Author Archives: megpatten

About megpatten

Living life one day at a time.

An Update from the Big Apple: I’m Alive

Disclaimer: Sorry for not posting in such a long time. So much has happened, and I have been just struggling to keep my head above water recently. I just wanted to say that I’m okay and give a recount of what has happened the past week in NYC. I’ve been thankful enough to find warmth and shelter the past few days but there are still thousands without power that need help and prayers. P.S. This will be a super long post so best prepare yourselves!

The past two weeks have been utter and total chaos – both good and bad. As I’m sure everybody has heard, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast pretty badly. On Sunday night, after we dominated and destroyed Emory (story to follow), we were told that school on Monday was canceled because of the impending hurricane. To say that we were beyond excited was an understatement. We boarded the bus, giddy with excitement and rode back into the city – proud of our accomplishments and stoked for our extra day off of school and soccer. That night, in typical women’s soccer fashion, we locked ourselves in a room (don’t ask), sang belted out to the tune of Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby” and joked about the Frankenstorm that had made our weekend so much better – man were we wrong.

Closures Left and Right

The following morning (Monday), I woke up and headed out to meet my Dad at one of the few diners that was open in the city. Even though the storm had yet to hit the city, everybody had closed up shop, including Starbucks. I found myself on the corner of 6th and 18th at Hollywood Diner, ready for my day off with my Dad. Though I didn’t have an appetite, I forced down some fruit and toast, knowing that I’d be on my feet all day and I would need energy later in the day. We walked around Manhattan despite the blistering winds and torrential downpour and wound up at McSorley’s – my Mom’s favorite Irish bar (If you’re ever in NYC I highly recommend it).

Dad at McSorleys Before It Closed

The rest of the day was sort of shot, considering we were both exhausted – me from my game, and my Dad from his international travel – we decided to retreat to the hotel. That night was fun, just catching up and chilling out, and we were about to watch some MNF and chow down on some Chinese delivery food when the…. wait for it… POWER WENT OUT. Yes. The power in New York went out. I was besides myself. Though I knew that the storm had the possibility of knocking out the power, I was stupid ignorant and believed that it was highly unlikely. It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. I pulled back the curtain to see the entire skyline blacked out (except for Freedom Tower – minutes later it was out as well). After reassuring my family back home that we were safe, I turned my cell phone off to conserve battery and fell asleep – hoping that this was simply a bad dream and that the power would return once I woke.

The only lights were that of cars

Much to my despair, the power was not on when I awoke on Tuesday. My Dad was unable to fly back to California and the future was looking pretty bleak. After we gathered our things, we decided to make our way to my dorm blocks away to see if they had power. Unfortunately for us, my dorm was without power, water AND sewage. I grabbed some clothes for the day with my Dad and then headed back up to 24th street. We soon found out that everything south of 26th street was without power and would be for a few days so I called my teammate Phebe, told her to pack her things, meet up with us and go explore the city. We walked around for hours, taking in the destruction – it was unreal. Our practice field was ruined, and downtown New York City was flooded beyond belief. It was hard for me to see my beautiful city torn and tattered.

Our Beloved Field

We returned to our hotel hours later, determined to get another room somewhere with power and water. After calling what seemed like 50 hotels, including the very expensive yet enticing Plaza, we were told that everything was full. We decided to make reservations for the following night art a Marriott uptown anyways so we had a back up plan for the 31st. We then trekked up to the hotel in midtown, camped out to charge our cell phones and laptops and continued to harass ask the front desk if there was anything available. By the time I had gone down to the front desk a third time (with my biggest puppy eyes), we had decided to try the nearby Cornell club. After being turned down by them too, we stopped at a final hotel to use the bathroom and ask if they had a room to spare. By this point, I was going delirious, muttering under my breath “I hate Sandy. I hate being homeless” over and over again. While sitting in the hotel lobby of the luxurious Sofitel Hotel, I couldn’t help but notice that a) Phebe and I were scrubbing it hard core in our matching tights and north faces and b) my Dad was taking forever. We both looked at each other, began contemplating the odds that we had gotten a room, and before one of us could utter a single room my Dad returned with two keys held above his head. I swear, I thought he was gonna start dancing Gangnam Style. Our day was turning up.

