Week Ten/Eleven

Me and Seliece at the Houston rodeo!

All the girls with the delicious tres leches cake

Me and Kelly at dinner

Leighton Meister! 

What an amazing Spring Break! Starting with my mom, sister, and her friend Kelly coming to NYC to getting to surprise Seliece in Houston for her 21^st, it truly was a week of excitement and activity. 

Ironically, I feel like living here has slowed me down a lot. I have gotten used to afternoons spent by myself in coffee shops or at the apartment. So, this past week was a change of pace for me as my days were full and long- but in a good way of course! :)

I’ll start with an overview of my Spring Break. 

On Sunday night of after everyone had gotten settled we all attended the 6 p.m. Redeemer service. I was so excited for my mom and sister to hear a message from Tim Keller! He truly challenges me each and every week and strikes such a balance in speaking the truth with sincerity, but without any sugarcoating of the Gospel. This, I believe is what makes him so appealing and attractive to believers, agnostics, skeptics, etc. After church Michelle, Kelly, and I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant relatively close called Caffe Buon Gusto. I had never been before but had read good reviews and thought it would be a good Sunday night dinner. It was quaint and cozy and the food and service was wonderful! Mom had dinner with Missy, one of her best friends from college, and then met us all back at the apartment afterwards. The next morning Mrs. Rollins came into the city to spend the day with my mom and hang out in NYC with all of us. We have been family friends with the Rollins since I can remember so it was fun getting to have her with us for the day! We all took our time getting ready in the morning and then headed down to SoHo to a place called Café Gitane for lunch. It was such a perfect girls lunch spot and the food was delicious. After eating we walked all the way down to the financial district and took the ferry to Staten Island. We had planned on going to Ellis Island and making a whole afternoon of it, but since it was already almost 4 by the time we got down there we decided to just take the free ferry instead, where we could still get the “ferry experience” and a decent view of the Statue of Liberty. After this we took the subway from Whitehall St. all the way to 60^th and 5^th Avenue and hung out at the apartment for a while before dinner. Alexander had recommended a place in the West Village called Mary’s Fish Camp so we all got ready and headed downtown, the 5 of us piling into one taxi. Mary’s Fish Camp was very small and also had that hip, laid back feeling common to this part of town. Afterwards we walked to the nearest NRW subway stop and returned to our humble abode...:) Tuesday morning (aka St. Patty’s Day), my mom and I took a 10 a.m. NYC to DC bus to see Uncle Mac and spend some time with his family, who now live in a beautiful home in Arlington, VA, a very cute and historical part of Virginia just outside D.C. We had a lovely time catching up and hanging out with their two boys/my precious cousins Willie and Eli. We were only there for a day and took the bus back the next morning to return to Michelle and Kelly, who had stayed in NYC. Wednesday night Rachel took us all out to the Knick Club for dinner. It was quite the experience! We ate in a beautiful dining room, all wore dresses, and ate delicious fish and steak entrees. This was my last night with Michelle and Kelly, since I was leaving the next morning for Houston, so after dinner I promised them I would take them “out”. I say “out” because it turned into us taking the subway to Prince St., walking into a sketchy SoHo establishment, walking to the West Village and being indecisive about where to go, Michelle complaining about being tired, and us catching a cab back after 30 minutes of wandering. I wanted to take them to Esperanto, a trendy and 24-hr coffee shop near NYU that is always loud and exciting, but they did not seem too fond of that idea. Oh well, I tried!

