Hiking UP Upstate.

I finally got to do something I've been dying to do for awhile...

Go hiking!

I never realized how much I loved the outdoors until I moved to the concrete jungle. Now I try to spend as much time outside as possible, even if its just sitting in the park. 

But I finally got to do a little more than that. 

{Arielle and me about half way up the mountain.}

A few weekends ago, we, Arielle, Matt and I, took the LIRR up to Breakneck Ridge for a day of hiking. They always tell me about their hiking trips and its usually when I am working away at Bloomingdale's. So I finally planned a trip on my weekend off. It was {hilariously} perfect!

To start the morning off, we missed our stop at Breakneck Ridge. To our defense, it is hardly a stop but  a tiny platform in the middle of the woods. Luckily we found a very friendly cab driver that dropped us off at the trails and we got started on our 3 hour hike. 

{Tiny platform in the middle of nowhere a.k.a. Breakneck Ridge Stop}

I thought I was going to die after the first 5 minutes. It was straight up hill, well up rocks. Finally, my breathing adjusted and I was able to enjoy being in the woods without thinking I was going to pass out. We then, of course, got lost and Arielle was freaking out! But we found our way back with about 4 hours to spare. 

We thought it would be a good idea to walk down the highway to the next town, about 2.5 miles away.  We walked for about 1/4 of a mile, then that turned into hitch hiking. The hitch hiking turned into us just walking back to the train stop to sit for 4 hours. New Yorkers are very picky about who they pick up, but who wouldn't be. 

Here are a few more pictures from the trip. I hope next time I go we can do a little camping, or find a cute little cabin to cozy up in for the weekend. 

{Arielle and Matt, who refused to take pictures.}

{Pretty much what we were climbing up. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating.}

{Just an awkward selfie I had to send home.}

{Hanging out on the Hudson River.}

{Napping while waiting for the train, that only stops twice on the weekends!}

xoxo.

Weekend Eats.

One of the many perks of living in New York City is that you never have to eat at the same place twice.

Do I? Yes.

We are all creatures of habit, and sometimes I just crave a cheese burger from Shake Shack or a slice of pepperoni pizza from Ray's on St. Marks. 

I recently moved to Astoria, Queens where the food is "all the rage." 

I mean there is everything: Greek, Thai, Mexican, BBQ, and even MexiBBQ. 

{Yes, that is a real thing. I also like to refer to it as Southern Girl Heaven.}

That being said, I made it a point to explore this past weekend. 

I have been swamped with school work so I needed to take my mind off things. 

What better way to do it than some good food and drinks? 

My first stop this weekend was Astoria Bier & Cheese. 

It's a craft beer and cheese shop, and well, absolutely adorable. 

Its been on my "must try" list since I moved in May, and even though its 5 blocks away I just got around to it. 

We, Arielle and I, were just in the mood for a filling snack and great beer, and we got it. 

We had the assorted cheese platter and Caprese salad, paired with a delicious pumpkin ale. 

Then on our way out we picked up a few beers to take back to the apartment. 

I was beyond excited to see they had Shiner Bock, another gem in NYC for Southerners. 

Our next stop of the weekend was The Growler on Stone St. 

If you have never been to Stone St., you must go.

I seriously felt like I stepped out of New York and into Diagon Alley in Harry Potter.

Its a tiny, stone street lined with bars, and on the weekend they fill the street with picnic tables.

The perfect setting for a late afternoon brunch. 

The Growler also has an amazing brunch deal and is in touch with the DIY trend. 

$12 gets you unlimited Bloody Marys and to top it off you get to make them yourself!

I like to think I mastered the perfect Bloody Mary.

{Chipotle Tomato Juice, Worcestershire, A1 Steak Sauce, Pickle Juice topped with Cracked Black Pepper, Bacon, Lemon, Pickled Okra and Green Onion.}

I paired this delicious Bloody Mary with the Bacon & Banana Pancakes. 

Sounds weird, taste AH-mazing! 

{Arielle and me.}

xoxo.

What I Missed....

I've missed out on telling y'all a lot. 

I'm sorry, and I would promise to keep up with this but let me real, I kinda suck at it. 

So since almost a year has gone by, here is a little photo recap.