We waltzed up to our hotel room on the 22nd floor and embraced in the biggest hug ever. We were no longer homeless and without power and water. The hotel was super fancy but what made things that much better was the fact that there was running water (we could finally take a hot shower) and could charge our phones with worrying about saving battery. We snuggled into the oversized twin beds (like who the heck has twin beds in a hotel?) and fell asleep after dinner. Before I closed my eyes to sleep, I thanked God for watching out for all of us and prayed for all of those without power.

On Wednesday morning, we awoke and headed back to Carlyle to get more supplies from our rooms. The night before we were told that school was canceled for the rest of the week, and due to the lack of electricity they were evicting everybody from the dorms. Luckily for us, we had a room at the Marriott Marquis (thanks Dad!) but others were forced to see refuge with friends or family in the area or at Kimmel – a multipurpose building down in Washington Square. Once we checked into the Marquis, we dropped our stuff off and decided to grab some breakfast next door at Juniors. We spent the rest of the day in the hotel, catching up on homework, facebooking and enjoying each others’ company. That night, Pheebz and I decided to unstress by shopping so we went to American Apparel, got some cool scrunchies and some American themed clothing (for my Halloween costume). We decided to meet my Dad at a local Irish place in Hells Kitchen and chowed down on some delicious Irish grub and dessert. Though the Shepard’s Pie did not quite meet my Dad’s standards, it was a great way to end his extended stay in the city.

In Total Disbelief

On Thursday my Dad left us for California. Although I was sad to say goodbye to him, I’m happy he was able to get back to the sanity of California. My other teammate, Leslie, joined Phebe and I soon after he left and we continued to hang out, work out, and contemplate life’s true meaning.

In wake of this terrible storm I’ve reflected on everything I’ve been given and realize how lucky I truly am. Only time will tell at how long this recovery will take but I am just eternally thankful for my friends safety and the kindness of New Yorkers in wake of this terrible disaster.

UPDATE: As I write this post, I’ve been notified that power has been restored in parts of Lower Manhattan (only East Village though).

Stay safe New York 🙂

A Torn and Tattered City

Things That Make Me Smile

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Ever have one of those days where you feel like you’re struggling to keep your head above water? Well last week was one of those weeks, but thankfully I had something to smile about: talking to my Mom and Dad. I came to the realization that after every conversation with them, I’m usually smiling after, no matter how upset or angry I was before. They know how to pick me up when I’m down and how to the light the fire within.

I am blessed to say the least and have hundreds of things to smile about, so when I found out that Oct. 5th was National Smile Day, and got off the phone with my Mom, I immediately headed over to my computer to make a quick list of five things that makes me smile.

This is super repetitive, but talking to my parents is one thing that calms me down when I am infuriated at myself for something or when I am lacking motivation. My relationship with my Mom and Dad has transformed over the years, similar to how an awkward caterpillar morphs into a beautiful butterfly. In high school I was unable to open up to them (for whatever strange reason) but when I jetted off across the country, we became incredibly close. I call them daily, on my walk back from Coles to Union Square and it really soothes my soul and makes me grin from ear to ear.

Awesome Parents

Snapchat – If you have an iPhone, you should have this app. I am constantly snap chatting friends obnoxious selflies, but hey that’s what it’s for!

Twist Snapchatting

Finally Understanding Something – I’m currently in Sports Accounting and was so frustrated last week when I was unable to figure out the homework. In class, all of the principles clicked and I was beaming with excitement. Maybe it’s the inner nerd in me, but there is just something awesome about making sense of a difficult concept.
Quotes – My desk is covered in pink, purple, yellow and blue post-it’s with inspirational quotes to get me through the day and to remind me to persevere. I am a sucker (for lack of a better term) for a pieces of inspiration. Check out some of my favorites here!
Last but certainly not least, looking at old photos and watching home videos are one of those things that just puts a smile on my face. I was perusing through Facebook and found photos that seemed like just yesterday but in reality they were from close to ten years ago. This whole growing up thing stinks – I don’t believe I agreed to this.

