Christmas and New Years 2010

Having been blessed with a very large family, Christmas was the usual chaos.  There were people everywhere, presents everywhere and food everywhere.  The day began with me sleeping in, thank goodness, and when I got to my aunts' house the festivities began.  There was laughter, presents and tears for our Nonna having passed away just this year.  We all leaned well on each other and were able to find the joy she would have found in the day.  The next morning, my mother and I drove down to Seaport Village and were met by my cousin, his girlfriend and his kids to spend the day together.  We walked around, had lunch and tried to remember the good times we all had with Nonna.  It felt strange being back in California without her, and I'm not sure it felt like Christmas.  It was really great to be able to spend this time with so many other people who love and miss her so much.

For New Years, I had planned to go to a concert.  Due to the price, however, and the fact that I don't have a firm job offer yet, I decided I wanted to spend that time cuddled on the couch watching movies.  As soon as I finish this post, that is exactly what I will be doing again.  But I wanted to take this time to close out 2010.  A list of my year.

Top 5 Positive Events:
1 - Lived in a new state and made a life of my own there.
2 - Found ACL...my first real church home.
3 - Made friends with a ton of amazing people in Austin.
4 - Got to stand with two of my best friends as they got married.
5 - Welcomed two new cousins into our family and spent time with many of my closest relatives.

2010 was honestly one of the toughest years I've had in a long time.  The years previous were amazing, so I am going to chalk it up to "I was due".  In my life things tend to happen all at once, and so they did.  I haven't been this happy to see a year come to a close since the beginning of this decade.  I am an optimist with buckets of faith, so I know that 2011 will be a perfect year.  I pray that everyone has a safe and happy New Years Eve.  Welcome, 2011 :)

Our Nonna...with a bottle of her favorite perfume that was mysteriously delivered to her old house 2 days before Christmas.

Me and my cousin Mary Jane who is like my sister.  I would not have survived losing Nonna without her.

 Singing with my Uncle

The cake pan our Nonna always used to make chocolate cake

"Molly Lu Who" Having fun with my cousins and my mama.

New York and California 2010

My trip to NY was amazing.  I spent time with friends and family, made new friends, and fell even more in love with the city.  I saw the tree in Rockefeller, an opera, a play, a holiday chorale celebration and Burlesque.  I went on job interviews, searched for apartments and saw myself in every walkway and subway station I could find.  I've known since I was a kid that I wanted to end up in this city and being able to create that reality is something very long awaited.  My cousin Noelle's family is in Brooklyn, so I hope to live near them while working in Manhattan.

I'm not known for my patience, so it takes everything in me to wait out the holidays so that I can start getting job offers and move.  Already events are happening that I wish I wasn't missing and I feel like my body is in California while my heart never left New York City.

My body is having a great time, though.  I spent a day with my best friend, then with friends in LA that I hadn't seen in a year, then with my oldest friend from childhood.  Today is my familys' Christmas, so in an hour I will be surrounded by all of my darling cousins, aunts and uncles.  I'm soaking up every moment I can with my California people in preparation for the move across country.  I. Can't. WAIT!!!!!

Happy Christmas!

Jersey Boys

Getting to spend the weekend with some great friends is always a good thing.  This past weekend, I got to be with Phil and Shawn who are friends of a friend from when I worked on cruise ships.  Our first day together they took me wine tasting.  The second, they took me into the city for a holiday party.  On top of all that, Phil's job is at a recruiting company for exactly the field I'm hoping to get back into.  Life is good.  Here are a few of the pics we took while playing this weekend:

Now that's how you do Jersey right :)

MoMA

For my first day in NYC, I spent the day photographing Central Park, perusing the Museum of Modern Art and walking around Rockefeller Center with Kyle and Peter.  At the museum, we saw photos, sculptures and Architectural drawings.  There was an exhibit that included a person being inside a piano playing backwards.  I will load photos as soon as I can...it's odd.  Very MoMA.  After the museum, we walked to Rockefeller center and laughed at a young girl screaming at her mother and kicking the air.  It was particularly entertaining because the very cosmetically altered mother just stood there smoking like she didn't know her.  The Ice Skaters didn't notice.

For dinner we are having Italian: pasta with olive oil and lemon juice, then a bread and vegetable stew with a name I cannot remember.  Dessert is a molton chocolate pudding we made last night.  Mmmmm.  Oh...and wine.  Lots of wine.  Perfectly successful day.

Too excited to sleep!

Having not been to my favorite US city in 2 years, the excitement has been growing.  Last night I think I got 3 hours of sleep, and this morning I can't stop smiling!!!  I will go to sleep tonight at one of my very best friends' apartments, in my very favorite US city.  I'm so happy I could squeal.  And have.  Sorry Maggie.

The flight from Austin to NYC is only 3 1/2 hours, which is much closer than if I was flying from California.  Yay!  I hope I get to see this as I land at JFK:

Well my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Dinner with friends last night was a firm reminder of what I love so much about Austin; the people.  We had homemade gumbo, wine and good conversation.  A friend of mine starting singing "Leaving on a jet plane" to me and I had to laugh: 1 - John Denver is my mom's favorite singer, 2 - That song along with Tony Bennett's version of New York, New York has been in my head for days, and 3 - It's not often in life you get to have that song relevant to your life.  I'm indeed leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again and hate to go.

Donations and Packing, oh my!

For my 9th move in 5 years, I feel myself getting into the swing of things.  I collected all the clothes and books I didn't need to keep and took them by the Goodwill this morning.  I also sent a care package to a good friend of mine so that she can enjoy some of the stuff I haven't used recently but can't see throwing out.  I'm excited that both of my rolling suitcases will actually stack well atop each other so that I can pack my very comfy pair of Emu's that I picked up for way cheap at the Buffalo Exchange in Long Beach, CA years ago.  New York is already having their first real snow fall of the season, so I'm in for a cold adventure back east.

Looking around at my cute little room, I'm sad I lived here for such a short time.  I moved in Aug 3rd, painted the entire place and made it feel like home.  Now just 4 months later, I'm putting all my things back in my car, storing my car with a very gracious friend, and heading out to find my place in New York City.  I have always wanted to live there, and I know God has an amazing plan that I cannot even imagine waiting for me.  It's a strange feeling, though; letting go.  I've had a lot of "goodbye"s, "miss you"s and "see you later"s in my life.  I really hope, wish and pray that this next move will stick.  I'm ready to feel the ground beneath my feet and maybe, just maybe, plant something.  Even if it's a window plant.  We shall see!

New York State of Mind

Welcome and thank you for swinging by!  As my other blogs can attest, I have led quite a whirlwind life thus far. I have driven, sailed, flown, ridden and walked through the world at large.  Always full of faith, hope and optimism, I set off on journeys at the drop of a hat, follow signs as best I can and always end up landing on my feet.  It is with this same sense of adventure I am about to visit New York again.  This time, however, I will be interviewing for jobs, looking for apartments and seeking my place in the Big Apple.  It's about stinking time.