I'm happy to announce that I have officially started my first story as the newest addition of The Reporter. Last week I applied to be part of MDC's prestigious newspaper, formerly known as The Metropolitan. I'll be writing stories for the Arts & Entertainment section of the newspaper. But considering my background in TV Production, I was able to help film a story on MDC's West Campus parking lot situation today. As many of you may or may not know, West Campus' parking lot collapsed on four workers in the midst of construction in 2012. Since then, the garage hasn't been able to be demolished and rebuilt due to lawsuits on the construction company. Students have to park at a nearby mall or park in order to take a 10 minute school-run bus system to campus. And to give my opinion, coming from a West Campus student, it sucks. Today was the perfect example. The park parking lot was closed down in order to make parking room for the Doral golf tournament this week. Therefore, all students were forced to park at the mall parking lot, which they were obviously not happy about because no one likes having their commute schedule changed last minute. Because the mall parking lot had a lot of student traffic, we were able to get different student opinions on the problem. Overall, it was a productive and HOT day of interviews.
Big News!
I'm happy to announce that I have officially started my first story as the newest addition of The Reporter. Last week I applied to be part of MDC's prestigious newspaper, formerly known as The Metropolitan. I'll be writing stories for the Arts & Entertainment section of the newspaper. But considering my background in TV Production, I was able to help film a story on MDC's West Campus parking lot situation today. As many of you may or may not know, West Campus' parking lot collapsed on four workers in the midst of construction in 2012. Since then, the garage hasn't been able to be demolished and rebuilt due to lawsuits on the construction company. Students have to park at a nearby mall or park in order to take a 10 minute school-run bus system to campus. And to give my opinion, coming from a West Campus student, it sucks. Today was the perfect example. The park parking lot was closed down in order to make parking room for the Doral golf tournament this week. Therefore, all students were forced to park at the mall parking lot, which they were obviously not happy about because no one likes having their commute schedule changed last minute. Because the mall parking lot had a lot of student traffic, we were able to get different student opinions on the problem. Overall, it was a productive and HOT day of interviews.
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Friday night I saw the talented, Ricardo Arjona, a Guatemalan singer-songwriter, producer, and musician at the American Airlines Arena for his tour Viaje. Although I went in only knowing a couple of songs, I left a total fan. I knew him most for his love ballads but to my surprise his lyrics ranged from world peace to friendship. More than his lyrics, I was blown away by the musicality in all his songs. The drums and saxophone to be exact. I didn't catch a single empty seat in the audience. The arena was packed with elegant, hispanic middle aged couples and forty-year-old women holding signs that said, "Señora de las Cuatro Décadas", a love song about a woman in her forty's who doesn't need to show off her beauty to know she's beautiful. For this song, he chose a woman from the crowd and brought her on stage for a serenade. Overall, I was very impressed by the show. I mean, I probably should've expected it considering he has recorded fourteen studio albums, one live album, and forty-three singles. Ricardo Arjona
Jerry Seinfeld If you couldn't make it to see the witty Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld this weekend, well, that sucks because he was great!!! (by the way, according to Jerry, "sucks" and "great" are the only adjectives Americans use *embarassed face*). I was sort of obligated by my boyfriend to attend this event even though I'm constantly called out for not laughing at supposedly "funny" things (again, *kinda embarassed face*). But this was good since Seinfeld's specialty is making fun of social obligation. To my surprise, I spent TWO HOURS laughing my a** off. Something I should've expected considering Jerry is one of the highest paid stand-up comedians and admits he's only doing it because he is bored with his life after his self-titled show, Seinfeld. I hardly know much about Jerry Seinfeld besides that his sitcom ended in the 90's. But I was surprised to find out Jerry actually got married at 45 and is now 60 with three kids. It was the best outing I had been to in a while. Definitely worth leaving the royalty of your bed for. If you are anything like me, oblivious to Seinfeld until this weekend, please do yourself a favor and watch EVERY stand-up video of his you can find. I promise you will not regret it.
