living here...the bus was full of people in office attire or with shopping bags and if it wasn't dark out, you'd think it was 5pm by the energy and buzz in the air. It *almost" makes working until 10pm bearable when you realize that everyone else in this city is working too much, sleeping too little and generally living a lifestyle that by any other standards would be considered "nuts." (For example, Buffalo, where the bf lives, and the land of a 5pm dinner time and a 9pm bedtime!)

One final fun bus story. A few nights ago after yet another sprint to catch a pulling away bus, I did that awkward "running in heels with my oversized purse" things that girls do and that generally looks ridiculous and probably doesn't actually get you there faster than walking...anyway, long story short, I made the bus and just as I was swiping my card and the doors were closing, a guy popped his head into the bus nearly getting decapitated by the door to say "hey great run, that was impressive doll." You just can't make this stuff up folks!

Being a grown-up...

Lately I've really started to feel like a "grown-up"...I guess at 29, it's about time!

Things that make me feel mature (note I said "mature" and NOT old!):

• Being okay with spending a Friday night in (or actually preferring to do so!)

• Thinking about a financial plan for the future, ie. saving to buy a house, get married (gasp!), putting money away for retirement (whoa...)

• Actually being able to picture myself settled down in a real house with a kitchen table and welcome mat and ideally even a backyard (all those things you don't get as a renter/nomad! Since college I think I've lived in approximately 9 different apartments..I may be ready for a permanant address...)

• Being in a book club (personally, I don't think this makes me old but some of my co-workers disagree!)

I'm sure there are a lot more to add to this list because recently I've really started feeling like I'm finally "acting my age." This is definitely not a bad thing and I keep reminding myself that 29 is still totally young and I have a long and fun life ahead. I think because up until recently, I was a few years behind maturity-wise, and now I suddenly feel like I aged about 10 years in a few months (Those that knew me from about 18-26ish can attest to my slightly sub-par maturity level)! When I look back at the carefree life I used to lead, I often feel a tinge of nostalgia, but then I look at how far I've come and the life I've made for myself and realize that I've really "come into my own" and "found myself" and all those other cliche things. Of course, somedays I wouldn't mind going back to my Newport days where my only concern was making sure I had clean black pants for my waitressing shift that night, and what bar I'd be sipping cocktails at after my shift...BUT...I can say with about 98% certainty that taking a leap of faith and coming back to NY was the right choice...AND...that I will be successful (ahem, rich) and happy (cough, rich) and healthy (and rich) if I continue to take chances, work hard and stay true to myself. And, if things don't work out, I have a backup plan--three words, EAT, PRAY, LOVE :)

Post b'day roundup...

Hello there! It's been Eons since I've blogged (at least on here, but please consider reading my company's fabulous blog at http://www.likeable.com/blog-end of shameless plug) I'm a year older now and realize that I now REALLY need to focus on my "things to do before 30" goals seeing as I only have 364 days left to accomplish them!

I had dinner with some old college friends recently and we had a wonderful night reminiscing and catching up. I was so excited to hear that many of them read my blog and even noticed my recent lack of posts! In typical "good friend" fashion, they didn't give a crap that I was "busy with work stuff" and demanded I write more. Point taken! I plan on getting started on my list today (ok tomorrow, I'm still recovering from my birthday shots today) and with that list comes lots of fun blog posts to write.

As a warning, my posts may turn to sappy love song style sentiment over the coming weeks and I begin to embark on a long distance relationship with FF. He's moving (temporarily!) next week to pursue his teaching degree and we will be doing the LD thing for a year or so...any tips for LDR's are greatly appreciated!

Number one on my before 30 list.....drumroll please....TRAVEL MORE! This is not news to any anyone who regularly reads this but it really needs to be a priority now that 3-0 is getting closer every day! What else do I NEED to do before 30 folks? Let me know!

An escape...

Rich greens, deep blues birds chirping and ocean breezes-things I rarely (ok never) see from the confines of my 15th floor NYC apartment were all just part of the norm at a place I like to call paradise. Nope, not the Carribean or even Hawaii, my slice of heaven can be found in the wonderful little state of RI, and most recently on Block Island, RI.

Life in RI is so simple and peaceful and when my boyfriend and I recently visited 'the Block" we honestly felt like we were on some fantasy island. People were friendly and said hello

as they passed you by, cab drivers were jovial and helpful and chatty in the good way not the-I'm on my phone speaking erraticly in a foreign language-way. Ironically both cab drivers that we had while visiting (you only needed a cab to and from the ferry, the rest of the time you strolled or rode a bike-ahh sighhhh) were people that lived on Block Island year-round and loved the peaceful picture perfect setting. One guy told us he came for a job as teacher and never left. At this point I was convinced that I should cancel my return trip and apply for a job at the Block Island Times but my cab driver just laughed and agreed that they "probably didn't pay much."

