Tag Archives: San Diego

White Rose

What a weekend it’s been! I returned to San Diego on Monday for a few days (48 hours to be exact) before I jet set back to the East Coast on Thursday. Call me crazy, but I’ll tell you I’m having the time of my life living bi-coastally.

I am currently recovering from an amazing weekend spent at Dave’s fraternity formal in New Jersey.  In March, I was  invited to Sigma Nu’s White Rose Formal – this formal not only celebrated the chapter and its accomplishments but also the 115th Anniversary of the founding of the fraternity. It was a very big deal and was hosted at a beautiful resort in the mountains.

I flew out of San Diego on Thursday morning and stayed with Phebe for our typical girl’s night in the city. The first thing we did after dropping off my luggage, was grab a slice of dollar pizza. I hadn’t eaten all day and since she had yet to find shoes for formal, I knew that I needed some fuel before embarking on one of our shopping adventures. We rushed to Macy’s and couldn’t find anything, but we ended finding some cute white heels with studs around the ankles at Aldo.

The following morning, I had an interview uptown and was also able to meet up with my old bosses, which was great . I was very fortunate I had the free time to squeeze in the interview and see everybody! Later that day, Phebe and I headed to Hoboken with all of our gear ready for formal weekend. We got to the house before the boys were done with practice, so we dropped off our bags and beelined straight to the store to grab some snacks to fill up the cooler for the weekend. A cooler, you ask? Yes, you read that right. Right after Dave asked me to formal,  I came to learn that it is a fraternity tradition for a girl to decorate and fill a cooler for her date to show her appreciation. Most people know that I have close to ZERO experience or skill with a paintbrush, but I was determined to decorate it to the best of my abilities with some of his favorite things (Volleyball, Beaches, The Chargers and Bills)  and surprise him with it.  Even though I struggled tremendously with the artistic aspect of decorating the cooler, I would like to believe I excelled in filling it with goodies, transporting it 3000 miles across country, and answering a million questions from other curious flight passengers. I’m in the process of making a time-lapse video and  blog of how one should go about making a cooler – I’ll upload that as soon as I finish it!  After the boys were done with practice, Dave and I went out to 1 Republik for dinner and later to Tally Ho to play some Jenga with one of his friends. It is weird to think that it had been nearly two months since we had last seen each other, but we picked things up right where we left off.

On Saturday morning we got up relatively early to head to the resort so we could make our tee time at noon. We carpooled with one of Dave’s fraternity brothers, Chris, and his girlfriend Lexi, who also happened to be our golf partners for the day. We arrived at Mineral Springs about 20 minutes before our tee time so we headed right to the club house instead of check in. To be honest, I was pretty worried about my golf game (or lack thereof), but I was assured that we would be playing best ball and it would be fun. Much to my surprise, we had A BLAST on the golf course playing the first nine holes. By the end of the round, we had a little less than two hours until we had to be on the buses headed to the formal venue. One quick cat nap later, we started to get ready and hopped on the bus. This was my first formal fraternity function, and I was beyond impressed with everything! I loved seeing the guys and their dates dressed up and looking dapper in suits, learning about the tradition, and meeting current and former brothers of the fraternity. In addition, the Gamma Delta chapter (Steven’s)  was awarded the Rock Chapter Award  for excellence in pretty much all that they do. Congrats guys! Overall, the weekend was magical – we had perfect weather and danced the night away – a perfect ending to say the least!

Sunday morning, I returned with Phebe to the city, while the boys practiced. I decided to meet up with my former roommate Erin in the park after grabbing bagels from Tompkins Square Bagels – it had been months since we had caught up. After the boys finished practice, I headed back to Hoboken to meet up with Dave and grab some dinner. As some of you know, I LOVE trying new restaurants, so Dave took me to this great hole in the wall called Tony Baloney’s . I’m not the biggest sandwich fan, but between Vito’s and Tony’s, I think I’ve changed my mind. I ordered the Kaka Sub, while Dave munched on the Revel Boy and split the Shitfaced fries (absolutely delicious). Tony’s is one of my new favorite restaurants and definitely recommend trying it!

I headed back to the airport on Monday afternoon, but unfortunately my flight was delayed nearly four hours and I didn’t get home until past midnight. On a positive note, the flight attendant that I bonded with over the cooler (on the original the trip over), sat next to me before boarding and asked about my weekend!