Surprise! I know I didn’t tell you guys but it was a too-hard-to-talk-about exciting, last minute subject. Right now, I am on a plane to... California!! To spend some Cali time with my besties Remy and Alec for Labor Day Weekend in their new apartment in Santa Monia (talk about house warming partayy?!). We had been talking about this trip but it was all up to the stand-by list to California, which was surprisingly not full. I decided Monday that I didn't want to stay in Miami for Labor Day. I always give it the benefit of the doubt, "oh maybe something will come up".. not this time Miami, not this time... I'm leaving!! I could’ve gone anywhere but I decided on California. It felt like the me thing to do this weekend, so I did it. I didn’t tell or write about it mainly because I had so much school work to do that if I kept reminded myself it was going to be hard to concentrate. School ova adventures, am I rigghhhtt?
So, it’s only the beginning but Remy and I have been planning all week (community yoga, runyon hike, venice beach, santa monica pier) and I’m so beyond siked! I can’t wait to tell you guys all about my weekend! Any way, my trip has already started off on the absolute best note! I’m not sure this would be most people’s ideal version of a five hour flight, but it was mine. I got the luxury of sitting next to a 65 year old woman who has been traveling the world the past two years. She had just come back from Miami and was headed to England after California. Yes, she is 65 and has the smile of a 20 year-old! She is so light-hearted and fun to talk to. I almost feel like we can be besties. We exchanged travel stories and hopeful destinations. She told me she had been to Europe but never Paris. I told her I had never been to Europe but was saving it for the summer. Next to her, sat a Jewish 17 year-old who had just come back from his first cruise. He, of course, was blown away by the way people party in Miami. Although he was from California and listened to Chief Keef, he wasn’t used to the Latin flavor that is so relevant in Miami and was a bit aroused by it. He told me all about his cruise (how many girls he flirted with, how many weird scavenger hunt tasks he did, how much fun he ate). He also told me all about his religion and how he has to turn his phone off from nightfall Friday till nightfall Saturday. Eventually, our 65 year-old friend had to go use the restroom and then asked if she could get the aisle because she wasn’t feel well. Meanwhile, I was sitting at my window seat reading One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J Novak (occasionally trying to hold in my laughter.. I mean, come on, he’s hilarious). Any way, Jewboy was really concerned if reading was my choice of fun (because that's strange, I think?). Of course, it’s not my first choice but I really did love this collection of hilarious short stories. So he asked me which was my favorite. It took a while to decide because there are so many great options but I settled on Chapter 3, No One Goes to Heaven to See Dan Fogelberg. Now, it might seem like he was flirting with me, but he asked me to read it to him (what? No. That’s totally weird and out of my comfort zone). It was a weird request but after his consistent insisting; I read it to him. He ended up dying of laughter and asking the name of the book. Then before we knew it, the flight was over and there was only time for one more flight neighbors trio selfie. "I hope you go to Paris!", I reminded my 65 year-old friend, you know, in case she forgot she really wanted to go there. xoxo, me & my flight neighbors!!(: It's finally come... the last Ritz Cracker parting! I already had to send one off to California and the other off to Tallahasse. But thursday, I said bye to my dearest, Timms, yes as in, Erica Timmons (the party, duh). So there are these three girls in my life, whom I only recently became absolute bff's with, and each of them is so uniquely energetic; yet, together, we are independently flawless. & I really thought I need to dedicate an entire post to this friendship known as the "Ritz Crackers". The story goes like this: You know how every one hates Valentine's Day? Well, every one that's single, that is. And some go on awkward double dates with someone they randomly decided to try things out with. Some do "Valentine's Day" parties with all the singles of Miami. Others, do "I hate Valentines Day" parties with all the bitter souls of Miami. But many just sit at home and watch romantic comedies away from their phones in order to avoid texting their ex or checking Instagram. Any way, I had been in a pretty