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Appropriately Appropriating

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.

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– 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!

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)

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

The Quote Wall

  1. Run a Half Marathon
  2. Learn to Cook (Well) 
  3. Go on a juice cleanse for a week
  4. Go to a college football game
  5. Donate Blood
  6. Go to a Broadway Show
  7. Watch Every Episode of Friends
  8. Go to All Five Boroughs in One Day
  9. Go To Mexico
  10. Start a Revolution
  11. Submit a piece or photograph to a major publication and get it published
  12. Start a Tradition  – Foodie Friday is really taking off – people have come to expect it now!
  13. Break a Record
  14.  Withhold Myself From Shopping (But For Only One Month) – Current streak is five weeks 🙂
  15. Try Bananas, Mushrooms, or Yogurt (Or all three) – Bananas are yummy. Up next: Yogurt!
  16. Fly
  17. Visit Ellis Island and Look For Any Relatives
  18. Watch a live surgery
  19. Get Scuba Qualified
  20.  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!

Cooking!

Going Bananas!

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, LondonEngland, 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

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