Thursday morning I left for Houston to surprise Seliece for her 21^st Birthday! I was so excited to see her and get to be with her to celebrate this momentous event. There were also the added perks of getting to see Taylor Swift perform at the rodeo, see my Nana and Papa/Aunt Margaret and the cousins, see Allie and Nicole who also drove in, and just have a much-needed Texas weekend!  Mr. Dodds picked me up at the airport and once we got to the house I waited for him to go inside and then rang the doorbell shortly after. They told Seliece to get the door and that it was a UPS delivery! The look on her face/her reaction was priceless. :) I also got to surprise my Nana Friday morning, which was so fun, and also got to spend some time with her and the rest of my relatives Saturday.  I feel so overwhelmed and blessed by my family/relatives. I am so thankful for each one of them! The rest of the weekend was a blast and so relaxing. Seliece and I hung out Saturday night and went to a Greek coffee shop called Agora to read and journal. I loved being able to do this with Seliece- definitely one of our favorite things to do when we’re together!  The next morning we went to the early service at Lakewood (I even got to sit behind Joel and Victoria!) and then grabbed a quick lunch together before having to drop me off at the airport. I was sad to be leaving, but I will see her in a month when her, Anne, and Allie come up here for my 21st! 

I got back late Sunday night to an empty apartment as the Hovnanian’s had already left for California and were going to be gone the whole week. As much as I have missed them and wished Serena was there to hang out with, this past week has been very relaxing and I have been able to get lots of schoolwork done. Jessie came over for dinner on Wednesday and then Tiffany spent the night with me Thursday night, so I didn’t feel too lonely! Yesterday after class I stopped at Grand Central Station on the way home and enjoyed the crowded and exciting feeling of people running everywhere catching trains. Afterwards I stopped at Food Emporium to get some grocery items and chicken to make for dinner with Kyla. My goal was to attempt to make a meal that I had learned from the Hovnanian’s. I decided to make homemade pesto with whole wheat four cheese ravioli and chicken. Kyla lightly fried the chicken and I made the pesto and cooked the ravioli. Everything turned out to be quite tasty (if I do say so myself!) and for once I felt accomplished in the area of cooking! I realized the best way to build my confidence in this area is not to merely watch, but to try making different things myself and figure out what works and what doesn’t. Kyla spent the night and we went to bed by midnight as we were both exhausted. This morning I met Kristin at Max Brenner for brunch. I ordered an omelet, which not only came with a sugarcoated biscuit but also a side of chocolate. Just what I need in the morning- chocolate. How perfect. I came back to the apartment and Kyla and I walked down to 71 Irving Place (which is where I am right now). When we walked in I freaked out because I swore Rufus Wainwright was sitting at one of the tables. I told Kyla (who didn't know who that was) and kept studying him to make sure it was him, but we were obviously not being discrete, as he got up to leave and winked at us on the way out. We both started laughing hysterically as we realized it probably wasn’t even him but some old creepy guy. I asked the barista if he knew if it was him and he answered me, with attitude of course, “I wouldn’t be surprised.” Uh, ok, thanks? Anyway, regardless of whether it was Rufus or not, I got winked at by a man who looked like Rufus Wainwright on a day where I don’t feel too cute, so I’ll take it. Ok, I’m getting off track. I’m supposed to be wrapping up this way too drawn out entry. We are about to head back to the apartment to make some sandwiches with the delicious fresh bread I bought at the farmer’s market in Union Square this morning….yum! Unfortunately I have lots of school stuff this week and will probably have a hectic week, but Kathleen is coming to stay with me next weekend and I am so excited to see her and have a fun weekend exploring the city together! If you are a curious person, which I have been told I am, this city can be very distracting as there are endless options of what to do, where to eat, what park to relax at, etc. It’s tough. Real tough. :)

I only have 6 more weeks in this wonderful city- I must make the most of it! 

xoxo

Week Eight/Nine

Me, Katie, and Laura at Sugar Sweet Sunshine

St. John's Cathedral in the Upper West Side

Colleen and I at the apartment!

It's finally Spring Break! Woo hoo! 

And I've decided that every 2 weeks is probably a better goal than every week.....

