Bitches Don't Eat Meat

I was borderline excited for classes to start again, but now that they actually have, I've realized I forgot about one minor detail in anticipation to stepping foot on campus for one fricking final year - homework. And not only that, the homework of an English major, which I am convinced has to be the most excruciating of all the degrees. It took three paragraphs into the Marco Polo prologue for me to look up the book on Sparknotes, but I was left bitterly disappointed. 'Tis going to be a long semester.

Now that my agenda requires the works of Polo, Bede, Mandeville, and various other snooze fests, the self-help books and trashy novels are going to have to come to an end - probably for the better, before I became completely uneducated. I was able to squeeze in one final mindless read before the classics consumed me, and though I have my issues with it, this book is the one summer read that I've actually taken seriously ("Why Mr. Right Can't Find You" had some good points as well; I just can't claim it's helped me become any more successful in that department). The book "Skinny Bitch", by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, is self-described as "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!". The cheesy promotion wasn't enough to rope me in, but the fact that this book is responsible for countless meat-eaters turned vegetarian/vegan was.

I've always had an obnoxious bone-phobia that left a classmate cutting my steak on a Senior class choir trip, and I've cut meat out of my diet for month long periods of time before, but I've never fully committed myself to become a vegetarian. It always seemed to be inconvenient for my hectic lifestyle that requires meals on the go, and I never put in the time to fully educate myself on the matter. After reading this book, consider me committed. I don't agree with animal cruelty, and I'm aware that livestock production turns our environment to shit, but my strongest reason for giving up meat is the reality of where it comes from. And oh my god, you don't even want to know. I've mentioned I'm from Iowa, where there are probably more cows than people, and considering the cattle industry is one of the biggest money makers there, they're all going to think I'm crazy after reading this. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that their healthy, well fed, fairly treated, fresh piece of beef is going to end up being my hamburger in New York. I'm not going to give details, because I want you to enjoy your bacon in the morning, but if you have any interest in a vegetarian or vegan diet, this book will definitely help educate you on the matter.

Aside from the fact that it was the final factor in convincing me to give up meat, this book did not receive its' New York Times Bestseller award based on the talent of the authors. Freedman and Barnouin may be funny and crude, I think we'd get along famously in person, but their writing ability is far from that of what a published, bestselling author's should be. It may be my nerdy, English-major self coming out, but I wanted to rip my hair out at the structure and flow of the book. Not only that, these girls are supposedly involved in modeling, explaining the fact that they encourage fasting, eating only a piece of organic fruit for breakfast, and ignoring your body's hunger cues of stomach grumbling, headache, and fatigue when you need to eat. Uh...no wonder all the skinnies are so bitchy. They're starving, dumb ass. As any self-help book, take it with a grain of salt. Girlfriends may be entertaining, but all of their fasting has obviously left them short of a few brain cells.

So now that my final Grecian gyros have been consumed and my mama's Stromboli is in a kitchen over 1,000 miles away, there will be no beef, pork, chicken, or fish in the near future for me. A vegetarian diet feels right for now, and with the facts from the book haunting me at every meal, my appetite is in full agreement.

The Blackout I Want to Forget

I'm a classy bitch. I like to go out and have a good time, and it should be clear to you by now that I am no stranger at the bar, but when it comes down to my drunken self, I always try to maintain a level of class and dignity. This was not the case last night.
I've promised you bar stories, but there's really not much to tell. And I don't want my parents to fret. We'll just narrow it down to this - blacking out is not funny under the following circumstances:
1. You fall in 5 1/2 inch heels
2. You loose your Blackberry
3. Before loosing your Blackberry, you unknowingly drunk dial your father
4. The only way you know the previous information is because it was told to you - the last thing you actually remember is speaking Spanish to the cab driver...on the way to the club

OK, so the last one's a little funny. But only the Spanish speaking part.