Climbing Fuji ten years ago

Unproductively Productive

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Hey! Hope everybody’s week is off to a sold start. Yesterday (Monday) we had a game and won 4-0 over St. Joseph. A huge congratulations goes out to Melissa Menta and Serra Tumay for breaking records – check out more info here. Anyways, It’s 2AM on Monday Night/Tuesday morning and I cannot fall asleep. I switched brands of tea so I’m thinking thats what’s keeping me up. Either way, I have been some what productive working on homework, facebooking, and trying to make a header for this blog. Here are two that I made tonight what do you guys think?

Off to bed 🙂 Sweet dreams everybody and Happy Tuesday!

Meg In Madrid?

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¡Hola Amigos! So if you couldn’t tell by the title, or the introduction, or my Instagram, or my Facebook status – I got accepted to NYU Madrid. Although nothing is 100% confirmed at this point, I am beyond excited about the possibility of going to España in the spring.

Not much has transpired since my last post, except for buying a couple bunches of bananas ( currently obsessed with them). After I found out, I spent the afternoon dreaming of life abroad, googling Madrid until my fingers felt like they wanted to fall off, and going over verb conjugations in my head, as if I would forget everything I had learned over the past eight years in Spanish classes.

I can’t contain my excitement – I can’t stop smiling and jumping around like a five year old.

I can’t wait to take artsy pictures like this. And take siestas. And to live like a madrileño.

Madrid, I’m coming for you.

Tráigalo Encendido.

Jam of the Day: “Vamos A La Playa” – Loona

Appropriately Appropriating

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So I know this is sort of really random, but for my Writing class I was asked to create a collage relating to appropriation and plagiarism. At first, I did a collage of pictures in power point of my life, which I believe portrayed how my life (and everybody else’s life) is a compilation of ideas and thought processes from which we cannot pin point the origin. Anyways, my professor told me that I should do a blog collage and incorporate some of my writing into it. Below is a mix of my past writing (in smaller font) and a blog I found – here goes nothing.

Gone were the dog days of summer, the hours spent on the beach and the times spent giggling late into the night with my best friends. I was playing a whole different ball game. The moment I stepped off that Boeing 747, everything changed. Not only did I have to adjust to the new time change but I had to get used to living with a roommate, paying for things on my own, making new friends, and dealing with the humidity (ughh!).

“Dear New York City,

May 15, 2000: Our first encounter was on Saturday afternoon on Broadway and 42^nd Street. You, in thick black coat & red scarf, were on your way to rehearsal. Something about you just drove me insane. I could feel your energy in the one, one thousand, two, one thousand seconds, when we locked eyes at the crosswalk. Although I neglected to strike up a conversation, I had a feeling we’d meet again. I was confident this was to be the first of the many times our paths would cross.”

I still miss New York each and every day but am so excited to be back in the city – only 34 days and counting.

There are over eight million people in New York City but my favorite are the ones that like to yell to my friends and I when we’re walking about. While their lack of cleanliness drives me bonkers, these people are some of the true comedians in the city. They will remind you that your skirt may be too short or that you’re a sexy sista or even that your jacket is hideous (even if it did cost a pretty penny). They are the icing to the cake that is NYC and I pray for their health and safety every day because it wouldn’t be the Big Apple without em.

“Dear New York City,

June 23, 2008: Can you believe it took me nearly seven years to come see you again? I had a few pictures placed in my journal to remember you by: Times Square, theater shows, restaurants, even the Broadway street sign where we first met at 42nd! Seven years later and I feel about 30 years older. Your charm, I once experienced, seemed non-existent. All I saw were your streets. Scattered with one big groundhogs day adult lives, filled with suits, power points, and topped off by luke warm office coffee pots. Sometimes you can feel so surrounded and alone, all at the same time. But then, you did it. You took me for my first run in Central Park. How long did we go for? Was it 2 hours? We ran and ran, got lost but didn’t panic. Instead we stopped for a Coke and a nap on the Great Lawn. You assured me that if you allow yourself to run wild, indulge sugary drinks, and nap in green grass, that the real world does not strip you of childish play.”