Highlights from these past 2 (much warmer) weeks:

*Walking from the Empire State Building at 34th st. to 110th st. to meet Kyla at the Hungarian Pastry Shop...ok, I took a quick break to eat lunch, but impressive right? Kyla met me there after babysitting and we had a wonderful time. It was close to Columbia and also across the street from the glorious St.John's Cathedral. I really love how each section of NY has such a different vibe/feel and enjoyed walking through the different areas of the Upper West Side. 

*An interesting experience at Union Square. So, after class on Friday I decided I was going to get my hair cut. I had read reviews about this place near NYU called Astor Hair and decided to try it out. I accidently got on the "N" express train and instead of being able to get off at 8th st. I had to get off at Union Square. The farmer's market was already up and going and I was excited to stumble upon all the fresh fruits and delicious breads. I was hungry and bought an organic bran muffin at one of the booths. As I was walking away a guy called out "Hey, muffin girl!". I immediately turned around to see a tall dark-haired man with a clipboard. After he obviously had my attention he added "You look like you take care of yourself..." "Hmm? I guess?", I responded. He went on to explain that a Paul Mitchell salon on Madison Ave. was having a special which included a hair cut and style, manicure, facial, and massage all for $60. He said they were doing this in order to get people to refer them and also return as normal clients. After asking him several detailed questions as I was still a bit skeptical I decided I might as well try it out, considering I was about to pay at least $40 just to get my hair cut. I signed up and booked my appointments for the following Tuesday and Thursday. Even though I still had to pay a $15 service fee when I got there, it was still a great deal for everything I got. After my appointments I left feeling very pampered!

*Going to Jackson Hole in Murray Hill for a hamburger with Jen and Kristin- it was fun to get to relax on a Friday in a fun, layed back atmosphere. 

*Running/walking with Kyla in Central Park on Saturday- the weather was amazing! Afterwards we came back to the apartment and made a delicious lunch. 

*Exploring Chinatown and Little Italy on Saturday night with Laura and Katie. In attempts to find a restaurant to eat at we ventured a little too far in the wrong direction and ended up being out of Manhattan for about 5 minutes...don't ask me how this happened! We finally found a restaurant called Bread in Nolita and had an awesome time. Since we were so close, I had to take them to Sugar Sweet Sunshine. They both admitted the cupcakes triumphed Magnolia's. Take that, Magnolia! :)

*Grabbing a panini at Payard and taking it to Central Park on Sunday morning. I love Sunday's here....maybe even more than Saturday's. I met Jen at Gotham Coffee House later to study and then we went to the 6 p.m. Redeemer service. Tim Keller gave the most amazing sermon and I left so challenged and even more in awe of the Gospel and its transforming power. I recommend downloading it off the Redeemer website- its called "Justified by Faith" in his series on the Bible as a whole story of redemption and restoration. It will be well worth your time, I promise.

*Making dinner with MK at the apartment on Thursday night. We made my favorite salad that Rachel makes all the time- lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, gruyere, and their signature salad dressing. I have loved getting to know MK while being here- she is such a real and engaging person and I am really glad God brought us together in this big city! 

*Getting to have lunch with Colleen and her two friends on Saturday. She is here for an advertising trip but decided to come early to explore the city. We went to Via Quadronno, a cute restaurant in the UES. I loved getting to see her and also loved my panini and cappucino! :)

*Seeing "Reasons to be Pretty" with MK and her roommate on Saturday night. It is a new Broadway show and MK had gotten tickets since she is a press intern and this is one of the shows she is covering. I really enjoyed it and think it will do well! MK and I went down to the West Village and met up with her friend Lauren afterwards at this place called The Dove Parlour. I had a good time talking to her friend and met some other people as well! 

My mom, sister, and sister's friend Kelly all got here today and I am so excited they're here! We all went to the 6 p.m. Redeemer and then me, Kelly, and Michelle went to dinner while my mom met up with a close friend who lives here. It was so encouraging talking to Michelle and Kelly at dinner and hearing how they are growing in their faith and seeing the Lord work in their lives as well as at OU. I can't wait to spend these next few days with them and get to take them to some of my favorite NYC spots. My mom and I will be heading to D.C. to visit my Uncle Mac on Tuesday for a night so I am also looking forward to seeing him and his family! 