After a lovely and relaxing trip of seafood, beaches, coronas, moped-riding and pretty sunsets, we headed back to NY and I found myself wondering "Am I really a city girl, or do I belong in a tiny little beach town?" I'm constantly torn between the desire to be really successful in my career which probably requires at least a few years in a big city and the desire to live in a quaint town near the beach. Unfortunately I'm not sure there's much of a market f

or a Social Media Marketer, blogger or otherwise-at least on Block Island. In fact, I kinda got the feeling that if I tried to explain what I did to any of the locals, they'd be confused in the way that my 80-year grandmother is.

For now, I'm back to city-girl Allie, but I can't wait for my next vacation! I highly recommend a visit to Block Island for anyone looking for a relaxing and perfect little beach getaway in the Northeast.

"These Streets Will Make You Feel Brand New"

Tonight I went to see Sex and the City 2. Me and about a million other fabulous ladies of NYC! I went to the Ziegfeld Theater, which is this amazing old-fashioned theater that still has ushers and a "stage" where the movie screen is--AND the theater was actually IN the movie...which was pretty cool! In prime SATC fashion there was even a faux red carpet where decked out ladies (and I mean DECKED OUT like gold sequined pants DECKED OUT...) posed for pictures and sipped on cosmos.

I think every modern-day single gal these days has thought of themselves as a "Carrie" at one time or another--especially if they ever wanted to be a writer, live in NYC or find true love. I myself have always thought that I truly *am* like Carrie, having been perpetually single for most of my twenties and writing my own column for a while for the local paper. Plus, I actually AM sitting in my bed right now with a view of the Empire State Building out my window furiously typing on my Macbook Pro (for the record, Carrie never had the view, but still!).

Sadly though, this is where the similarities end. The older I get, and the more I actually live and work in "real life NYC" the more I realize that SATC is just an amazing fantasy that most women are easily sucked into due the crafty writing and universal themes of love, friendship and happiness (oh and the clothes and shoes).

Before I actually lived in NYC, I definitely had a *slightly* skewed view of what life would really be like. NYC is without a doubt the most amazing city in the world, the place where anything seems possible and the energy is palpable, but trust me it's not all cosmos and Manolos (especially without a trust fund or what I like to call a "corner office" job). And dating? While I'm not single right now, I have never seen a man that even resembles Mr. Big-or Aidan for that matter! I like to think of them as mythical men made up of a compilation of every woman in the world's "dream man." Every woman wants either an Aidan or a Big. The thing is, most of the great men I know (including my boyfriend!) have a little of both in them...

That being said, I give the new movie two enthusiastic thumbs up as a great way to spend a couple hours with your girlfriends laughing, crying and remembering that anything is possible...

...queue "Empire State of Mind"...and yes, this song IS in the movie! :)

Major life updates

Whoa, whoa, whoa--it's the end of MAY already?! Once again, I've been completely MIA with no good excuse at all. In my defense though, here is a rundown of the major life changes that have occurred since my last post!

Left my job of the past year for a new beginning, said goodbye to some really great and interesting people

Started my new job with an incredible company that is very "likeable!" (more details to come!)

Celebrated my two-year anniversary with my boyfriend (by far the longest relationship of my life for those who were wondering)

Found out said-boyfriend is moving (temporarily, hopefully) to pursue his passion of coaching and teaching and generally molding and influencing young minds (commendable)

I promise to write more (a promise I KEEP making), until then--thanks for sticking with me folks! :)

New Look!

Wow, I've spent way too much time tonight mulling over my new blog design. While the basic "harbor" theme that I remember loving so much when I first saw it on blogger a few years ago served me well (and reminded me of Newport, RI, one of my favorite places on Earth), I knew it was time for a *slightly* more mature look!

As much as I love, love, love the beach and wanted so badly to make my background a sunset on a pier in Tahiti, I figured I'd give my blog a "city edge" since that's where I currently live and work.

How do you like it folks??

I'd love suggestions, help, ideas, etc. from my readers. Even though I work in social media I have a somewhat limited knowledge of web design, coding, etc. so this took me a few hours but I plan on adding some other stuff soon as well. Twitter widgets, photos, more pages, etc.

Along with the new look I also plan to add a lot more content to the blog and have been jotting down all the crazy things I want to write about on scraps of paper for the last few days now! Call it a "creative burst" but I'm feeling all bloggy again :)

More to come, so stay tuned!

Back to Happy Allie...

So, seeing as my last post was kinda a downer (and also labeled "melodramatic" by certain family members) I will now (attempt) to return to previously scheduled programming, AKA funny, witty, snarky Allie posts about pop culture, ditsy PR girls and bizarre "only in NYC" observations...