New York is one of the most famous, if not the most well known city in the world, but underneath the surface lie many secrets and stories that have yet to be uncovered. As a self proposed “Adventurist” I LOVE the fact that NYC is still rich in history that has yet to be exploited by millions of tourists”

“Dear New York City,

August 12, 2009: You inspire me with creativity and humor. You sold me a $7 ticket and gave a friendly wink. I think you were surprised that I was interested? I spent an hour walking around that big beautiful building. Oh the paintings and the colors, so different than what I had anticipated. Thank you for asking me if I was lost, pointing me in the right direction, and for laughing. LOUD. Can you believe I was trying to go to the Museum of Modern Art but instead ended up with you next door at the Museum of Folk Art? That was so silly. You showed me that creativity, expression, and inspiration is everywhere – be it an accidental encounter, the building next door, or the person chain smoking outside across the street…..”

As a yoga-pant-wearing-messy-bun-sporting girl I love being able to roll out of bed five minutes before class, throw on some sweats and walk confidently out of my room knowing that there WILL, without a doubt, be somebody dressed worse than I am (unless I decide to dress like the photo below). The downside to this is that there is always going to be somebody dressed better than you, even if you’re a Victoria’s Secret Angel.

“Dear New York City,

July 20, 2011: I feel so alive when I’m with you. It’s like I can’t stop moving when you’re around. I just want to soak up every moment we spend together. Our 4am subway rides, secret park concerts, dancing until 5am, lucky $25 front row tickets to live theater, art, fashion & fashionable people, street festivals, coffee with strangers that are actually not so strange after hour-long latte conversations, that one time we had a crab cookout on the 4^th of July and fell in love Down Under the Manhattan Bridge on the very same day….we’ve done so much! But gosh, I don’t feel like we’ve even brushed the surface.”

About ten months ago, I embarked on a journey that not only changed my coordinates on a map, but turned my life as I knew it upside down. I once again packed up my belongings in big cardboard boxes, neatly folded all of my clothes into my two large suitcases, and grabbed a one way ticket to New York City. I was diving head first into a world that I was unsure of.

“Dear New York City,

September 23^th, 2012: Did I tell you? I’ll be coming to see you again in a week. Only this time, it’s as permanent. Well, as permanent as permanent can be, which is really not that permanent at all, I suppose. Anyway, I’ll be coming for more time with you. I’m packing a few things, but you said I don’t need much. I’m grateful to have a friend like you….so generous. You always find a way to make sure I’m taken care of. Even if I was homeless in Central Park, you would probably send me a blanket! Can I bring you anything from the California Coast? Let me know. NOTE: palm trees don’t fit in carry-ons.”

Two months until I’m back in the city and I cannot even explain how much I’m missing it. I love to take pictures and more often than not I love to pretend that I’m actually a great photographer. Whilst in New York, I tried to avoid looking like a tourist and carrying around my large Canon 60D, but hey sometimes you just cannot resist the beauty of the Concrete Jungle.

“Dear NYC (Can I call you that? I think we’re on nickname basis already),

September 24^th, 2012: I’m counting down the minutes until we reunite. So many more experiences to come, stories of you and I to write. I have some important questions for you and am sitting here wondering – what will our next adventure be? Where will we go, will we explore? What part of town will we live in? Who will we meet and where will we wander? Most importantly, how big shall we DREAM and what will we DARE to do together?”

It’s amazing what can happen in one year. 365 days. 12 months. 52 weeks. But it’s extraordinary how much can happen in less than that time. I would have never in a million years imagined that I would be in college playing two sports, majoring in Sports Management, and interning at a company I had admired for years. I didn’t even know these opportunities existed. New York City is truly the place where dreams come true.

– Adventure for a Life You Love

Quote of the Day: “The City is not a concrete jungle, it is a human zoo” – Desmond Morris

Going Bananas!