committed relationship until a couple nights before the dreaded day and I still hadn't coped with it enough to reveal the awkward news to any of my friends. So most of them just assumed I had plans that night but I didn't, obviously. I actually hadn't even thought of it because this year, February 14th wasn't just Valentine's Day, it was the day UF sent out it's acceptance letters. Yes, before I got stuck in Miami... I was a die hard Gator and everyone knew it. I had spent the summer before doing a Journalism camp there and I was head over heels in love with every thing about it. The news was supposed to come out at 3 p.m. So I went to the beach with my friends in my Gator shirt trying to enjoy the beautiful day but I was honestly so worried. My stomach was tossing and turning. All I could think about was not getting in, how much I would let my family down, how embarrassing it would be when people asked me if I got in. The nightmare 120458 x's worse than being alone on Valentine's Day came true... my heart was crushed (to say the least) that afternoon when I didn't get in. Ugh, it was the worst failure I had ever ever experienced. But I knew it would be my last and that I couldn't dwell on it. I had to accept that it wasn't for me. Any way, Erica was strangely concerned about me that day... Now that I know her better, I know its common nature of her to worry about her friends. But really, we were barely close at the time. She had offered for me to stay with her at the Ritz Carolton for the weekend; she had invited Remy (who I had known forever) and Nikki (who was my soulsista). I knew she was only offering to be nice at my lowest point but I accepted any way. I had spent the entire afternoon drowning in the fact that I wasn't going to be a Gator. I hadn't even mentioned my Valentine's invite until my mom asked if I had plans. Of course, she already had Valentine's plans, and I wasn't about to ask her to give them up for me. So she advised me to go to the Ritz for the weekend and that we would figure out my college plans after. Going that weekend was probably the best decision I had made in a really long time. We promised not to talk about college over our homemade Valentine's dinner for four that night. Instead, we watched Girls (basically us). And talked about how many things we had in common and how weird it was that we hadn't all hung out together sooner (considering we had gone to high school together all these years. Since that day, Erica would always invite us three over to the Ritz. By the way, Remy was the inventor of our name, "Ritz Crackers". Ritz obviously stands for our castle of a hang out spot and Crackers stands for our pale skins before the weekend started (typical Remy). It's not like we ditched our original friends group. We would just reunited at the Ritz every once in a while and have an absolute blast over spa days, movie nights, or cookies and milk room service (nothing crazy.. pretty simple and awesome though). Definitely some of the moments I'll remember most about my senior year. The best and most unique thing about my friendship with these girls is that we are all so different from one another. Each of us has a different vibe to give off. It's relieving to know that we'll never become a robotic group. We're all really supportive of each other. And although we're in living far from one another, we keep our friendship updated on the daily. There's nothing like morning catch ups about our nights or nightly catch ups about our days. I couldn't be more grateful. Every one deserves a group of friends like this. If you're reading this, I love you girls! I wish you the best in your new homes and I hope you make good friends that will support you no matter what ((: We did it! Today marks 1 month since I opened the blog and we ventured off on our awesome relationship! Congrats to us! I'm not sure why I'm so excited about it but I am. I think it's because I've been self diagnosed with commitment issues for a while and for once I actually feel committed to something (even if it's just a blog post a week.. it's a big commitment for me). I've had such a great time sharing my thoughts with you and hearing your feedback. It makes my day to receive comments and texts about my blog posts. I love the convos that break out between us. Thank you for being in my life and inspiring me everyday. It's been a blast and there is still so much fun to come. Thank you to everyone who has been reading! Hopefully I don't bore you any time soon (especially now that school is starting). Lastly, between you and me, I still hope you're liking it here. Much love!!
