Jeremy Loops: Mission to the sun (Howling)
MIA: Paper planes
❤ X
Tag: newyorkcity
Weekend away in the city with the Momsy & Vlogging
My mom and I stayed in NYC from Thursday last week till Sunday, and it was amazing. I was inspired by one of my besties Robyn to start vlogging. I thought instead of taking a million photos and only ending up posting a few of them, taking little videos of the weekend adventures and putting them into a vlog would be awesome. She did one for her trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand last year, as well as when she came to visit me in New York City & NJ a couple months ago, and they were incredible!
So I am currently trying to get it all edited together whilst working 11 hours a day during the week, but I’m almost done 🙂 Hopefully I will get it posted sometime this week. I also have no idea how to ‘vlog’ so no judging please 😛 The idea of travel vlogging is fantastic and I hope I get good enough to post some awesome vlogs!
In the mean time, here are a few moments from our weekend in the city:
South Africans take NYC
This photo perfectly sums up how happy I’ve been being able to spend time with some amazing people in the last few weeks.
One of my best friends Robyn arrived last week so we could spend some time in New York City together before she headed to Costa Rica on her adventure. It was so incredible being able to catch up and make awesome memories together after not seeing each other for 6 months. I’ve met lots of people here, but it’s not the same as having a best friend in front of you again.
I worked on the weekend so I could take Wednesday off to spend with Robs in the city. We took a tour of the village and later on got to see Jeremy Loops performing in NYC, which was unbelievable.
Then it was back to Asbury Park straight from the concert. After a long train ride I got home, and had work at 8am. Fun. The only thing that kept me going was knowing I would be back in the city on Friday after work to meet up with Robs, and three other amazing friends from South Africa.
Jaden had been in Boston for a Harvard World Leaders course (I know right). I think his new nickname shall be Harvie. Josh and Jonty were friends from camp that I hadn’t seen in years, but they were staying in Josh’s Aunt’s apartment in Midtown East which was insaaaane, and it was so good to see them again.
Friday was also Josh’s birthday, so we all had pre-drinks at the apartment. It was so good catching up and getting to chill out with fellow South Africans again.
Long story short we didn’t even end up going out, the birthday boy had a little too much to drink 😛 But it was such a good night just being around these lovely people again ❤
On Saturday we had a delicious brunch and explored Times Square. It rained most of the day, so it was a first for all of us experiencing NYC umbrella traffic. Nevertheless, I would do it all over again as I’m just so glad I got to spend time with everyone.
Saturday night we hung out and played drinking games. I just tried to remember all the rules we made in Cheers to the Governor, but I battled enough remembering them during the game, so that’s not going to happen. I guess that makes a good drinking game though. We had fun 😛
It was so sad saying goodbye to Robs on Sunday morning, but I’m so so excited for her new adventure in Costa Rica! 🙂
After some yummy bagels and coffee like true New Yorkers, Jaden and I headed off to the MET. The MET is definitely one of my favourite (if not favourite) places in the city. I absolutely love it.
We were also lucky enough to see the Pride Parade on 5th Avenue which was spectacular. It made me so happy to know everyone in America now has the right to marry who they love 🙂
Overall I had a fantastic time with some amazing people. It makes me happy to know that across the world I have such special people in my life ❤
I’ve got a lot more blog ideas and a lot less time.
A couple months back my uncle Tom saw I used dove soap, and bought me a pack of three big liquid soap bottles. At the time I was all like ‘omg it’s going to take all year to finish these’, and now I’m almost finished the second one. The relevance of this soap story is how crazy fast this year is going. Winter has passed, Spring is basically done, and Summer is here – come back to me tan I beg of you. I’ve had my first year of actual seasons. At the end of June, I would have been here for six months already.
I’ve been so busy that it is hard to believe how quickly 2015 is going. I’m always thinking about things to write about in my next blog, but I’ve got barely any time to sit and get them done. I’m currently working 8am-8pm with a one hour lunch break, Mon-Fri, with weekends off. Which basically means I have weekends to have a life. It’s not as bad as it sounds though, I quite like it actually. Staying busy and working hard, and then in the times I am free; socializing, working out or just chilling out keep me distracted from how gosh darn scary this all actually is.
I’ve gotten used to not being around my girls and my family. I miss them and I know they miss me but they have their own lives to deal with, and if I wanna be happy I’ve got to have my own to deal with too. We all stay in contact as much as possible, but sometimes I wish I had more free time to be able to Skype everyone back home more. Yet at the same time if I had more free time to sit and Skype everyone I love at home, it would only make it harder to be happy here. Staying busy is my way of distracting myself. If I’m busy working a lot, when I do have time then I make an effort to go out, or see friends and do cool things. When I have too much alone time, I think about home too much.
It’s hectic but I am working towards my goal of travelling, so it’s all going to be worth it when I’m sipping Sangria in my bikini on a beach in Greece, riding a bike around Amsterdam, taking touristy photos by the Eiffel Tower, getting gondola selfies in Venice, ETC ETC ❤
So what else can I tell you. It has been awhile. I visited family in Long Island last weekend and it was amazing. I had never met them before! Overall I had a wonderful weekend of memories with them, ranging from going to Splish Splash Water-park (which was life changing), experiencing true New York City traffic, Le Miserables on Broadway (Wow) and lots of great conversation getting to know each other.
What’s ironic is how neither Alyson or her daughter Marielle are actually blood related to me. But they didn’t feel any less like family. I think Alyson’s grandfather, and my step-dad’s grandfather were brothers. Marielle was adopted. But nonetheless, I was visiting family. Family is family. They opened their house to me, made such an effort to do cool things and it was really special getting to know them. I’m so lucky to have them, and now I have an excuse to get to visit more cool places in New York!