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Hey Everybody – sorry for not posting lately! I‘ve found myself to be busier than I ever thought possible – I’m literally running from class to work to practice and back to class all the time. It’s crazy to think that it has already been three weeks since the first day of school and that league play begin this weekend, but at the same time it’s great to feel like I’m slipping back into a normal routine (if you even consider my life normal!) In the past three weeks alone, our team has gone 6-2, I have made some considerable progress on my “20 Things to Do Before I’m 20” list, and I’ve found time to get a decent amount of sleep (yay!). Today’s post will mostly be an update on everything so far and a funny story or two 🙂

The Beginning of Foodie Friday (please ignore the massive white spaces)

First and foremost, I would like to say that bananas are so delicious – I do not know how I have lasted through sports so long without them! Anyways, I can finally cross off # 2, 12 14, and 15 off my twenties bucket list – four down, sixteen more to go! So far this year I’ve been cooking a ton – pretty much every single meal and have yet to burn down my room- which is an accomplishment in itself. My favorite meal so far is Amelia’s Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus Penne Pasta with fresh parmesan – it’s super easy and I’ll post the recipe soon. Another reason I’ve been cooking a lot (and learning) is because Foodie Friday has become a “thing”. It’s great to know that my friends look forward to coming over, cooking together and just catching up – it’s a great bonding experience for us as a team. This past Friday we also initiated a quote wall and a poster that lists the words that NYUWS makes up – I’m sure we’ll cover the whole wall by the end of the season!

The Quote Wall

Run a Half Marathon
Learn to Cook (Well)
Go on a juice cleanse for a week
Go to a college football game
Donate Blood
Go to a Broadway Show
Watch Every Episode of Friends
Go to All Five Boroughs in One Day
Go To Mexico
Start a Revolution
Submit a piece or photograph to a major publication and get it published
Start a Tradition – Foodie Friday is really taking off – people have come to expect it now!
Break a Record
Withhold Myself From Shopping (But For Only One Month) – Current streak is five weeks 🙂
Try Bananas, Mushrooms, or Yogurt (Or all three) – Bananas are yummy. Up next: Yogurt!
Fly
Visit Ellis Island and Look For Any Relatives
Watch a live surgery
Get Scuba Qualified
Make an Impact

Aside from trying new food and withholding myself from shopping, I’ve also had my fair share of “Meg Moments”. Just the other morning I was headed to my internship, walking across Union Square towards 14th St., when all of a sudden a homeless man comes running up to me, stomps on my sandal-clad foot and runs away. I am not kidding. But really, who the heck does this?

Cooking!

Going Bananas!

In other news, I applied to study abroad Madrid on a whim, we’ll see if anything happens. I would love to go but I love New York City so much – I would be absolutely torn. I’ll know if I got in by Oct. 1st! Oh yeah, and our team is going abroad in August… wait for it… Yes, London, England, as in my birth place. I am beyond excited! When I found out, I was in the ice bath and started splashing everything around me – one of my finer moments if you ask me.

Ar and I are super excited

Speaking of soccer, we’re headed to Cleveland this weekend to play Case Western. It should be a great game and you follow the stats online 🙂 Oh and here’s an update and excerpt from my NYU Blog which can be found here:

“At the beginning of the year, our coach quoted Paul Elrich “The fluttering of a butterfly’s wings can effect climate changes on the other side of the planet,” which explained to us that everything we do is connected and influences everything else we do as a result, either directly or indirectly. Now that we’re a few games into the season, it’s amazing to see everything starting to come full circle since our first day…

I keep finding myself spotting butterflies everywhere I go, and thinking about how just the slightest flap of the wing can change the weather in South America. The same holds true for this season, and for years to come – every ounce of sweat we put in now will affect us down the road, hundreds of miles away at a UAA game.”

I’ll end on that but I hope everybody has a fantastic rest of their week 🙂 Until next time!

Jam of the Day: “She’s So Mean” – Matchbox Twenty

A Reflection

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I cannot even begin to imagine what it would have been like to be in New York City eleven years ago. I can only assume that the confusion, craziness, and total chaos that consumed New York was 100 times worse than what Times Square is on a busy day. But after living here for a year, seeing the memorial, and meeting people directly affected by the attacks, the clouds of confusion have lifted and the arising Freedom Tower means so much more to me.