I think it's safe to say Elisabeth Foley was right, "the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they grow separately without growing apart". A good four years have passed since I graduated CEA with a strong, unique group of beautiful ladies. Although I'd love to say we stuck together, the truth is, we didn't... at all. In fact, it was a very downhill road right after graduation, mostly on my part. I can't say it was easy pulling myself away from my childhood friends but I also can't say it was too hard. We went to different schools but let's be honest, any one who actually wants to stay friends will put an effort in... but none of us did. It was like a pride rubber band and no one was letting go. We just sort of let the gap grow bigger and bigger. Before we knew it, we were seniors and hadn't once hung out during high school. It's true what they say, time heals almost every thing. There were times, in these past four years, when I was certain I'd never be able to talk to these girls again the way I once did. It's hard to remember the bitter feelings from our fights and even if they slightly come back, they're quick to fade. And just when you thought you didn't miss your childhood friends, you did.
These past weeks have been a collection of goodbyes. I thought I was a fairly independent person until I realized the empty void my high school friends would leave in my every day life as they left to college one by one. These are the times any other person would turn to their childhood friends for support and so I did. Last week, my CEA gals decided it would be a good idea to have a reunion. To our surprise, we all happened to be staying in Miami for college. No more of a reason was needed to go through with a reunion. At first, I was skeptical to spend a weekend getaway with people I hadn't had anything other than a "hi and bye" with at a crowded party since 2010. Anyway, I couldn't tell if I was letting the depression of all my friends leaving get to me or if I was just scared of rekindling my past. That's when I knew I had to go. Mostly because I couldn't dwell on every one else's lives. They were off about to start a new life and so was I.. this was it. These girls were staying home just like me (we already had something to talk about) and just because they were part of my past doesn't mean they couldn't be a part of my future. Although it took a tough shove of courage... I got off my bed, packed my bag, texted all my friends goodbye (I knew a text wasn't going to be enough of a goodbye but I couldn't take another sad hug), and headed to my reunion. It really was a lovely time sharing one another's past accomplishments and future aspirations. So many stories to reminiscence on. So many laughs to catch up on. So many places to spend great times at. We did it all. I think this weekend really taught me that we all change but we shouldn't be ashamed of the people we are today. And if we are, maybe we're not on the right path. I love learning about the people in my life because they endlessly inspire me and I can only hope to do the same for them. When you keep a positive attitude about something, just about anything will go right. Also, never feel belittled by people who have already seen you at your lowest because although you might think they will never care as much as they once did, they probably never stopped caring. #thanksCEA for the lovely ladies you have blessed me with. They're just as awesome today as they were when we first met and I wish each one of them the best as we start this new chapter of our lives. This week I got a taste of my first Miami Spice 2014 restaurant experience with my family; and we chose none other than the delicious Japanese cuisine of Zuma in Brickell. This was my second time at this delicious restaurant. Because my first time visiting this restaurant was for dinner on the terrace, I'll briefly go over what that was like. Zuma is located at the heart of Brickell in the Epic Hotel (don't worry parking is complimentary before 4pm). The first time I came to this restaurant was insane. Like, seriously, my family ordered almost entire menu and all I'm saying is thank God it wasn't my bank account. We sat outside and the view was absolutely stunning. There are gorgeous yachts parked on the dock. The Viceroy Hotel stands right in front of the wide terrace. Really nice. It was kinda hot, but then again, we live in Miami. It's also always packed so you definitely want to make a reservation in advance. Every single person is nicely dressed to impress. If you go on a weekday there are a lot of local business men and women lunching over work in their black and white outfits. I've heard the Sunday brunch here is to die for but it also lingers in the +$100 per person price range sooo yeah. The atmosphere is certainly more romantic at night than in the daytime (for you lovebirds). But, unfortunately, they don't have Miami Spice for dinner, sorry. Any way, onto the important stuff... FOOD! The names of their dishes are extremely complicated. I had to google more than one item. Here are some of the memorable and mouth watering dishes that I personally recommend (you can disown our honesty pact if you're disappointed... but you won't be) :