I had a great weekend at formal and can’t wait for this upcoming weekend, where I’ll be catching Dave and his team, the #1 ranked Steven’s Volleyball team host and compete in the NCAA Championships.

 

 

Phebe Comes to Visit

The saddest thing about graduating, perhaps, is the loss of all the holidays and breaks. I really enjoy planning trips and traveling, so this “lost” time really hit hard. Everything really came “crashing down” (excuse my melodramatic candor) when my Instagram and Facebook feeds quickly transformed into a mecca for bikini-clad girlfriends and #nofilter beach sunsets the first week of March. Luckily for me, I have one of the best friends in the entire world who decided to spend part of her Spring Break in beautiful Southern California for a week of shenanigans. It had a been a little less than a month since I had seen Phebe, but it felt like eternity.

Sushi Paradise

Sushi Paradise

Phebe arrived last Tuesday night after a whole day of traveling (4 airports, 3 flights, 2 layovers, in 1 Day)  and in typical Meg and Phebe fashion, we headed straight to a sushi bar in North Park, but not after wandering around for a bit to stretch out the legs and get some fresh air. After chowing down on some delicious California, Tempura, and Spicy Tuna Rolls at North Park Sushi and Grill, we headed back to Scripps Ranch to say hit to my parents and get ready for bed.

Pheb in La Jolla

Pheb in La Jolla

 

 

 

 

The next day was a pretty lazy day after November Project in the morning, but we headed down to La Jolla to get some shoes for Phebe’s meeting  and went to La Jolla to see the seals at the Children’s Pool and explore the area. We stumbled upon this amazing bakery/café and definitely  recommend it for lunch if you’re in the area – Girard Gourmet. Phebe got the Chicken Curry Sandwich on Eight Grain Bread and I got the Pear Cambozola w/ Glazed Pecans & Strawberries and substituted the dressing  for Balsamic Vinaigrette. That night, my Mom made a delicious Salmon dinner for us and we got to ride in our friend’s Tesla which was pretty cool!

On Thursday, we ventured up to the city of Angels for Pheb’s business meeting. Afterwards, we walked around the shops in Beverly Hills and ate lunch at my favorite restaurant, Urth Caffe. Phebe had this beautiful fruit plate (judge for yourself) and I indulged myself in their Caesar Salad (typical!). We wanted to beat the bad traffic so we headed south to the beaches in Manhattan and decided to get an easy 4 miles in before laying on the beach for a few hours. Heading home, we eventually got stuck in traffic, but it was well worth our boondoggle up to LA. I also decided that if I were to ever move to Los Angeles, I would love to live near the beaches. Meg in Manhattan Beach, anybody?

After a long and exhausting day in LA, we decided to stay in San Diego for the next few days. On Friday we headed to my favorite part of SD, Coronado (also known as Crown Town). We drove down and parked North West of the Del and spent the day on the beach. After braving the elements (we kept getting whipped in the face with sand by the wind), we got hungry and decided to head to my FAVORITE place – Miguels Cocina. Lucky for us, Happy Hour started at 3 so we indulged on some chips, guac and white jalapeño sauce (my absolute favorite thing there) before ordering our margaritas and entrees. That night, we were invited to see an old friend that had recently returned from Memphis, TN for a quick trip. As we made our way up to Bay View Park, we realized that we didn’t have any costumes for St. Patrick’s Day, so we stopped at Buffalo’s Breath, the oldest and COOLEST costume warehouse, where we found tutus and matching gold sequin bras (yes, you read that correctly).

My three favorite holidays (in order) are: The Fourth of July (I LOVE AMERICA), St. Paddy’s Day, and Cinco de Mayo. That being said, I love to celebrate all three holidays to the fullest, which made Saturday a day to remember. After a few miles in the morning by the house, Pheb and I got decked out in all green and gold for a day of partying with our friends from TN. We started at our friend’s house in Pt. Loma for some early morning shenanigans before heading to Balboa Park for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival. We danced, got on stage (fine, that was just me) and made my Irish ancestors proud before heading back to Pt. Loma for some food, then back to the house for some pizza and a movie (Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion).

Sunday was a recovery day for the both of us and we headed back to the beach in Coronado, this time at the Amphibious Base for some more R&R after we bike and lifted for a quick workout. We were planning on going on the boat, but unfortunately, our hot water heater broke so we opted to get out of my parent’s way and head to Nado. Following our beach adventures, we stopped at our favorite coffee spot and grabbed some cool drinks at Coffee Cart (aka Madrid Cafe) before heading up to Del Mar for the sunset. I love watching the sunset at the cliffs in Del Mar and walking the railroad tracks afterwards and knew that Phebe would love it as well!

