Finals

Oh Lord help me.

Fort Tilden

We have had some amazing weather in New York. It's almost December and it's 60 degrees outside. Weird, right?

Brennan and I decided to take advantage of it and biked out to the ocean, to the Fort Tilden beach. Another great advantage of living in NY, the coast! Our little bike adventure took us about an hour and a half, but then alas, ocean, waves, sand, no skyline in sight. It was beautiful. I need days like this, moments like this. It reminds me that I am small, but God is big. And even in the rush and craziness of New York, the ocean is only a bike ride away.

First New York Thanksigving

I survived my first New York Thanksgiving. It felt weird, and I must admit I was homesick. As I talked with my family they all asked me if I was at the parade. Which, of course, I was not. The people, the craziness, normally not my thing. But, once I got off the phone I missed them so much and thought, what the heck, I should go! So, being all independent and adventurous I hopped on the train into Manhattan. As I stepped out into the crowds and crowds and crowds of people I realized the parade was...OVER! Not a balloon or blimp in sight! It was by far the most depressing New York moment I've had. And then to top it off, I had to walk about 10 blocks before I could find an entrance back on the train for Brooklyn. This is what they call a New York FAIL. Not a great start to my NYC Thanksgiving. I felt so lonesome and defeated and missed my family terribly. But, sometimes a good cry on a boy's shoulder does a girl good.

So after I sobbed as Brennan tried to not laugh at me, we headed over to my dear friends Al and Reid's house for a delicious meal and a great time. I was reminded that I do have friends in New York. I am not alone. I am loved. And I survived my first holiday in New York City. Not bad. Maybe next year I'll actually see the parade, but until then I have a lot to be thankful for.

1. God. Blessings upon blessings upon blessings.
2. My family. They are amazing and love me so well.
2. My boy. He is amazing and loves me so well.
3. The fact that I have two number two's of thankfulness.
4. My friends, close and far.
5. Feeling loved every day.


Happy Thanksgiving!

A little bit of self care...

...goes a long way!

Social work is a trying profession, I know that, and I still love it. New York is a crazy city, I know that, and I'm trying to love it. I'll admit I've had a hard time adjusting. So, I have to treat myself well sometimes, and tonight I did just that. I forked over a few bucks for a yoga class by my house. I love yoga, my body loves yoga, my mind loves yoga, it's a wonderful thing. And this class was made for me. The instructor was from Minnesota! And the other three gals in the class were social workers, all graduates from NYU! Is that not perfect?

So as I practiced my yoga moves alongside my fellow social workers and a fellow Minnesotan, I finally felt at home, a little. But, even a little goes a long way.

Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street is taking over, and I live here. Although I don't know all the ins and outs about the 99%, the 1%, the taxes, the rich, blah blah blah, I must say it's kind of exciting. Especially being a grad student in the midst of it all. Granted, I do not think sitting in a park, smoking pot all day, and complaining about life's woes is the best approach for being heard, which is an unfortunate side of publicity the protest is receiving. But, there's just something exciting about seeing vulnerable people find a voice. This is my time to be young, free, and liberal, right? I mean, I am a social worker after all.

Protest in Washington Square Park

Brag Bag

I am finally done with midterms. Whew! I was quite nervous as this is the first time in five years that I've had to write a paper. I had no idea what I was doing and felt very intimidated by all the amazing Professors at NYU. But, last week my Human Behavior Professor pulled me aside after reading my midterm, and as she teared up (not lying), she told me how talented I was and that I was going to be an amazing therapist. I was SHOCKED! I was so nervous about that paper and so nervous about grad school and so nervous about everything that those words just validated and affirmed everything I have been dreaming, fearing, wishing, hoping. I'm not sure what made my Professor so emotional (I can't imagine my paper being that good). But, those little fears I had are now gone. I knew I was created to do this work, and now I feel like I can actually do it well. So here's to a little bragging, I got an A. Everyone needs to brag about something now and then! So dig in your brag bag and pull one out.

NYC Marathon

This past Sunday was the New York City Marathon. We decided to partake in the festivities by grabbing a muffin and coffee and cheering from the sidelines. :)

I love marathons! I ran my first (and probably last) in Minneapolis in 2007. It took over my life, but was such an incredible day. I think marathons bring out something amazing in people. To run 26.2 miles is such an accomplishment and holds so much personal meaning for many people. But, what I love most about marathons is how it unites people. People of all shapes and sizes, young and old, from all over the world are running in one race! There were over 47,000 people running the NYC marathon this year, and I think twice that amount were cheering them on along the entire 26.2 miles. People are happy, encouraging each other, and cheering for complete strangers. It was quite emotional and beautiful to see. I kept wondering what our world would be like if we treated people like that every day? I can't even imagine!

As I gave people high fives from the sideline and cheered on strangers who had their name printed on their shirt I was able to live in a united world, if even for a little bit.

Woo! Go runners!