{I survived my first blizzard, named Nemo, and the Passion Pit concert in one night.}

{I made it to Destin, FL for Spring Break. Yes, we get Spring Break in grad school.}

{Casey came to visit, not once but TWICE.}

{Brandon got to visit twice too, and also got a job in NYC. He choose San Fran over New York.}

{I guess I'm okay with it since I can visit now.}

{I went home.}

{Jackie, my best friend, came to visits and talked me into doing this. NEVER AGAIN.}

{Then I went home again. Two weeks in the South was much needed.}

{I turned 24 and celebrated at Lollapalooza in Chicago. So much fun.}

{I finally saw the bean.}

That's pretty much what has been going on with me, with a lot of small things in between. 

I also moved apartments but that deserves its own post. 

I'll be posting, sooner than later. 

xoxo.

well, hello.

I survived Hurricane Sandy, Surprise. 

I know you were all worried due to my lack of posting since Sandy was making her arrival. 

Thankfully, I only lost power during the storm and then migrated down south for a few days. 

There were many people that lost everything in the storm, I am thankful for all that I still have. 

The spirit of recovery in New York has been amazing. 

It's crazy how people come together during a time of loss. 

So, what's been going on during my {normal} leave of absence?

Since you asked...

One of my dearest friends, Gentry, got married. 

I was so happy I was able to be go home and be part of her big day. 

Also, I was happy to see all my other friends and family in the Natural State. 

My new roommate finally moved in. 

We are having a blast together!

I experienced my first NYC snow. 

It lasted a whole day! Crazy I know! 

Carly and Natalie {who is terrified of flying} visited NYC for Carl's 24th birthday. 

I spent my first Thanksgiving away from my family. 

I didn't make it to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade but my sweet friend Arielle invited me to dinner with her family. I got the full-blown Brooklyn Thanksgiving Day experience. 

And now, I'm in my last week of my first semester of grad school. 

 Yay! Time to celebrate! 

xoxo,

Wind. Rain. And Wine.

{Grand Central before the storm.}

Today, I will experience my first hurricane. 

If anyone has been watching the news, you know Hurricane Sandy is said to hit New York City today. 

I went to pick up some last minute supplies this morning, as their was no a soul in site. Such a weird feeling for a Monday morning in the City. 

The subway system is shut down, and every shelf at the grocery stores has been wiped clean, which left me to pick up a few semi-healthy snacks. 

I snagged some teddy grams, Ritz, cracker jacks, fruit, water and wine.

Wine is a necessity when you will be locked in your apartment for two days. I will spend most of my time studying. 

This extra day off couldn't have come a better time since I have midterms at the end of the week. 

I hope the storm damage isn't too horrible. Have you ever been in a hurricane? What did you do when you were stuck inside for days? 

Flying Time.

Where are the days going? I feel like yesterday we were just entering September. 

I found out how the school and work thing goes. It can be a little overwhelming at times, but so far I am managing. 

I am loving being back in school. I can't say that so much for having homework. I guess you win some and loose some.

I know I have been MIA for the past month, but I've been busy busy busy. If I wasn't at work or school, I was entertaining visitors from home. That's always a joy.

I've also been looking for a new roommate. Yes, again. I'm going on roomie numero tres since I moved to the big city. This time I think things are finally going to work out. I'll let you in on that over the next few weeks. For now, just keeping my fingers crossed.

Since I should be doing homework instead of blogging--here a few pictures of what's been going on to wrap up this short post.

My college roommate, Ashlyn, came to visit. 

I was so happy to show her around NYC for the first time. 

We hoped on a boat to cruise around the harbor. It was beautiful!

First time visiting the 9/11 Memorial. 

Walking with team Bloomindale's for the 2012 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. 

xoxo,

Work-School-Play.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day. I spent the weekend working my little butt off. I guess that's what I get for working in retail.

 It also means that I spend my breaks finding the best bargains I can in Bloomingdale's. That happened to be a beautiful Marc Jacobs crossbody that I treated my self to this weekend. I liked to think of it as a going-back-to-school gift to myself. 

Yes, school. I start school today. 

And I am so nervous! 

I feel like I should enter grad school as a prepared professional, but I think I'm more nervous than I was during my undergrad Freshman year. 

I will be working full-time and taking three classes this fall. I know its doable, I just don't want to get stuck in the work-school-work-school-repeat routine. I need to maintain at little bit of a social life. 

That's where you come into play. Give me advice! 

Tell me your secrets on how you juggled work and grad school. If you haven't been in this situation, I still love to hear what you would do if you were in my shoes. And don't worry they are awesome shoes!

{I couldn't resist posting a picture of this.}

xoxo,