Phebe’s flight to San Francisco was on Monday afternoon out of Long Beach, so we quickly headed out of the house on Monday morning to Pacific Beach to walk around and catch some more rays!  After a few hours walking the beach, we got in the car and headed up to Long Beach before we said our goodbyes. Thankfully I’ll be seeing Phebe in a month back in New York.

Watching the Sunset in Del Mar

Thank you Phebe for sharing your Spring Break with me down in San Diego, I hope you had as great of a time as I did! Love you.

Wait, I just RAN a half marathon?

The end of my college athletic career was one of the most difficult transitions that I’ve had to go through, and to be honest,  it was really challenging to plan for (along with the transition into the “real world”). I no longer have coaches telling me what to do or where to be;  there are no more teammates to count on in moments of weakness or for congratulatory high fives in times of success; there are no more fitness tests to pass or mandatory conditioning sessions to attend. The biggest change to date, is that now there is nobody holding me accountable for what I do (or choose not to do).

After I returned to San Diego in late December, I quickly thrust myself into as many running and fitness groups as possible, in an effort to regain that lost sense of camaraderie that I had once shared with my 31 other teammates. My week quickly began to fill up: Monday and Wednesday mornings were spent at November Project, Wednesday nights I found myself at Milestone for run club, the weekends kicked off with Friday After Work run group, followed by a combo of yoga and running at bRUNch club on Saturday, while Sundays I alternated between long runs and Glider Port Stairs at Torrey Pines. I threw down #VERBALS for almost all the workouts, which meant that I had to show up or face public social media humiliation (aka getting called out for not showing up). I became part of a bigger fitness movement in San Diego, November Project, and  was no longer just another individual running a route through another neighborhood; It felt good to be part of a “team” again.

In January, I attended every single workout possible and felt stronger than ever. I used to resent running because A) I am not very fast and B) it was commonly used as a punishment for not being fast enough . Now that I was running for myself and had no “times” to meet other than my own personal goals, I finally began to find my stride, both literally and figuratively. Running was FUN, Burpees were celebrated, and I started to “eat hills for breakfast”. Who woulda thought?

As the runs became easier and the mileage began to pick up (meaning I ran over three miles), a couple of people at November Project began talking about the San Diego Half Marathon in March. Before I knew what I was getting myself into, I was signed up and dropped my #VERBAL, even though I had no idea what I was doing. Thankfully I was able to coerce my fitness loving mother and NP superstar into running it with me so I had some sort of guidance throughout the next seven weeks.

My training plan originally called for increasing my mileage from my four mile max to pounding out eight miles the first weekend. I quickly threw that plan away (and all my hopes for running a half) and began to follow my Mom’s more carefully structured plan which included lower mileage until weeks 5-7, in which we would increase slowly to ten miles the week before the race.

Flash forward seven weeks and I’m toeing the start line for the San Diego Half Marathon, a surge of nervous energy fueling my empty, nauseous stomach. I woke up on Sunday at 4:30, sick to my stomach, unable to get anything down; by the start of the race I had been able to eat two orange slices: things were not looking good to start. Nearly two hours later and we’re downtown at Petco Park to check our bags and get ready. We immediately found some fellow NP (November Project) runners and huddled together to keep warm in true NPSD fashion #weatherspoof. At 7:20 the first wave took off and we began on our beautiful journey through San Diego, around the airport and Marine Depot, up Washington (the dreaded hill), through Hill Crest, and finally down Sixth Avenue until we turned towards the finishers chute on Fifth.

Two hours, ten minutes and forty seconds later, I finished. Three seconds later Ang came crashing into me at the finish line.

Three months ago I would of laughed at you if you told I was going to run a half marathon, let alone anything more than five miles. Now I find myself laughing, looking back at the fun I have on runs with my new “team”. Thank you to all those who pushed me both physically and mentally the last two months (including my Mom) – you continue to be a much needed daily source of inspiration.

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MY NPSD Team

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Like Mother, Like Daughter

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Meg: Focused; Ang: Fun

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Race Day Prep

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Bib: Check

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Training Partners

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What’s good San Diego?

A lot of people have been asking me about what I’ve been up to since returning to California in December.  Instead of boring you with a wordy recap of the past three months, here’s a quick gallery with some highlights including new favorite restaurants, bars, workout partners, and fun memories.