Overall, if you can handle the price tag... make a reservation, sit inside near a window, order one of those dishes, and enjoy! (: So I heard this new saying the other day: "August is the sunday of summer" but the truth of the matter is I love sundays and I love August! Yet this time it's different, I've been dreading August all year. Mostly, because it means officially saying goodbye to my friends. Second, because it means I have to start my first full time semester of college (I'm not as bummed about that one). There's no doubt there are some drastic changes occurring in my life this month but I have to be open-minded about them all and learn to adapt to my new life. This is my chance to start making room for things I didn't make room for before. It's the month, us students, take to rearrange our lives according to what our school year goals are. Here are a couple things I'm looking forward to this month:
1. August for me means.... Miami Spice Month !! If you've never had the chance to participate in Miami Spice Month you have until September 30th to do so. Miami Spice is an annual promotion in which the best of the best restaurants in Miami allow you to try their signature meals for a $23 lunch or $39 dinner per person. So if you've never tried the filet mignon at Smith & Wollensky.. now is the time! (Unfortunately, they only do dinner, not lunch.. I went there last year for Miami Spice) 2. It's also the end of Miami Spa Month (I probably should've let you know about this one early.. but you have till August 31st). There are some great spa day deals for as little as $99 at some of the most well known spas in Miami. So if it's your moms birthday this month, this is an amazing gift! 3. I can't believe I only have two weeks until August 25, aka first day of fall semester. So I'm really running out of time to fulfill some of my 2014 summer to-do's #stressed. I'm sharing them with you in case you are lucky enough to find company and time to do them yourself:
4. Fanfest is this weekend, August 8-10. If you like rock music, you might want to check it out local Miami bands. A kid I met in my English class this summer is performing. I'm not sure how he would feel if he knew I was promoting his band on here but they're really good so you can hear them at Fanfest on Friday, August 8, at 5:30 pm if you'd like. Here is their Facebook page. 5. Releasing the inner Yogi. I've been trying out different yoga classes lately. It's become one of my favorite hobbies. I just encountered these free yoga classes at local parks complimentary of One Yoga Foundation, a non profit dedicated to making yoga available to everyone. Here are some class times and locations. 6. College football starts! The story behind my love for football goes like this: last summer I started watching Friday Night Lights. The end. I loved it since then. Now, I'm not like a pro or anything. I don't wish to be either. I just like watching the games. Don't ask me about stats or players because I voluntarily won't know. All I know is I had so much fun attending UM games last year and I can't believe the season is right around the corner. Unfortunately, I won't be attending a college with a football team for my fall semester so I'll just have to bandwagon onto my friends' football teams. 7. School supply shopping! So much fun. I'm the kind of student who needs colorful, distinctive notebooks for every one of their classes. It helps me organize my things better because I know exactly what notebook belongs to a class without having to read the title. But the number one school supply I recommend to everyone is a planner.. they're so important. You might think you can mentally note down all your homework assignments but you're bound to forget at least one small task. I've had the 17-month Lilly Pulitzer Agenda for a year now and I'm IN LOVE with it. It's so compact yet spacious and it has elephants on it.. so it was basically made for me. 8. Something I should've added to my last post: Be sure to sell your summer semester books and buy your fall semester books this week! They usually take a while to come in and you don't want to show up unprepared to class. I spent two weeks making copies of the library textbook copy because my ordered textbook took forever to come in. Also, make sure to ask around if the book is even necessary for the class so you don't have to waste your money on it. Do not EVER buy from the college bookstores (they are wayyyy overpriced). Here are some websites I was recommended for textbook selling/buying:
9. Lastly, Job hunting. If you're looking for a part-time job now that you're in college and don't have a tedious 7 hour school schedule, I really recommend Craigslist. I know it sounds really ratchet to look at Craigslit for jobs but it's just to see the listings and then you can go on the company's official page to email them, you don't even have to say that you found it on Craisglist. It's easy ((: |
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