I was eight years old, just settling my energetic self into a chair in Mrs. Friedman’s third grade class at Newington Forest Elementary in Northern Virginia when the first plane struck. A mere hour later I was slinking down in that same chair, a knot in my stomach, and huge large tears swelling up in my hazel eyes after watching footage and being alerted that our country had been attacked by terrorists. On September 11, 2001 my life (along with the entire world’s) drastically changed.

At that moment in time, my eight year old self was completely bewildered as to why people wanted to hurt Americans. After the news announcement came on, kids were pulled from class. By 3:35 that afternoon I was one of seven kids left in the third grade. I rode the empty bus back home, held my little sister’s hand and came home to my mom sitting on our living room table, eyes glued to the TV, faced stained with tears, and shaking. She took us both sat us down and said we needed to talk. The first thought that flew through my head was that my Dad was at the Pentagon that day. I began to cry uncontrollably. Even though he was across the country on a business trip, I had assumed the worst. Thank the Lord everything was okay.

The rest of that day was a blur. A flurry of people came in and out of our house, the phone was ringing off the hook, and the TV blared in the corner. The replay of the planes hitting the Twin Towers was forever imprinted into my mind. American flags lined my street for months, Red Cross Blood Trucks were everywhere and stories of countless heroes risking their lives replayed for what seemed like eternity. Never in my time, both on and off military bases have I witnessed an overwhelming amount of patriotism, support for those lost, and selflessness out of so many Americans.

I was told that September 11th will be a day forever remembered, written about in history books, much like Pearl Harbor, but it has come to be so much more. Yes, it has been squished into U.S. history textbooks, in-between the Cold War and the glossary of the text. But it has become so much more than a picture and a few words on the last page of a book. September 11th has become a sign of strength and unity for our country, a sign of freedom, and above all a sign of resilience to those wishing to bring us down.

It is a day that will be a permanent part of those who were alive on September 11th, 2001, but September 11th is a day forever imprinted upon the hearts of Americans everywhere. We will stand together forever. United.

God bless America and God bless all of those who have given their lives.

On the walk back home

First Days of School

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What a week it’s been! The first day of school started off in a great direction when I a) couldn’t find my classroom because 11 East 42nd St. doesn’t exist, b) I couldn’t find the subway station at Bryant Park back to Coles so I took the 5 express down to Union Square and then hopped in a cab who proceeded to try and rip me off (yes I caught him and made him turn off the meter) and c) ran into Coles grabbing cleats and gloves than back to the vans all while tripping over my own two feet. While at practice I was totally fine, but I once again got sloppy: losing my laundry bag amidst the ruckus that is club fest (Thank God I found it), and somehow ripping part of my cute lace shirt while zipping up my jacket – I am a klutz on a good day; I would not know what to call myself last Tuesday.

First Day of School

I am not late. Ever. It’s more of a lifestyle choice than something I’d prefer not to do; regardless I detest being late. Unfortunately for my OCD brain and my numerous calendars, this semester I have to succumb to arriving a little later at practice because on Tuesdays I have class in midtown only minutes before soccer starts and on Wednesdays I have another class that runs 45 minutes into our session. Regardless, I think I am quite a scene to see running around the village and lower Manhattan during the week.

Other than that, class was fine on my first day (especially since I only had Business Development). My professor played college soccer and we bonded over that, which is pretty nice. The other awesome thing about my classes this year is that they are filled with sports fanatics (for the most part) and they don’t judge as critically about my choice of sweatpants and running shoes to class. Aside from BD, I’m taking Sports Accounting, Sports Law, Writing I, Applied Research and Professional Seminar II – it should be a great year (Fingers crossed)!

I also had my first day at Heisman where I was put straight to work! After getting a tour of the beautiful office, I started going through, watching and organizing videos of past ESPN announcements and dinners – they made me so excited for Heisman weekend this December! I can’t wait to get back to work there.