Twenty-Two

Who would have thought that turning 22 would be tough? (Well tougher than I thought it would be anyways.)  Throughout the day, I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe I’m actually twenty-freaking-two. What the heck am I doing with my life?” With every “Happy Birthday” hug and text, I kept wishing I could turn back to 21. As an extremely goal oriented and competitive person, I set numerous (and sometimes lofty) goals for myself and when I don’t reach them I tend to get pretty frustrated. Seeing as I didn’t reach my goal of landing my dream job by graduation (then later postponed to my 22nd birthday), I was pretty disappointed with myself.

In retrospect, I have realized that what tends to mess me up the most in life, is the image in my head of how everything is supposed to be. In my head, I thought turning 22 meant I had my life in order (ha!) and I would be celebrating with my friends back in NY. My 22nd birthday, however, was spent with 75 new friends doing a very physically demanding stair workout at November Project, followed by a trip to Donut Bar and then later a run club with some other new acquaintances. It may not have been “perfect” by my consideration, but it did teach me that I can’t keep expecting to have everything worked out – I need to let things go and enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Now that the dust has settled and I’ve found my footing, I’m set on making 22 the best year yet. I literally have the whole world in front of me and not a single thing to tie me down, which is both daunting and incredibly exhilarating at the same time. So here’s to another year of fun, family, friends, fitness, and of course tons of Megventures.

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Hate to say it, but T-Swift had it right, “We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way.”

Summer Wrap Up

As I sit here typing my summer recap, I can’t help but think these past few months were my “last summer”. I don’t mean to say that I won’t have  days at the beach, or weekend getaways, but going into my last semester of school, the only things I imagine in my near future are long hours, office cubicles, and an entry-level income. That being said, this past summer was one for the books and here are my top 10 favorite things about Summer 2014:

1. FOX Sports San Diego – Is it ironic that I start my list with an internship? Over the summer I worked in the marketing department doing everything from learning about OAP’s (On-Air-Promotions) to helping manage our two brand representatives ( the FOX Sports SD Girls) to writing press releases and drafting tweets. The stuff I learned was only half the fun though; the people I worked with (shout out to Megan, Gema, Jacquelyn, Katie, and Brie… the list goes on) were absolutely incredible. I can only hope that my first job will have coworkers that are half as amazing as these ladies. Did I mention that I also got to cool events and spend my summer at the ballpark? Talk about one killer internship!

2. World Cup – Do sports montages make you as emotional as they make me? When the US qualified for the World Cup and the #IBelieve commercial came out, I was ECSTATIC to say the least. The best part of the WC, besides the US making it out of the Group of Death, was Tim Howard‘s stellar performance (16 SAVES!), putting a GK in the spotlight (He was even named Secretary of Defense on Wikipedia!).

3. Fourth of July – The fourth is my favorite holiday by and far. But, what’s not to like? Hot dogs, fireworks, slip n’ slides and hanging with friends. This year I spent my 4th on Coronado, which is arguably the best place to spend a fourth. There is a sense of camaraderie because it’s such big Navy town and there’s nothing better than watching fireworks on the beach, right?

4. The Beach – What sort of San Diegan would I be if I left the beach off my top 10 things about this summer? There’s no greater feeling than the saltiness of the air, wind blowing through your hair and the sun beating down on your face. The beach and ocean are my place of solace – where I go when I want to escape and I am so blessed to have so many beaches at my fingertips.

5. San Francisco – One of my best friends and teammates, Phebe, lives in San Francisco and I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with her in Marin. It was an adventure (Megventure) filled weekend and you can see all the highlights in my blog here!

6. Boston – This past Spring, I was elected as Vice President of NYU SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee). This position led to an opportunity to represent NYU at the UAA SAAC (University Athletic Association) in Boston the first week of August. I, along with the rest of our exec board and Denise, our advisor spent 48 hours in Boston reviewing legislature, meeting our conference rivals, and conquering a ropes course. I walked away with 30 new friends, a sense of community within our conference, and a black eye (Let me tell you, tag is dangerous!).

7. FOX Sports (LA) – On my last day in San Diego, I drove up to Los Angeles to get a tour of FOX Sports 1’s studios and meet with some people in the communications department. My visit to LA reaffirmed my passion for working in sports broadcasting and desire to continue my career with FOX Sports.