My dignity was lost right along with my Blackberry, and I'm not about to say I don't deserve it. Thank god for ah-mazing friends, or I could be tied up in the back of a big white van, wondering where the hell my Hispanic cab driver went. Now that I've finally shaken off the hangover of a lifetime, and have made progress on the phone situation, the night is starting to be a little more amusing to me. Going into work at noon the following day seemed like the cruelest punishment I could be handed, but my co-workers laughs and add-ins of their own stories helped ease some of the humiliation. But no matter how entertaining it may be, nights like the one I had last night are notttt OK for a girl in my situation. Or anyone, period.
I obviously make light of my drinking, but there are consequences that come along with it, and they get a lot more serious than drunken dials to or from ex-lovas. As I said before, my friends are amazing. I was in the biggest city in the United States for god's sake. The fact that I was completely blacked out in a strange club in the middle of the meatpacking district is about as irresponsible as it gets. Along with physical safety is the actual condition of my health. Drinking that much, and in this incident, on an empty stomach, is just not necessary. The fact that my dinner was light and early did nothing to slow the absorption of my Pinnacle Whipped. I drank no more than everyone else, but competition always gets the best of me when we're going shot for shot, and I seem to forget the fact that I am, and always will be, a lightweight. It's usually a blessing in smaller bar tabs. Last night, I would have overdrawn my bank account if it meant avoiding my blackout.

So, moral of the story is - lesson learned. There's nothing wrong with going out and getting shit faced, but it doesn't do you any good if you can't even recall it the next day. It's stupid, irresponsible, and completely un-like the classy bitch standard I try to maintain on my nights out. I'm sure I'll be able to look back later and laugh...but it probably won't be for a while. Until then, I am going to be detoxing my liver and restoring my dignity, and hoping everyone else there will forget about the night as successfully as I did.

Traumatic Travels

Want to see what I look like after a total 27 hours of traveling?

Me neither. Sorry. But pretteee, huh.

What was the most wonderful vacation happened to have the most horrid ending. Starting the moment I woke up. I'll sum it up as briefly as I can, and just tell you that after taking Tylenol on an empty stomach, I was vomiting more impressively than my most impressive hangover. Thanks to the pharmacist's recommendation, I had to stick a dissolving tablet in a place that I believe has one purpose, and one purpose only. After all had failed, and I was still in the bathroom with only an hour to spare before my taxi came to take me to Athens, I made a visit to the most illegitimate, sketchy doctor's office I hope to ever be in. There were no diplomas hanging on that wall to say the least. A nice, pleasant little shot in the ass was received, and I was sent on my way. Under a different last name than my own. Heh.

Take my morning and add in a two and a half hour car ride to the airport, nine hour plane delay, potential Greek passengers turned rioters, countless minutes standing in lines, and a busted open suitcase on the luggage belt. It's safe to say I'm happy to be home.
I can already tell I'm going to be a little mixed up with my sleep schedule for a while. It's 2:00 PM and I'm considering hibernation for the rest of the day. After my last 27 hours...hell - I'd even take just the tablet-in-the-place-it-shouldn't-go excuse, productivity is not expected. The bags are unpacked and the fridge is stocked...my work is done for the day.

Self Help for the Stubborn

Before I even begin this post, let me assure you that I do not live within the 'self-help' section of Barnes and Noble. I'm much too cynical of a person to regularly indulge myself in someone else's criticism of my life. I went in for the sole purpose of finding my guidebook to Mr. Right, and left with more than I intended on buying. Typical. After a summer filled with Cosmopolitan and trashy romance novels, I was ready for something a little more enlightening. Literally spotting it on my way out of the store, I ran across Christine Hassler's “20 Something, 20 Everything”, my current read for the remainder of the summer.
With my 23^rd birthday coming up next month, I'm obviously well into my twenties. I've accomplished a lot for myself in the short time I've graduated high school, but sometimes I feel as if I'm not making the most out of the so-called “best years of my life”. I can list all that I've done, produce my blue print for what I have left to do, and yet I feel as if it's not enough. And despite their achievements and goals set for themselves, after endless Skype sessions and coffee dates with friends, I know I'm not alone. Hassler's book focuses on all of the above and so much more, shedding light on how prominent these feelings are amongst women post high school. Intertwining real-life scenarios with thought provoking questions, “20 Something, 20 Everything” therapeutically addresses concerns and issues that commonly arise within the ever changing and unsteady years of the twenties.
While I work and write on finding balance in health, schooling, work, and my social life, the most important, and often most difficult, aspect that needs constant attention is the balance of one's own self. It's difficult to be completely content in any area of your life if you aren't content in who you are as a person. With all of the decision making and life changing experiences that happen in your twenties, knowing and accepting yourself needs to be a priority. The book “20 Something, 20 Everything” not only forces you to look at who you are, but also what you want out of life. Hassler strips away the motivational cliches', promising, “...it will be more fun than studying, more rewarding than going to a psychic, and cheaper than seeing a therapist”. I will vouch for her when I say I've had plenty of experience in all three, and over halfway through the book, she's honest on all parts.
While my summer reading thus far has been anything but intelligent and inspirational, trust me when I say that Hassler's book is worth looking in to. Be ready to do some writing – making up for the financial cost that therapy rapes you of does not mean skimming through a large print book to find all of life's answers. I really considered skipping portions of the questions, and I can already say I'm happy I didn't. It may be time consuming, but so are my nights out drinking and riding mopeds. So that's hardly an excuse.
So my lovely readers, if you can relate to any of the feelings mentioned, if you're wanting to do some self-reflection, or if you're just looking for a little nudge in the right direction, I cannot recommend a better book. And that should mean a lot coming from a cynical, stubborn lush who once told a therapist that their degree meant nothing and declared they would never know more than her.