On an ending note, I have a desk in my room now which automatically means it should increase my organization and magically make more time for me to sit down and look at how cool it is while I blog right?
Train rides are a good time to catch up on blogging.
04/16
Life never works out the way you think it will. Yet somehow it all works out.
When I knew that I was coming here and chose to take a gap year to work and travel, I did a speciality coffee barista course so that it would be easier to find a job at first. I met someone who had connections around the states in high-end coffee shops who assured me he could connect me with people around the country.
So I came here thinking I was going to be making speciality coffee around the country this year. But when you have family in New Jersey it changes a lot.
I don’t have a clue how I’d afford to live anywhere and have to pay rent at this point, but I’ll get there. If you told me a year ago that I’d be working as an assistant manager at an independent theater in Asbury Park, have already left a part-time job because it was too overwhelming, and am now trying to pick up extra work just to get by between paychecks; no ways in hell would I believe you.
Living in America isn’t easy. It’s very expensive. But hopefully it will all be worth it one day ♡
Another blog post about New York City.
Written: 04/13
There is just something about this city.
Something about it makes me happy and excited to be there.
Maybe it’s the tourist in me still but when I get a chance/ any excuse to visit NYC I will take it.
I mean I spent the whole day there (I’m on the train back right now) and all I bought was some food, coffee and a metro card. Basically 20 000 steps later I had a fantastic day exploring new places in the city.
There is always something to see. I love the buildings, the yellow cabs, the artsy well-dressed people. The way you can see an incredible view basically anywhere. The parks. The landmarks. The pizza. The near-death experiences crossing the streets.
And now that it’s starting to warm up, I cannot wait for more adventures in not-minus-a-million degrees New York City.
New York City
Written: 03/ 30
Almost missed the train. The taxi took forever to fetch me so I literally bought a ticket and got straight on the train. Now when my family was here when we took the train to New York Penn Station, we would get off at Long Branch and get on another train to Penn station. But they didn’t say anything on the intercom about that transfer so I just read my book.
Turns out I was meant to get off at Newark and get onto another train to carry on to Penn station. No one told me that. The person who took my ticket must have assumed I was going to Newark Penn Station, not New York. Ugh. So the train stops, everyone gets off and I’m in Hoboken. Where the hell is Hoboken.
Good thing it was just a couple subway stops from where I would have been getting off anyways. So I had a fantastic walk through the city to meet my cousin, his boyfriend and his friends.
I witnessed a really cool moment of humanity on the train though. This young man had been late and gotten on the train before it left and didn’t have time to buy a ticket. He thought he could buy one on the train but the conductor lady was being a b*tch cos she didn’t have change for him and wanted to throw him off at the next stop.
This other man gave him the cash so he could get a ticket and get a ride to the city. It was something that I saw and straight away thought I needed to blog about it. It was like I needed to see that human kindness
I had an amazing day in the city. I bought myself a Michael Kors watch, something I’d wanted to buy for myself for ages. I told myself I’d get it as a reward once I’d worked hard for a couple months. It felt good to have reached my goal:) I’m obsessed with it. Every time I look at it I still can’t believe I own something so pretty and it makes me proud that I earned it.
I had my first Burrito. It was delicious.
On the train ride home I had another awesome good karma moment. A woman gave me a bunch of Halls because I was coughing so much. I was probably just annoying the shit out of everyone but I still appreciated the effort 😛
Till next time NYC. ♡
It’s been awhile. I know.
Written: 03/29
I’ve had lots to say. A lot to blog about. Made notes and everything. But between being sick and work I’ve pretty much just been vegetating at home and never getting around to typing out what I’ve written.
My uncles have gone overseas for two weeks and I miss them already! I’ve been looking after the kids (the five doggies). This means early morning wake up bark wars and going back to sleep until I literally HAVE to get out of bed and get ready for work.
I’ll be woken up between 5am and 7am by one of them breathing heavily right by my face. But they’re adorable, but I guess getting so much love from five dogs and walking up and down two flights of stairs three times a morning is better than sleeping until 10am.
So it’s been over three months since I’ve been here now. Some random things I can say since the last update blog:
I ate key-lime pie for the first time and my life changed. How have I never eaten it before?
I’m now a taxi regular. It’s cold and I’m sick and lazy okay.
My uncles and I went to the city last Tuesday and it was amazing. My cousin from Australia who I hadn’t seen since I was like six was there so we went to visit.
We were on the David Letterman show. Walking around Times Square and hear a lady shouting ‘Who wants free David Letterman tickets?!’. I don’t even watch his show but I will definitely take free tickets to any show in New York nevermind getting to be in a live audience. So that was fantastic.
I definitely have to restart my Kayla Itsines BBG programme. I did it properly for three weeks and then got sick and lazy. So from Monday I will start over.
It’s meant to be Spring here but it’s still pretty flippen cold. I like it though. I am kinda terrified of summer now. After wearing so many layers for winter I don’t think I’ve ever been this pale. After my trips to Israel in high school I was like a tanned surfer. Now I look like I’ve been living in a cave for fifteen years.
I miss home. A lot. I miss Rhodes and all the memories. I really miss a lot of special people. I won’t lie it’s really rough. But I’m taking each day as it comes:)
No one said it would be easy. I still don’t know what I want to do with my life. Besides the fact that I want to do my post-grad, I don’t know what I want.
I want to travel. I want an adventure. I know that for sure.
Life is a journey not a destination. ♢♢♢
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