Fragment: GOODBYE

I find myself saying "goodbye" occassionaly, and I think I secretly like it...

All this ending and re-starting provides new opportunities. To change, to learn, to grow, to re-think, re-group, re-route, re-arrange, re-place.

I just got home, or at least, somewhere in between.

I am happy; in peace. Ready for whatever will come my way this time around.

My two months in NYC were just what I wanted...just what I needed.

The spending time with my family was priceless! My meeting with friends from college was fun and insightful. All the time spent in solitude, my thoughts and me, were interesting...revealing.

Anyways, at this point somebody had to leave. There were too many toothbrushes in dad's and mom's sink!

Love you maders, father, sister, Guevs and lolos!

Oh! and I think I finally made up with NYC...I can say I (heart) NY, again ;)

Fragment: DETOUR

"When you come to a roadblock, take a detour." -Mary Kay Ash from THE 12 SECRETS OF HIGHLY CREATIVE WOMEN book

I believe in this fiercely!

Every time I feel stuck, any kind of movement creates opportunities; adds new things to my life. Something as little as finding a quote in a book that provides insight, a photo in a magazine that brings inspiration, or an article that inspires ideas. Just as in my walk-abouts, movement places you on a path of hidden treasures.

Yesterday, while working on my homework for hours (WHAT? homework?? yes, I know, I still have to blog about it), I came to a roadblock! I didn't feel satisfied with the way it was coming out. My hands were getting tired from coloring tiny squares. My brain was drained, and ideas just stopped flowing.

(Above right: the homework without the finishing touch)

So, I stood up and went out.

This time, instead of a walkabout, I went directly to one of my favorite spots in this town: BARNES AND NOBLE.

Chai tea in hand, a bunch of books and magazines on the table, the smell of coffee in the air, chattering from all kinds of strangers as background noise. *SIGH* What an inspiring place to be!

I found cool quotes and ideas, and relaxed while dreaming of places and things I saw in the magazines.

I wore beautiful dresses and hats. Visited an ice cream parlor in Brooklyn. I met an artist, a writer, a photographer, a home decorator, the owner of a coffee shop and received great advice from all of them. I traveled to Cambodia and Greece. I was walking around each page in high heels, until I finally brought my tea to a beautiful English garden. There I sat surrounded with butterflies and fairies, and read my books all over again. I became the artist, the writer, the photographer, the home decorator, and the owner of the coffee shop ;)

Yup! I forgot about my homework COMPLETELY! When I got home, I felt brand new...and was able to come back to my tiny, colorful squares with a fresh approach.

Taking detours works wonders for me!

NOTE: I do have to give dad and sister some props. They gave my homework the finishing touch that made it work ;) Help is always needed!

"NYC + cozy coffee shops = BLISS"

One of my favorite things to do when visiting NYC is finding cool coffee shops. There are so many!

After walking for hours around this busy city, it's wonderful to find a cute, little place where one can just sit and marvel. Stop for a moment and really take in the day, the city; the thoughts and feelings that NYC provokes.

Looking out the window, I open my journal and liberate my thoughts. The smell of coffee in the air, the indistinct chattering of strangers, my random thoughts finally drawn onto paper. My taste buds jump up and down as the delicate, warm liquid caresses my palate. The familiar flavor brings back memories, ignites ideas and passion...suddenly, all things look prettier and possible. BLISS.

I've written about this before....about how much I LOVE moments like these!

...and to think that there are so many yet to find!

I love coffee shops :)

"NYC + Guevs = UNEXPECTED FUN!"

I am exhausted!

Just got home from a day with Guevs walking around NYC.

Here's how our day went:

*After watching INCEPTION--at crack of dawn (so we could get cheaper tickets)--, we went to Chipotle for lunch. Of course, I couldn't help noticing an Urban Outfitters on our way there, so I begged Guevs we paid a visit. He made me promise it would be a short one (tough!), and I did. So, we went in and hung out at UO for a little bit.