Mayhem with My Mercury

I have a planet on my face. How is it that I'm two months short of 23 years old, and I still manage to get pimples the size of a jelly bean? Not OK. I tried the old toothpaste trick, and woke up with sticky hair and a minty smelling pillow. Definition of beauty sleep.

With a work schedule from hell and workouts consisting of moving my obnoxious wardrobe from one shoebox room to another, (please remind me next time I move – movers are, in fact, worth the money) I hardly have time, let alone motivation, to do anything else with my day. Which is unfortunate, because there are things to be done. I'd list them, but I doubt you care that much. The only reason why I'm mentioning any of this is because it's affecting my blog posting. I feel as if I'm stuck in limbo in every possible scenario in my life, making it really difficult to concentrate on my writing. And the fact that I can see my planet out of the corner of my eye when I glance down at the keypad doesn't help the situation.

What to do when you don't know what the hell to do with yourself.

Make a list. Write out everything that needs to be done, and when it needs to be done by. You're much more likely to be productive when you can see your “to do” list laid out in front of you.

Call your mom. Or your sister, grandma, boyfriend...anyone you feel can ground you. She's not even aware of it, but just five minutes on the phone with my mama can bring some comfort and reassurance into my day.

Get your needed daily dosage of coffee. Or wine. Or whatever you're doing – it's none of my business. Now is not the time to attempt to cut down on caffeine or any other substance in your life. We'll work on that later.

Avoid mirrors. This may just be a personal preference, but I feel like a beached whale and have an accurately sized model of Mercury on my face. Plus the eyebrows need attention, the sun has slaughtered my hair color, and there's a mysterious purple bruise on my thigh. Mirrors are currently not my friend.

Cut yourself some slack. I haven't been working out consistently, my eating-out bill is a tad high thanks to the roommates' kitchen cleaning habits, and I haven't been able to catch up with friends as often as I'd like. I can't let myself feel guilty for things that are out of my control right now – I just need to carry on and do what needs to be done right now.

Remind yourself that this is temporary. I mentioned in a previous post how it's important to remember that nothing needs to last forever - not if you don't let it. I will be in my new apartment in less than a week, I will finally be on my way to Greece in that same amount of time, and my relationships, workouts, and overall daily normalcy will eventually restore themselves. I just have to keep up with this mayhem until then.

My planet and I need to wrap it up and make our way to work. And you can be sure the iced coffee is coming with us.

Being Drunk Is Not an Excuse

Am I the only one that listens to piano music on Pandora? My page automatically starts with Lorie Line Radio. Surely this is not normal for a 22 year old. My only comfort is that Brittany Haan's Pandora most likely blasts an organ's rendition of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata when she signs in. One of the 483 reasons why I love her.

It's ridiculously humid on Long Island right now, making my typical afternoon run difficult to get through. Or even convince myself to begin. I have access to my school's gym, but I cannot find my student ID for the life of me, and lets be honest, going to the gym is about as thrilling as a visit to the gynecologist. I'd much rather take my run to the scenic outdoors than stare at the white washed cement walls in front of my treadmill. My dad swears he can run twice as far on the treadmill - I start swearing after .2 miles, am excruciatingly bored by .5, and usually call it quits around .8. It's not that difficult, it's just that boring.
The obvious solution to the heat would be to run early in the morning. And now lets refer back to my previous post and confirm that it's just not going to happen. I'm past my days of obsessively running 10 miles in whatever heat the good lord blessed us with that day, so my advice for a lush, late night working, busy bee college student who appreciates a good workout: do what you can.