First Day of Heisman

With one week of school, four games (we’re 2-2) and my first day of Heisman and work now officially under my belt (except for my Sports Law class), I can finally say I’m starting to get into my routine. Here’s a quick snapshot of what an average week in the life of Meg Patten looks like minus some down time!

I’ve got to get back to some work but here’s a song that I’ve recently become obsessed it and some pics from this past week!

Zach Attack back at our Foodie Brunch

Amelia the Chef and Some Yummy Apple Thing

Oh and we had some awesome fans at our first game!

Jam of the Day: “A-Team” by Ed Sheeran – I’ve been listening to him lately and he really gets me in the mood to be productive 🙂

‘Twas the night before my sophomore year

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‘Twas the night before NYU, and all through the college,

Not a person was sleeping, ‘cuz they had no parents to acknowledge.

Most were quite tired, but no one went to bed,

For visions of clubbing and Electric Zoo were still in their head.

In my room, I was cooking and digesting,

While my poor tired legs yearned to be resting.

‘Twas the night before my second year, and all through the hall,

Not a kid was found excited for the academic fall.

For New York is a city, too diverse to describe,

And the city is a place that gives off a pretty cool vibe.

Yep – that is/was my only attempt at publishing poetry. Take it for what it is but you can probably tell I’m really excited for school since I only have one class, which is pretty nice.

Anyways back to business… Besides the Yankees (76-58) falling deeper into a slump and the Padres (62-73) recovering from their less than impressive first half of the season, the past couple of days have been pretty normal. My days have lulled away with soccer, reuniting with old pals and taking naps without fear of sleeping through class. Our team has transitioned from the two sessions a day to just one and have already competed in one game against Stevens. Although we lost, it was a very useful game because it really helps us analyze what we did wrong and what we can work on as a group and as individuals.

It’s 11:30 I have to catch the subway to class early tomorrow (hello 8AMs on 42nd St! Say What?) so I’m off to bed!

Until next time! And Happy first day of school everybody 🙂

TWENTIES! YIKES!

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Wow I cannot believe it’s been my last summer as a teenager. (Gahh! I feel so old typing that!) I only have few soccer filled days of summer left, but I promise to live it up before its over. Granted I’ve had an amazing childhood living around the world, traveling, experiencing new things and of course playing sports, but there are some things that I’ve yet to accomplish. I always hear people saying, “I wish I could have done this or that but I didn’t”. Well the time has come to just do it (thank you Nike for that beautiful motto).

Heres’ my list of 20 things I’ve yet to do that I want to finish before my birthday in February! Let me know if you want to join in on any or all of the challenges!