For today, I will observe that NYers "jump the gun" a little when it comes to summer. Yes, today was gorgeous out (hallelujah!) but was it really short shorts weather? I mean was it really teeny-tiny flowered dress weather ladies? Especially when pasty shoulders and unpainted toenails are involved, you may want to at least wait until May to make your summer outfit debut!

I also get a good chuckle out of all the restaurants that suddenly offer "outdoor" seating when the weather turns warm. Sidewalks have never been in such high demand! I have to laugh when there are like 3 tables crammed on the sidewalk and everyone is fighting for the "patio seating."

Also related--I can't do my gosh darn laundry tonight in my building because everyone apparently had the same idea--there is still a line for a washer at nearly 10pm. Oh NY, why must you love me, hate me, and then love me again...

Laugh, Cry, Smile, Frown, Life

Sometimes I get really sad for no reason--or at least no good reason. Sometimes I cry...a lot. Sometimes even though it seems I should be very happy-I'm not. Sometimes it feels like something is missing but I don't know what it is. Sometimes when everything is going right-it still feels wrong. And many times, I wonder-am I the only one feeling this way?

Living in NYC is nothing like I thought it would be-and yet it's everything I thought it would be and more--does anyone else know what I'm talking about?

I often stare at people on the subway and wonder what they do for living, where they're going, where they've been, are they doing what they want to be doing, are they satisfied in their life, etc. etc. But these days, what I've really found myself wondering is what those same people think of me. What image do I portray? Do I look happy? Successful? Smart? Confident? Am I all these things? Depends which day you ask me...

The problem with this city is that I think it may be impossible to be satisfied when you are always faced with the opportunity to be more, do more and have more. Some days this can be a blessing, and other days it can be a curse. Some days I feel so proud of myself for what I've accomplished and other days I feel I have miles to go. I was never one of those people who couldn't be satisfied--in fact I would have to say I was quite the opposite. I used to lead a very content life-and I was just waiting tables and killing time! Now, I have a career, an apartment in the most expensive and desirable city in the world, a real life for myself. Like I said, some days I'm proud-others I wonder why I don't have just a little more.

Lately I've completely morphed into that person that I guess I always secretly admired, that person that pushed the limits and always wanted more. I think now that I've seen what there is to be had out there--and I'm not talking money here, I'm talking experiences, places to go and people to meet--I want it all.

Today the sun was shining--in every way it can. Today I woke up feeling blessed to live here, I ate lunch at Bryant Park knowing how many people in this world will never experience that simple pleasure...today I didn't cry...but yesterday I did...

13 degrees!

It's cold this morning in the NYC. There is a major draft coming through the heater in my new apartment--go figure. I'm up earlier than I would have liked due to the cold and the contradicting bright sun streaming through my window...

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me. Last week I was in Tyson's Corner, VA for a Social Media for Government conference. It was pretty rad. I got to hear from a bunch of brilliant minds on the topics of privacy, security, community building and new social media tools. I got to put a real face to some of the tiny little avatar pictures I've been following on twitter forever. It was good to be meeting people and learning-two things I always want to be accomplishing in my professional life.

Last weekend I moved which was relatively easy thanks to Arturo's moving van company (highly recommend!). As I slowly get settled in, figure out where to put my TV to optimize the viewing angle, wait for my couch delivery (another shout out-downtown furniture in Chinatown delivers and assembles for free!) and muster up the strength to venture outside for a DD coffee, I feel grateful for my (relatively) warm bed and roof over my head when hundreds of thousands of people are living in tent cities without food or clean drinking water. So yes, it may be chilly here in NY today, and everything may not be perfect in my life-but taking a minute to realize how very lucky I really am is always a surefire way to jump start my day!

PS, if you haven't donated any money yet to help the people of Haiti--please sacrifice your Starbucks today and do so here.

2010--The List

FF mentioned recently that we should make a list of things we want do/accomplish in 2010. The list will not only consist of the tradional goals, resolutions, etc but also contain little things that for whatever reason we have not done, despite saying we have wanted to a million times. I'm making my own list here and hopefully his will be similar :)

Here goes...

1) Travel Internationally--My passport is ready, I read travel blogs daily and I've got a whole separate list of all my preffered destinations but I will be happy with one "out of North America' trip per year starting in 2010. I WILL DO THIS IN ONE!

2) Go to More Plays--I work walking distance to the theater district and live a subway ride away. There is just no excuse for not culture-ing it up more. Yes, theater tickets are pricey, but I actually just edited the title of this one from "Broadway Shows" to "Plays." Off-Broadway are probably awesome too, and there's deals on Broadway shows if you look for them.