*As we walked 33 blocks downtown (once again, $-saving), we literally found a TREASURE-- as is the case in almost every corner of this city! A cute, small thrift shop; one of those that is organized with very fine taste, therefore, things are a bit on the expensive side. I got my usual rush of being surrounded with vintage and used items *SIGH* Also, as it always happens, I didn't want to leave without a little treasure, and I sure didn't. I spotted a box with a tag that read MYSTERY BAGS, and in it were brown paper bags labelled with a big question mark (?). You can imagine how excited I got! Each bag cost $2 dollars and I can assure you they were the two dollars best spent! The excitement of wondering what could be inside was delicious! As soon as we stepped out of the store, we nervously opened the bag to coincidentally find a treasure that has Guevs' name all over! His favorite toy from childhood: ANIMAL TOYS!

*We finally reached our destination: HELL'S KITCHEN FLEA MARKET! NOTE: Thank you, Guevs for taking part of all my little fantasies on this day ;)

*The heat from the sun burning our skin as we walked around the flea market made us really tired and thirsty. We decided to get some refreshments. I got myself the signature drink of this trip: Thai Iced Tea. Guevs, on the other hand, decided for quantity over quality (jaja): a dollar iced tea from McDonald's! NOTE: sorry, no pictures from this part of the day. I guess I didn't want the evidence of me sitting in such place :p

*We walked to Time Square. The place was packed with tourists, as always! It is so uncomfortable to walk around there :S But oh so worth it. These streets are so full of live, of movement; there's always so much going on. Time Square is certainly the HEART of this city. Guevs and I finished our drinks sitting at the new closed sections for pedestrians. People-watching; taking the city all in...

*Guevs decided we go into the Visitor's Center in Times Square. There, we grabbed magazines, maps and advertisements for touristy attractions. We took a picture next to the New Year's Ball which is dropped every year at Times Square. Then, we spotted a very cool wall filled with confetti! The title above this colorful wall read: HOPES AND DREAMS. We got closer and noticed the confetti all had handwritten messages from tourists that come in here and write down their hopes and dreams for 2011. Guevs and I went ahead and wrote ours. Supposedly, these will be the confetti thrown in the air once the clock hits 12am this upcoming December. WOW! How cool is that!

*Then, another snack at nowhere else but...McDONALD's!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't believe it still, I know :)

*Last stop...goofing around at another of my top places: H&M!

Good times ;)

"City Island"

"Women are emotionally incoherent...it's our most defining characteristic."

"Call me...but only on a whim."

"What other profession could accommodate my sort of behavioral problems?"

-Quotes from City Island movie.

Emily Mortimer is irresistibly sweet and delicate, as she always is. She reminds me of Chesky in a way. Terribly charming! I love watching her in movies; it's like eating cotton candy on a breezy afternoon as you walk around a lake :)

Andy Garcia was cool. Sweet at times, other times he seemed so ordinary; simply a regular guy.

The young boy reminds me of June (a friend from church) and Guevs (my brother). Sarcastically teasing everyone at the dinner table; so creatively hilarious! He had me bursting with laughter.

The family....just like every family...totally screwed up! So many secrets; things untold because of everyone being afraid of being misunderstood. Sounds like LIFE as it is.

Really enjoyed it, along with 2 slices of pizza and some wine...mmmm!

NOTE: Should I venture to City Island one of these days?

"...only own things that you love..."

It is officially IMPOSSIBLE to come to NYC and not shop.

Yes, I confess, I've been shopping...despite of the fact that I promised myself I wouldn't--oopsie!

But it is oh!-so-SATISFYING!!!!!!!

Well, I guess I could link this confession with a little goal of mine (which will perhaps help with the guilt trip). About a year ago, I made a decision: I WILL ONLY OWN THINGS THAT I LOVE. Of course, since I didn't have a home of my own, this decision was more based on my closet/wardrobe.

My decision became a goal given that it is a process that requires adaptation, will power, and a bit of work. The goal was to acquire this new mind set and live accordingly.