Run a Half Marathon – I think for as much as I’ve run over the years in soccer, I think it’s finally time to prove it with a medal or two. On the last day of winter break, there is the Carlsbad Half which I’d love to train for. Come on, how hard could it really be?
Learn to Cook (Well) – Food is sort of a basic requirement of living and if it weren’t for some of my teammates and my parents I don’t think I’d still be living today (probably from food poisoning or from just lack of food!) Anyways, I’d love to learn how to cook a gourmet meal (maybe not gourmet but you get the idea) and have some friends over! Completed Fall 2012
Chef Meg
Go on a juice cleanse for a week – I just watched a really cool documentary called Fat Sick and Nearly Dead which opened my eyes to the types of foods I put into my body. I’d love to try this and although I could not do a full juice cleanse because I wouldn’t be getting the proper amount of calories and proteins through juicing, I think one week is manageable and would test my will power.
Go to a college football game – Seeing as I’m working for the Heisman Memorial Trophy Trust which recognizes the best college football player each year and NYU doesn’t have a football team I think it’d be fitting to go to another college football game. Who’s down for the Yale Colombia game on 10/27?
I think I Could Handle the Pigskin
Donate Blood – In between getting over my fear of needles and helping others in need, I think this would be a great thing to do before I’m twenty. (Plus you get a pretty cool sticker for doing it!)
Go to a Broadway Show – Seeing as I’ve lived in NYC a year and have visited a half dozen other times I don’t know why I still haven’t seen a broadway show. Any suggestions? Completed Dec. 12, 2012
Wicked Anybody?
Watch Every Episode of Friends – This is one of those classic TV shows that people are still talking about ten years down the road. Seeing as I live in Manhattan, have a friend named Phebe and have Rachel’s spending habits, I think this would be one show worth watching from the pilot episode to the series finale. Central Perk anybody?
Go to All Five Boroughs in One Day – Sure I can name all of ’em but I haven’t even been to all of them, let alone more than two in the same day, but I’d love to say that I’ve done this. Here’s my plan of attack!
Manhattan? Check!
Go To Mexico – My favorite foods includes chips and salsa, I lives less than 30 miles from the border and speak Spanish. Have I been to the border? NOPE! I know it’s dangerous but I literally just want to cross over and just say I’ve been there (and maybe have a burrito too!) Oh and watch this cool video about the border and sports!
Just wanna go to the other side of the fence
Start a Revolution – My roommate Cami showed me a video from TED we watched in preseason last year about starting a revolution and seeing as I live in a city full of people, I don’t think it’s going to be terribly difficult to start one. The only problem may be thinking of something – any ideas?
Submit a piece or photograph to a major publication and get it published – New York City is the home to hundreds, if not thousands, of budding young artists and journalists trying to make it big. I think it’d be an incredible accomplishment to get published or recognized for any piece of work I do now. Maybe a possible career in the making? Who knows?
Start a Tradition – I’m really great at starting things but am not so great at following through on them so I think by starting a tradition it could help me on my follow-through. I think making Foodie Friday a tradition would be great! In order for this to count we must do this a minimum of 10 times 🙂 Completed Fall 2012
Foodie Friday Day #1
Break a Record – I know this goal sounds pretty conceited but I think that etching my name into some sort of record book would be pretty awesome to do by the time I’m twenty. I know I am ranked third or fourth in some records in this but it’d be great to be number one! Completed October 28, 2012
Withhold Myself From Shopping (But For Only One Month) – I’m a shopaholic and proud but my bank account would probably say otherwise. I think it’d be a reasonable goal for me to not do any clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. shopping for one whole month. My roommate in PDA currently thinks I won’t be able to do it and she’s only known me for a week… Yikes! Completed October 15, 2012
Confessions of a Shopaholic?
Try Bananas, Mushrooms, or Yogurt (Or all three) – I’m typically not one of those people that is pegged as “picky” but when it comes to these three foods, I am pretty stringent. For some reason these are the three foods I refuse to consume until now. Maybe I’ll find out that I like bananas or yogurt by the Spring but I don’t know yet; only time will tell. Completed September 26, 2012
Fly – Although It’d be pretty awesome to just flap my wings and fly away, I think a more comparable goal would be to learn how to fly a plane. I come from a large family of aviators – my Dad was a pilot, my grandfather was a pilot, my grandmother was an airline stewardess and my other grandfather jumped out of planes. I think it’s an important part of who I am in a larger sense of my family. (Plus how many people can say they can fly?) – Completed December 23, 2012
Visit Ellis Island and Look For Any Relatives – I recently found out that my maternal great-great grandfather, Patrick Tannian, passed through Ellis Island and I think it’d be a pretty unique experience to try and find their names among the thousands that passed through those gates. After searching through some old documents and Ancestry.com, I think I can make this work.
Watch a live surgery – I’ve always had some sort of obsession and quirky passion for the human body and at one point in my life I wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. I think it’d be cool to scrub in and see what it actually is like to be a doctor. Any bets on how fast I’ll pass out?
Get Scuba Qualified – One of my good friends Kaitlyn is PADI qual’d and I always have wanted to explore the sea. The World is 70% water, I can swim, the only thing missing is breathing underwater – let’s do this.
Doesn’t This Look So Cool?
Make an Impact – I feel that this one is pretty vague yet self-explanatory. In all that I do, I just want to have a positive impact on those around me and I think I can accomplish this one if I keep trying to be a selfless individual.

The clock is ticking!