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 42nd 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 4th 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 23th, 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 24th, 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