The hardest part of the process is deciding which things to get rid off, especially, when there are objects that carry an emotional value; a memory. Expect to spend hours and hours trying to decide; debating whether to give something up or not. In some cases, you may have to simply decide to compromise. Hours and more hours trying things on and off...and, on and off again just to make SURE. Piling away the pieces that don't completely convince you, and putting back on the hanger the ones that undoubtedly WORK. Keep in mind that this process will be physically and emotionally draining.

Nevertheless, once the classifying stage is completed, you will look at your bags filled with "unwanted" stuff, and feel......LIBERATED!

With more free space now (NOTE: not necessarily for NEW stuff!) and a closet containing ONLY pieces that fit perfectly and that you LOVE, there's no way to go wrong. The endless hours of outfit searching before an outing are over. Any 2 pieces that you grab from your--hence--LOVELY wardrobe will make you, literally: PRETTY happy ;)

So, now that I have matured a bit in my process *wink, wink* my shopping has been done with this newly acquired mindset. The philosophy QUALITY over QUANTITY helping, as well. The ultimate GOAL being a closet looking somewhat like this...very polished, grown-up and organized:

Good luck to me!!!!!

"My little goals seem so insignificant to the world, when they actually mean a world to ME!" -My FB status for today.

NOTE: My favorite purchase so far...I am so in loooove with these beauties!!!! The color, the material, the leather flower on the top/front area, the big-wooden heels...*sigh* TOTAL BLISS ;)

Fragment: WALKABOUTS

Today...came a moment when I just needed to get away!---(I tend to get these often)

(Left: image from Keri Smith's book LIVING OUT LOUD)

Sometimes, there's too much going on. May be around me or inside of me. Situations...thoughts...options that require a decision...or perhaps a memory that suffocates me, and I just have to catch my breath! And UFFFFF! That's when I decide to jump out of it. At least for a little while, 'til I gather my thoughts and my whole self.

So, without giving it much thought (which is obviously what I can't handle in those moments: MORE THINKING!), when that moment came today, I hopped on a bus to the city.

There was no specific place in my mind for me to go. But when I got to the city, I got on the train and randomly stopped on 14th st. UNION SQUARE. Coming out of the train station, the wonders of this day began to unravel. URBAN OUTFITTERS was right on the corner of the train station--how convenient ;)

I went into the store (of course!) and delighted all my senses while browsing through the sales rack (the only section I can afford) *wink wink* Touching, seeing, hearing...taste and smell not so much, but it is such a wholesome experience for me that, yes, I do believe I even tasted and smelled things :p

After finding 3 little treasures, I felt better ALREADY!

Coming out of UO, I started making my way down 6th Avenue. I had no idea where I was headed. Yet, I knew exactly where I was going--WEIRD. I made a right at an odd corner (maybe by West 4th) and started getting lost in these little, colorful streets full of restaurants, stores and coffee shops. My senses were brimming! I was literally feeling LIFE running through my body, through my veins.

It was extremely HOT today! But, for some reason, it didn't bother me at all. Even my wet skin reminded me of how HERE I was today.

I stopped for lunch at an Indian little hole in the wall. Exotic flavors! Another sensorial experience, and thankfully, affordable (a NYC rare). Then, more walking.

Had BEBE on my BB as I walked (that woman speaks DIRECTLY to my soul), now with a MATCHA GREEN TEA BLAST from Jamba Juice in hand (I'm so hooked to these now, and also, thai iced teas!). Mmmmm...refreshing! Just what I needed. And...thoughts? They were there...but...not so much as overwhelming, heavy facts......more like poetic, little fragments depicting the wonderful days of Neny in this life :)

This is when I stumbled upon an oasis in the middle of this fast paced, noisy city. A total GEM! Here, I just laid on a bench and read for a while.

I was like getting a 'high' on life this afternoon! It was a marvelous idea to leave home and just come out!

Simply WALKABOUT ;)

*SIGH*

I was ready to go home.

I highly recommend WALKABOUTS. When things get foggy inside of you just go out for a loooong walk ;) You cannot imagine all the little treasures you might stumble upon. Little things will lift up your spirit; bring a smile to your face; make you understand something; inspire an idea, a thought, a feeling...and you might even find...CLARITY.

I sure did.