There are some days I have the time and energy to put in a solid eight miles, and so I do exactly that. For longer runs, I love to go to a more scenic location - a local park, the beach boardwalk...anywhere where I have a little more to take in, with less risk of getting bored. My long runs are my favorite workout, and it is so frustrating when the reason for stopping is because I'm bored - it can be a difficult hurdle for me to overcome. If this is your problem when working out, do the obvious thing, and give yourself some type of entertainment. Whether it's the view around you, or the TV at the gym, address your entertainment issue head on, and give yourself something to focus on.
I obviously don't have the ambition for a long run every day of the week - there are days when there is absolutely no motivation to workout at all. The first step to no motivation is to simply put on your work out clothes. It's much more difficult to put off a workout when you're walking around in gym shorts and running shoes. (Although I will admit to a time when my motivation was so non-existent, I literally laid down on my bed and took a nap after this attempt for ambition - running shoes and all). Once you're physically ready, it will be a lot easier for you to become mentally prepared to workout.

If you're still not in the mood to break a sweat, give yourself 15 minutes. Knowing I always feel better afterwards, I try to talk myself into some form of exercise. You don't necessarily need to put in a four mile run and three sets of 15 reps on every weight machine in order to get a good workout. Hop on the elliptical, jog around the neighborhood, hell - even a walk around the block. Give yourself 15 minutes to get in the mood to workout, and if you're still not feeling it, to hell with it. Chances are though, at this point, you will have put so much effort into actually motivate a workout, you'll want to continue for lasting results.
Another cure to boredom? Mix up your workout. It was a lot easier when I was home and had access to my outdoor shed stocked full of gear, but there are so many different forms of exercise - don't limit yourself to just one or two. Invest in a pair of roller blades, fill up the air in your bicycle tires, or break out your old jump rope. Finding new ways to work out not only brings a little fun into your routine, but it can make you feel like a kid again - and who doesn't like that?

An issue I often face during my day is time to workout - or lack there of. There are days when I hardly have time to pee, much less squeeze in a workout, and that's OK. Rest days are vital to a healthy, active lifestyle, and you should allow yourself at least one per week. If it's not a rest day, and your time is limited, refer back to my golden workout rule: do what you can. Even if it's 20 minutes of cardio, something is always better than nothing. Consistency and quality are most important when it comes to maintaining an exercise routine, so squeeze in whatever you can find time for.  

Today may be one of those days where I need to lace up my running shoes in order to motivate myself to get out the door. Ever since I stopped validating "I'm lazy", "I'm hungover", or "I'm drunk", as justified excuses to miss a work out, it's been much more difficult to feel OK about skipping them. Damn.

Brighter, Hopefully Wealthier, Days Ahead.

I had a pretty lengthy post written out and ready to go, but I wasn't quite happy with it...which is why it's been sitting in my editing box for two days. I can never seem to bring myself to hit that 'publish post' button when I'm not completely satisfied. Anyways, I was going to cave into leaving my standards unsatisfied just this once, until this morning when I read one of my regular blog reads. Not only was it relevant to my unpublished post, but it put its' content into a new perspective, a better perspective...one I feel better about publishing.

Life here is not always easy. I've made that clear. There has been a lot to deal with lately, and it's been difficult to keep an optimistic attitude. I appreciate the life lessons learned here, but the satisfaction of 'learning the hard way' wears off quickly, and sometimes I just want to fucking take the easy way out.

I could sit here and bitch to you all day, but it's not going to make anything better. I could rant about parking tickets, disgusting roommates, eating disorders, family struggles, money issues...but what is it going to do for me? At the very least, annoy my readers, along with making you grateful you chose to keep your ass under your parents roof or a college dorm. What I do need to do now is put things into perspective and look at the big picture. It sounds so cliche, and god knows I hate cliches, but it needs to be done. Yes, life here is hard right now, but no one promised me it would be easy. These roommates will be gone in a few weeks, Garden City cops will finally stop nailing me with parking tickets, and hopefully all of my tip money will not continue to support Nassau County. There is no denying I need to deal with situations right now that I'd rather not be in, but all it takes is a matter of dealing with them to improve them. None of this will last forever - not if I don't let it.