8. Learning to drive stick – I’ve wanted a shiny, fire engine red, Jeep Wrangler for as long as I can remember; the only thing standing in my way (besides the cost) is the fact that I have no idea how to drive manually. One of our closest family friends, Yo and Trena, however, own a 1985 Jeep Laredo and on one of their last days in San Diego they let me “learn” to drive stick. After stalling out what seemed like 100 times and giving whiplash to my passengers, I finally was able to shift up and down through the gears while riding around the block.

9. Catching up with old friends – I was a little weary of returning to San Diego this summer because many of my high school friends were either back at their respective colleges, interning in LA/NY, or traveling the world. Luckily for me, two of my oldest friends, Lauren and Kayla were around this summer and we spent HOURS together giggling, reminiscing and just being girls. It’s sort of strange to think that I’ve known them since I was less than a year old and 21 years later we’re still friends despite all the places I’ve moved and events that have transpired.

10. Spending time with family – Family is not an important thing to me. It’s EVERYTHING. This summer I was blessed to spend so much time with my mom, dad and sister, along with my adopted family (the Staab’s). I know I can always count on them to have my back and support me in all my endeavors. As I end my last summer, I realized how much they’ve sacrificed for me to get where I’m at and I’m eternally thankful for everything they’ve done.

As the leaves turn to orange, the weather gets colder and football season hits full force, I bid adieu to my last summer. I will cherish it closely in my heart forever.

 

Home. House. Where do I fit in?

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A plethora of emotions swirl through my bloodstream and a series of thoughts swarm the forefront of my brain when I think of home.  A straightforward yet very convoluted concept leaves me dazed and confused as I sit in yet another airport terminal. “Where is home? San Diego or New York?” inquires a chatty middle age woman.  An almost quixotic vision of my home envelops my mind: the palm trees swaying in the breeze, our two border collies running out the front door, a sunny San Diego day with no sign of clouds for miles – perfect weather for a day at the beach. However, as soon as the pieces come together in a romantic landscape, they fall apart and are replaced by the harsh grey of steel skyscrapers, dark skies, throngs of strangers in crowded intersections, whaling sounds of sirens and the smell of sewage.  Two very different images play out in my mind, yet images of my two homes nonetheless.

“I’m going back to school right now” is all I can mutter as the early morning fog clears from my head. I want to scream, “I don’t know!”

I have sprinkled the seeds of my heart over four continents and have yet to claim a single place as my stomping grounds.  It’s the typical military child’s dilemma. Is the place where I spent the most time a home, or is it where I feel most at “home”? Is “home” wherever we are or is it where our family is? Is it where I went to high school or where I have the most friends? A number of questions need addressing and I don’t even know where to begin; Australia? England? Spain? San Diego? New York? Japan?  I’m starting to think I’m entering into my quarter life crisis.

As I set the anxiety aside, a trait I’ve perfected over the years, through the fifteen houses I’ve called home, I begin to realize the source of the problem, an identity crisis maybe? No. A severe case of “growing up”? Perhaps. The fact of the matter is that the past nine days in San Diego was brief, however it made me realize how lucky I am to have this “home” to visit as begin the next chapter of my life, which includes LSATs, job hunts, more apartment searching, and a thorough examination of both heart and soul. As I propel forward into the next stage with my peers, I have to acknowledge that with this exciting and nerve-racking transformation into a “real person” complete with a “real” job and responsibilities, is that there are other changes to adapt to as well which include less frequent and shorter visits to our family’s house and transitioning into making my new “home”.

I’m well prepared. I can tell just by looking at my two parents who have graced numerous residences with their presence. They have equipped me with the tools to succeed both professionally and socially as I transition this last year of college into an adult. It’s a looming and distressing process but I welcome the challenge, just as I’ve welcomed every new home into my heart.

Going home makes for difficult, long-winded, pathetic goodbyes when it’s time to return to your other “home”. It doesn’t take rocket science to understand that goodbyes are nearly as challenging as the first “hello”, but the promises of another visit comfort the five-year-old inner self. I however, have no return ticket, no promise of another visit to my teenage decorated room, the sandy beaches, and the glorious Mexican food. It’s an inevitable feeling not knowing what’s coming, but it brings forth the more important question, “Who do you dare become as you leave your house and create your new “home”?”