3) Buy Stock--Random, I know but I think it's time to get into the stockmarket game. I mean I follow tech trends, have tons of brands I am passionate about and I live in NYC. Gotta get in the game! Any hot tips for me? :)

4) Cook more--This one actually requires a bigger kitchen and a lot more "supplies" but I would really love to learn how to cook and bake better and think this is something I would really enjoy once I have the right space.

Specific Places I want to go in 2010:

Musuems! (MoMa Tim Burton exhibit, the Met, etc.)

Weekend getaway in the Mountains (snowboarding, lodges, fireplaces--maybe upstate NY, VT, NH, etc)

Beach Vacay (hopefully to be tied in with my Number 1 'International Travel"

I will be back to add to this--this was just my random middle of the day on a Saturday start!

The tale of two New Yorks

This past weekend FF (that's my boyfriend--I figured he needed a code name already!) had some friends in town and I was reminded once again that there are two very different New Yorks. Don't get me wrong, I love them both--but in very different ways.

The first NY is the one I came to as a child--looking up at the buildings, visiting the tree and the statue of liberty, going to see shows and generally having a grand old time. The one that in my mind was this magical place that if I just lived in (see previous posts about wearing Easy Spirit walking shoes on the subway...), I would lead a fabulous, TV show-like life. This NY is for tourists and the wealthy. Some would say that the tourist's NY and the privileged NY are different--but after some thought, I think they are very similar. They both involve a carefree, breezy outlook on life here. Neither the tourist nor the Park Avenue Princess thinks about how much money they are spending, they only think about having a good time and enjoying the bright lights and big city. I myself lived in this NY for a while--while I was young growing up on LI and coming to the city for fun and excitement and I even lived in this NY when I worked part time in the city, commuting from LI and always enjoying my adventures in the city. I have since moved to "the other NY."

The other NY is just as fabulous if not more so than the NY I described above. The other NY is the real NY. The NY that Jay Z and Alicia Keys are really singing about in "Empire State of Mind." The NY that may be a struggle but you do it because you know at the end of the day, you are lucky to be living and working here. You live in the greatest city in the world and have opportunities that no one else has. In honor of this NY I have decided to start writing more about the fun things I do in my NY. The good thing about this city is there is something for everyone. The meatpacking district may not be my scene (and to be honest, even if I had all the money in the world, it probably wouldn't still wouldn't be my scene) but there are a million great things to do here that don't cost a million dollars and are just as amazing, inspiring and fun.

Check back often as I will begin to diligently record all the things I do and all the places I go both in and out of MY NY :)

Quick post

Just wanted to write my first post from my new lovely and sleek Mac Book Pro. Problem 1 of why I wasn't writing often enough is now solved so I must think of a new excuse :)

My apartment hunting saga is also drawing to a close so I have to get that post in order as well. Tonight I had a weird, scene from a movie/epiphany moment walking back from the subway through Midtown. This random Mary J Blige song came on my iPod (I think it was called Baggage?) and all the sudden the words and the beat and the lights of the Empire State Building just aligned and I found myself smiling, holding my head up a little higher than normal and swaying to the music while I tried not to shiver from the cold (yes west coast readers-fall has arrived here in NY...). Anyway I felt like I should be the opening scene to some movie where the main character moves to NY with just a suitcase and a dream and by the end she overcomes hardship to find love, success and money. So who would play me? I'd be happy with a Natalie Portman/Keira Knightley type I think :)

Fall Post

Wow, it's been so long since I've written, it's not even the same season anymore!

Excuses:

1) I really need a new laptop or netbook (send all donations to allie.herzog@yahoo.com )
2) I've been in the process of moving/apartment hunting (whole looooong seperate post to come on that)

Also, I've been trying to figure out what exactly I should be posting on here. I see my blog and as a place for me to publicly document my life and write about random things I experience, feel, observe, etc. I hope I'm not oversharing but at the same time I've enjoyed having this outlet as a strictly fun and non-work related place to write and express myself. So that's what I'm going to keep it as. As much as I love reading fellow marketing, PR and social media people's blogs that focus on the business, I kinda like the alliezog blog as a (mostly) non-industry related space. Of course from time to time my love for social media, technology and all other things geeky will show through, but I hope I can maintain this blog as a place to ramble on about my life, whether anyone will read it or not.

So stay tuned for my experiences on apartment hunting in NYC (EPIC TORTURE), bits about my favorite TV shows (Gossip Girl, Mad Men to name a few...) and other random things that fasicnate me. As for my opinions on the state of print journalism, the world of politics, and fun new social media tools (all topics of great interest to me) they may seep in from time to time but for now, they are not the main subject of this blog :-)