A couple of days ago, for the first time in a very long time, I considered what it would be like leaving New York. It was a fleeting thought that came about in an absent minded moment at work, but for just a few minutes, I allowed myself to imagine a life closer to my family, surrounded by familiar sights, where strangers smile and wave and less seems to revolve around money and power. Such a more simple life. But then I brought myself back to reality and remembered that will probably never happen. I don't know if I can ever realistically picture myself back in the Midwest.
One of the most common questions I get asked is why I left home - and how I'm so sure I won't go back. And aside from my amazeballs, incredible, ridiculous, dysfunctional, close knit family who's love and support I will always have, the answer is simple. I don't feel like I belong there. I always felt by staying in the Midwest, I'd be settling, and I think it's pretty understood by now that lowering standards and settling is just not an option for me.

So yes, life here may be difficult right now, but the difficult part of it is temporary. It honestly does make me question whether or not it's worth it at times, but at the end of the day - it always is. Through all of the drama, heartache, and struggle I go through here, there is purpose. I do not stay because I'm stubborn or feel I have something to prove. I don't simply want to call myself a New Yorker, and if I really desired to do so, there are other options for my life outside of New York. To refer back to cliches - I stay because I feel this is where I'm meant to be right now. There's no other way to describe it. I finally feel as if I belong, and no matter the amount of struggle, walking away from this is not an option.

My words of advice to you? Whatever it is you're dealing with, no matter how big or small the battle is - you do have the power to make it temporary. Seek support from friends, family, your higher power...whatever it takes to get you through. Life may not always make sense, and it certainly is not fair, but as long as it's the life you feel you're meant to live, the difficult times will pass, and there will be much better days to come.

From Hungover to Happy

What the hell? Is it seriously the last day of June today? Please tell me every calendar I've looked at this morning is incorrect...I cannot believe how fast summer is going.
I'm attempting to write this fighting off a may-jah headache, so my apologies for any error. We all know at this point I'm grammatically incorrect, but I do tend to strive for structure and flow in my writing, and there may not be much of that today. Believe it or not, I think my headache is from waking up a half hour later than usual and not having my coffee on time. If there's one issue in my diet that needs addressing, it is my caffeine addiction...well, coffee addiction actually. It's obnoxious. But I just feel so kewl with my Starbucks' Goldmember Card. It has my name imprinted and everythinggg!

Another issue with my diet lately? Getting it the eff on track. I feel like I've been all over the place physically, and my eating has followed suit. Which would be OK if there wasn't that tiny issue of the ED, and it wasn't swim suit season, and that I actually like being a healthy, happy person. There is one guarantee for when my diet off track, and that is that it will turn me into a very bitchy lady. Don't worry, if you see me on a day to day basis, I'm good at playing pretend.

So my darlings, my advice to getting back on track after days of unhealthy foods, a vacation that consisted of carefree eating, or simply too many nights out at the bars with greasy hangover foods to follow.

Structure - Have a plan, and if you need to, write it down. Aim for 3 main meals, and 2-3 small snacks in between, and include a plethora of nutrients in each meal. Go for whole grains and lean proteins - just be smart dears, you know the rules. A juicy, fatty steak with mashed potatoes is not what I mean by a main meal.

Fruits and Veggies - I don't care if you don't like them - eat them. It is not hard to get your daily fill, you're just being lazy. Throw a banana into your oatmeal, strawberries into yogurt and granola, or munch on an apple in between meals. Veggies are often the hardest to get in, but the easiest to implement with effort. Put some veggies into an omelet, cut up some tomatoes for a grilled cheese, or if you're desperate, top off a pizza slice with lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes...whatever you can stomach. If you're still struggling to get them in, there are some great juices that have a ridiculous amount of fruits and veggies in them. You need to be careful when selecting a brand - some are just as full of sugar as nutrients. When I'm feeling blah and not in the mood to make an effort, I always pick up a Naked (justtt a coincidence that happens to be the brand of my favorite juice). It's 100% juice, and my favorite flavor, The Green Machine, looks disgusting, but has enough nutrients in it to fulfill even the unhealthiest of eaters. (Oh hey, Myones!)
http://www.nakedjuice.com/#OurJuices/Background/MainMenu/Families/Superfood/bottle2
After you look at that, and then taste its amazingness, you have no excuse to not get in your daily fill of fruits and veggies.

Hydration - this is the easiest to overlook, along with the simplest quota to fill. Drink water, babies. Trust me. Simply doing this will make you feel better. It flushes out your system, gives your skin a healthy glow, and helps you feel full. A lot of times when you feel hungry, you're actually dehydrated, and a tall glass of water is all it takes to suppress that feeling of hunger and avoid a mini meal that you really don't need.