My Fitspiration

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It comes as no surprise to me that my time at Fitness Quest 10 flew by quicker than you can bust out 10 burpees, but hey, time flies when you’re getting fit right?  The competitive yet family like culture, sheer positive energy radiating from the facility and the beaming trainers, employees and clients are just a few of the many reasons why my internship this summer rocked so much.

I’ve learned so much during the course of my internship, like how to deal with high profile clients, and how to explain my fitness journey to people, but perhaps the most helpful thing I’ve come to learn is the importance of the people whom you surround yourself with.

It’s not everyday when you’re get up at 5:30, work out at 6, work for 8 hours, and you still want to hang out with the people you’ve just spent 12 hours with. There is something to be said about the people I had the incredible opportunity to work with at Fitness Quest 10 these past few months. I looked forward to going to work each and every morning, not because I loved what I did (which I really did!), but because of the people who greeted me with a huge smile at 6AM in the morning and gave me gigantic hugs each night as I left completely drenched with sweat. These trainers, clients, and staff transformed my life in so many ways; I couldn’t even begin to list how much I will miss them.  Though the employees at the gym were absolutely incredible, this post is dedicated to my FITSPIRATION, all the interns who I had the distinct opportunity to get know on a more personal basis.

Amanda – My fellow marketing intern! Your go-with-the-flow personality and contagious smile made coming to work that much easier. I was ecstatic upon finding out that you would be my fellow marketing intern and am so glad I got to know you better. You taught me so much using the cameras and I really enjoyed being partners in crime with you and grabbing Starbucks (and Chez) with you. Best of luck at Oregon, I know we’ll keep in touch.

Emma – Do your feet hurt from kicking so much ass? Girl, you’re running the world and you don’t even know it yet. I loved coming into the gym and yelling your name because I knew I would get an equally loud response, followed by an epic hug. Keep your head up and working hard because it will pay off.

Elliott – Pretty Boy, I miss your awesome hugs already. Let me tell you how inspiring you are to us all. Your love for your family, desire to be the best and big smile on your face is truly encouraging, especially during a grueling workout. Though we didn’t get to hang out as much as I wanted, I know we will hang in the near future. Much love my fellow San Diegan.

Sibel – DUDE! You’ve made an impact on my life, left footprints on my heart, and have forever changed my outlook on everything, especially food. Your passion for nutrition and fitness is inspiring and even though I vehemently make fun of your Paleo lifestyle (PALEO OR DIE), please note that it is because I love you and am jealous I don’t have the will power to do that.

Sam – I wish I could convey how incredibly cerebral and passionate you are, but I know my words do you no justice. Just trust me guys, he’s really intelligent! I loved our DMS sessions and learning about anatomy and just hanging with you and Britt. I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody as laidback and as we say here in California, “Chill”.  You are making a huge splash in the fitness industry and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Ryan – Let’s make it known that I lost every single bet I ever made against Ryan. Whether it was a throwing contest or a basketball contest or just Friday Game Day with the kids in the gym, you treated me like a younger sister, and I can’t even begin to explain how much that meant to me.  Thanks for putting me in my place when I needed it and pushing me to my limits in the weight room. I look forward to you kicking butt on the football field, but watch out because I’m going to be winning this next bet (I just haven’t decided what it is yet). Check out this video of Ryan doing a Men’s Health Challenge. P.S. It’s about to go down.

Zach (with Traps) – Oh boy! Where do I start with you? At first I thought you were some crazy intense trainer who wouldn’t talk to a lowly marketing intern like myself, but you opened up and I’m so glad to call you my friend. Even though you have your tough exterior, you are so incredibly kind and are an awesome fried chicken cook (nom nom nom). Thanks for “keeping it real” with me and reminding me to stay hungry and humble in all aspects of my life.

Justin – Mr. Just Go Fitness. You really are just GO GO GO and I LOVE it. I thought you would get sick of me by summer’s end but you never said “NO” and I think that’s pretty rad. Your encapsulating hugs, the no-look fist bumps, and Jeff King/Old Spice Man impersonations always put a huge smile on my face. I know you’re going to rock as a Personal Trainer and I can’t wait to be making the big bucks to hire you. Check out Justin’s Webpage here to see what he’s been up to!

Jesse – I don’t even know where to start with you Jes. I feel like you’re a little kid in an adult’s body and you keep me young at heart. You are so incredibly genuine and I don’t think I have met anybody else (or a hockey fan) who would OR could tolerate me bashing your beloved Penguins on an almost daily basis. Though you may root for Pittsburgh, say some words funny (Carnegie ahemm!), and messed up a very famous Steeler’s coach’s name, I love you to death and am so glad I got to meet you this summer. Keep your head up, keep making videos with Amanda, and stay forever young. You can check out Jesse’s awesome blog here!