Hasta pronto! :)

Week Six/Seven

Me and Serena at the Milly fashion show

Me and MK at Clinton St. Baking Co.

for our delicious brunch!

Ah! I'm so behind! Ok, well to avoid feeling overwhelmed with how much updating I have to do I will revert to the bullet-point system....

Here's an overview of some highlights from the past two weeks:

*Going to the Tory Burch and Milly fashion shows with Rachel and Serena! This was such an amazing experience for me and I was so fascinated with the grandeur of everything- who would have known there was such a thing as a recession going on? 

*Having breakfast with Jessie at Cafe Habana, a fun and delicious Cuban cafe in the East Village! She is so encouraging and full of life!

*Grabbing coffee with Kyla and taking it to Central Park. We had such a delightful time and great conversation.  We also had some interesting people/tourists stop and talk to us...one of them being an Australian who, after making small-talk with us for about 20 mins. proceeded to ask us if we knew of any good clubs.....you're asking the wrong girls! :)

*After my big test in Foundations on Friday, me and Kyla had a relaxing night. We went to Amy's Bread in the West Village for dinner and then saved room for some delicious frozen yogurt at Yogurtland!  Afterwards, we went back to Herald Towers and I hung out in Laura and Katie's room for a while. We played scrabble for a while and then watched Serendipity- such a great chick flick, especially for being in New York! 

*Last Saturday I slept in, met some girls at a coffee shop in the Lower East Side to study for our Old Testament test, got some coffee at Joe's (amazing!), and then met Kyla and two of her roommates at Alice's Tea Cup to get a scone and take it to the nearest Starbucks to do some more studying....or at least attempt to. I'm not really a "scone girl", however the scones at Alice's are soo good. The pumpkin and pb&banana are my favorites! 

*Going to the 10:30 Redeemer service and meeting Jessie and Jen there. I introduced the two of them and then we all had brunch at Le Pain afterwards. Me and Jen found a coffee shop on the Upper East Side called Gotham Coffee House and studied there the rest of the afternoon.

*Getting to go to the Regis & Kelly show with Katie! She had one extra ticket and thought I would appreciate it, with only being here a semester, so she asked me to go with her to the Friday show. Anderson Cooper was actually filling in for Regis, but it was just fun to get to see the studio and be there for the live taping!

*Taking Serena and her two friends to see the Jonas Brothers 3D movie on opening night....

*Meeting up with Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis for coffee on Saturday. I had no idea they were in the city for the weekend and so when they called Saturday morning to see if they could take me to lunch or coffee it was so spontaneous! They are both so encouraging and it is always wonderful to see familiar faces that know me and my family! 

*Going to dinner with another boy Rachel set me up with named Peter. We went and got sushi and then met up with one of his friends who goes to school here. I had a very nice time!

*Having brunch with MK Vigness on Sunday. We went all the way down to Clinton St. and had to wait 2 hours for this restaurant, but it was absolutely worth it- the food was amazing! While we waited we took some fun pictures and I took her to Sugar Sweet Sunshine for coffee and a cupcake! :) 

*Dinner with the Terrell family after the 6 p.m. Redeemer service. They are such a great family and Missy made a wonderful dinner.  Since they live on Roosevelt Island, I got to take a tram which took me over the 59th street bridge and I got a great view of the city! 

Today was a snow day! Serena's school was cancelled so we hung out and then I decided to go on a walk through Central Park. It was beautiful and great to see all the kids out sledding and having fun in the snow! 

My mom and sister will be here in 12 days for Spring Break and I can't wait to take them to some fun places and just get to experience New York with both of them! I can't believe I have almost been here for 2 months- crazy! I'm still loving every day, though, and so thankful for all that God has blessed me with here! He is good. :)