Though I preach structure and routine, and I always have a plan, you have to be able to relax too. No diet is ever going to be perfect, and god knows you need those black out nights with greasy hangover food the next morning. There are going to be days when your veggies are represented by the lettuce on your All American, and that's OK. As long as that's not every day. Putting the effort in here and there to make small changes in your diet will create long term results, helping put your eating on track and establish a more healthy lifestyle. And if a healthy lifestyle makes a less bitchy you, as it does Leah, those changes are priceless.

Healthy Little Lush

I wish I could just post a list of randoms every day. For example, a list of things bothering me in Starbucks right now.
1. It's approximately 46 degrees in here.
2. They're playing ridiculous Latin music that makes me feel like I'm on the streets of Madrid.
3. There is a loner of a woman in here who is wandering around and has now cornered a total of four people, bringing up pointless conversation. And that's just since I started counting.
4. The man next to me is shaking his legs with such vigor, I'm convinced he ripped a line before leaving the house this morning.
That is all for my morning rant. (pictured - my annoyed Starbucks face. Attractiveness)

Moving on. Lets talk health. Mainly because food is on the mind. I'm out of groceries, hence my Starbucks breakfast, and I need to make a list anyways. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vitally important at any age, but being conscious of it is crucial in your early twenties. You have to actively counter late nights often filled with junk food, recover from the happy hours that turn into early mornings at the bars, and somehow catch up on the sleep you never seem to have time for. While these scenarios are all a part of my life, I have a little added boost of incentive keeping myself on track health-wise. I am in the process of recovering from an eating disorder. It is no secret, I am not embarrassed, and thank you but I really don't need any pity. I think the topic is much too taboo, and while my posts will not center around my eating disorder, it plays a critical role in my healthy lifestyle here.
That being said, despite the humor I find in my every day life, my health cannot be taken lightly. When I talk about my diet and fitness patterns, you may see structure that seems a little rigid for a college student who looses track of her gin and tonics on ladies' night, but it's only because structure and planning is required in order to stay on track in recovery. The good thing about dealing with a disorder that can make me feel like a crazy person? I am a bottomless pit of knowledge when it comes to nutrition and fitness. My former obsession and an overwhelming amount of treatment makes me feel as if I could potentially become the next Dr. Oz, except I'd obviously have a more flattering pair of scrubs than his poor choice of a mundane navy blue.

So when I write about living a healthy lifestyle, trust that I am not simply recounting my interpretations of the latest Women's Health. I am writing from experience. After years of struggling, I am finally able to live my life again. I'm going to be 22 year old girl. I'm going to pull all nighters, spend nights getting way too drunk, and comfort my hangovers with a famous New York bagel. And then I'm going to get myself back on track. The key to living a healthy, yet realistic, lifestyle in your early twenties is making it a priority. It does not need to be an obsession, but it cannot be an option. No one is going to force you to eat your veggies anymore, and not everyone is fortunate enough to have a work out buddy as motivation. You need to be willing to make healthy choices, and actually carry through on those decisions. I've said it before, and I now realize it's going to be a theme throughout the blog - You need to do it for yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.

Blogging My Balance

 Welcome! I've been contemplating the idea behind this blog for a while now, and decided it was time to stop fussing over the details and let it materialize. I'm currently studying English at a university on Long Island, and writing has always been a passion of mine. I've lived in New York for almost two years, and can safely say moving here was the best decision I have ever made for myself. There's nothing quite like packing up your car and driving halfway across the country by yourself to initiate responsibility and personal growth.

While my writing will always be personal, I don't necessarily plan for my blog posts to revolve directly around my life. Instead, I want to share my advice and experiences of starting life on my own in New York, hoping you may learn from my mistakes or find relation to situations I find myself in. I go to school, hold down two part time jobs at local sports bars, and love to go out when I can. I strive to live a healthy lifestyle, which does not always coincide with a college lifestyle. Trying to balance all of these aspects of my life is often overwhelming, but I would not have it any other way.

As I reveal more of myself in my posts, I hope you are able to see a little bit of yourself in them as well. I'll give my advice on how to cut back financially, share my best money-saving shopping tips, and explain how I get myself back on track health-wise after a rough night out. And I'll most likely throw in a good bar story every now and then.

So check in and entertain yourself as I dread the first of the month rent payment, squeeze in workouts between bar hopping, fight for the last of my size on the clearance rack, and deal with all that falls in between.