Jenni – JENNAYYYYY! My snuggle buddy. My new older sister. My new best friend.  You keep me humble and have rekindled my confidence in our generation. Your passion for life, your incredible faith, and incredible work ethic is OUT OF THIS WORLD.  You have taught me so much, given me a ton of advice on EVERYTHING, and shown me how to lead a life worth living. I can’t believe we only got to spend 6 weeks together, but it’s been something I wouldn’t trade for the world. You’ve been through so much but your strength is unreal and just being around you makes me want to be a better person. I love you so much.

The interns on the 4th of July

The interns on the 4th of July

I love you guys to the moon and back and hope you realize that this summer was something incredibly special. I expect you all to stay in touch and come visit in New York because I already miss you tons.

Here’s some videos of the interns dancing, because hey who doesn’t love dancing interns?

Keep an eye out for these guys. Next thing you know, they will be on the cover of Men’s Health or on a huge billboard in Times Square. Their future is bright, their smiles brighter, and their hearts full of gold.

Until next time!

Meg

What’s New My Friends?

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It’s been awhile, and to say that I’ve missed blogging would certainly be an understatement. I’d like to say that I’ve been busier than usual, but that would be a lie, especially considering my life in New York, but I’ve been busy nonetheless, so here’s an update on everything in my life.

I came back to sunny San Diego on May 18th and have loved every second of it. A few days after getting back, complete with jet lag and all, I started my internship at Fitness Quest 10 – one of the top gyms in the country, home to multiple IDEA and ACE Trainers of the Year. I’ve been on the marketing side of things which includes making videos, shooting photos, editing social media posts and aiding in the editing of monthly newsletters which is definitely up my alley. I love the environment, the people, and culture of the gym, but what I’ve learned so far is that I definitely NEED an active environment when I grow up. This internship has also REAFFIRMED my love for wearing athletic gear in the workplace.

I’ve also been practicing with a semi-professional team since coming home, the WPSL San Diego Sealions. The practices are super-intense, fitness-filled, butt-kicking workouts. I don’t think I’ve ever run so much in my life, but I know it will all pay off come July 28th, when I head back to New York for preseason. The team is incredible though, the girls, although some are almost 12 years older than me, are so fast and skilled and dedicated – it really gives me something to look up to as a collegiate athlete. These girls not only have time for jobs, but practices and fitness sessions and family – it truly is INCREDIBLY INSPIRING. Tonight, they are playing in their final game before nationals.

Since I’ve been home, the weekends have seemed to literally slip through my fingers like sand at the beach. Last weekend was my Mom’s birthday and we went to the Fleetwood Mac concert with some friends then I drove her and Dad and Twist down to the airport a mere few hours later so they could go to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA to see a soccer game and her sister. The weekend before I was in Parker and the previous weekend I was in Huntington Beach channeling my inner-beach bum with Lauren – twas an amazing fun-filled weekend. As I write this post, I glance at the calendar and begin to wonder how the past six weeks have flown by.

This weekend has been one for the books. On Friday I went to Baked Bear with some of the interns. Saturday was filled with Bootcamp and a beach day with Jesse, Justin and their cousins, picked up my BFF, Kate, from the airport, and hanging with my mom for her bar crawl. Today, I came home to the group of interns surprising me at the house for a goodbye party. I immediately burst into tears, stunned at the gesture. I cannot even begin to put into words how much these people have impacted my life in the past 6 weeks. They’ve taught me to love, and be compassionate,and above all, taught me to follow my heart. I love them dearly, and leaving San Diego this week is going to be that much harder because I had 9 beautiful people come into my life this summer.

It’s national ice cream day so I’m off to nom on some ice cream and watch Batman: Dark Knight Rises.

Until next time

 

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Let it be known that I am not one to be late for anything. If you know anything about me, I’m sure you are well aware that I am never less than fifteen minutes early for anything. I would be considered what you call “OCD” when it comes to getting anywhere.

Yesterday, however, I did the unthinkable.

I MISSED MY FLIGHT. YUP, I MISSED MY FLIGHT.

Laugh all you want, but I promise that is the last time I ever leave two and half hours prior to my flight in Manhattan.

On the verge of tears

On the verge of tears

Nothing even begins to compare to that feeling in your stomach when everything turns to sh*t. The butterflies began when I walked downstairs at 3 o’clock to catch a cab to JFK. Unlike most days where I can just wave down a cab in 2.7 seconds flat (check out my holiday guide on catching a cab), it took 45 WHOLE MINUTES to get a cab to go the airport (and that was after the promise of a generous tip and a gleaming smile).  As soon as I hopped into the cab, the butterflies subsided, but only for a minute, before I realized that getting out of Manhattan was going to be anything but easy. I proceeded to sit in traffic the rest of the way to airport for the remaining two hours – the worst part wasn’t the traffic or the $62 spent on the taxi or the unbearable smell of halal in the cab, just knowing that I wasn’t going to make it on time was enough to make my emotionless self cry.

In the two hour cab ride, I drained my fully charged iPhone to a trifling 17% bombarding a multitude of people with phone calls, texts and snapchats – American Airlines, my parents, the hockey team, and best friends – you name it, I messaged them.

Goodbye NY

Goodbye NY

Once I arrived to the terminal, the water works started. It had finally settled in. I was not going home that night. I don’t know who was more upset – the woman who tried her best to decipher my words between sobs or me. I called my Dad and before I knew it I was booked on the last SEAT out of NYC to San Diego until Saturday (thanks Dad, you rock!). I headed back into the city on a bus, more upset than anything and grabbed a cab back downtown to my awesome friend, Tim’s, apartment. Before I exited the cab, the driver made his best effort to remind me how upset and stubborn I was and then proceed to tell me I had the attitude of a cow from Calcutta – say what? Hey! I’ll take that as a compliment, thankyouverymuch.

Once I got to Timmy’s I hopped out of the cab, my emotional and physical baggage in tow, and landed him the biggest hug he’s ever gotten. He mostly stood there, began chuckling to himself, and lugged all of my suitcases upstairs. Once again you’re such a rock star Tim! Atop of his three-story-walkup was my amazing “mini-me”, Menta, waiting arms wide-open, with the greatest hug and consoling words a girl could ask for.

After a night filled with Ukrainian pirogues, potato pancakes, white pizza, lots of jokes on behalf of the hockey team and snuggling on the couch with Menta, I felt a lot better. I think that’s when you know you’ve found some quality pals – they’ll pick you off the ground, but not before they poke some fun at you first.

Headed Home

Headed Home

Today, I was a planner. I left Tim’s at 11:45 and was at JFK at 12:15 – isn’t it funny how things work out? I had told the cab driver my misfortune the day earlier and all he could do was laugh and say in his heavy Pakistani accent, “I hope you make your flight so you can share your laughter with your family.” It took me all of 25 minutes to get through check in and security. As some readers already know, I am not the best of packers, but I did get both of my bags under the restriction – one weighed in at 47 and the other at 49 – can I get a medal for that? Once through security I found myself in the Admiral’s Club, nomming away on a grilled cheese and chocolate milk and writing my Sports Law paper that was due a couple hours later. Right before my flight I made my way down to the gate, and to my great surprise I had found one of my NYU friends Grady at the gate. A little less than 30 seconds on the plane, and I spotted my neighbor Emily who was traveling back from Madrid and another Scrippy. Seriously, HOW SMALL IS THIS WORLD GOING TO GET?

Anyways, I’m four hours into this flight, counting down the seconds till I get back home. Two hours, one minute and fifty three seconds. Fifty two. Fifty one. Fifty. You get the point.

Knowing my Dad, I am sure I’ll be getting my fair share of “I told you so’s” in the next couple of days, but there are many things I learned from this. First of all, my friends are awesome –I dare your friends to be cooler/more supportive/ understanding/ funnier/ compassionate/caring! From Katie and Alex putting up with my storage issues to Menta hearing all of my venting to Tim who let me crash and invade his bachelor’s pad – all four of them were such a huge support system in this huge mess (and on the daily). Second of all, I need to learn how to breathe. I’m usually pretty good at handling stress, but the stress of letting somebody down is probably the one thing that bothers me the most. The last and important thing I learned (from my Dad) is that the last mile is the most important one. Whether I’m running a marathon or trying to catch my flight back home, you better bet your bottom dollar that I will (for now on) make sure I am doing everything I can to make it happen – until I cross the finish line or get my California burrito.

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Song of the week: “Crying on a Suitcase” – Casey James (How appropriate, right?)