Guide to Letting Go

I'm sad about my time at WeSell ending, but not bitter or hurt. I understand the reasoning and am still hopeful for a position there in the future. I'm very thankful for the opportunity, the friends I made and all of the skills and knowledge I acquired there.

That being said, after I left my internship for the last time yesterday, I headed to Hill Country where I was surrounded with comforting, supportive friends. I decided to let myself be sad last night but really my night was pretty great.

Here is how I let go last night:

What Next?

Well, my internship is not turning into a job. Pretty disappointing but due only to money, not to me or my skills.

Guess this means it's time for a new adventure :) Where or what that will be is still to be determined, in the meantime I'll be picking up a lot of hours at HC and am open to suggestions.

I'm very sad to be leaving behind such a great group of people but, as always, excited for the new possibilities that are opened up and the new adventures to be had.

Source: amazon.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Snow, Cafeteria, and Singles Awareness Day

Hello all!

It was a snowy weekend here in NYC, we got about a foot up in my area of the Bronx. I'm not a fan of snow or cold weather in general. But I do feel that if it's going to be freezing cold it should at least have the decency to snow as well. And snow is pretty. I'm always in favor of a good photo op and walking to the subway Friday night after work provided just that. It's a nice walk anyway, right by the Flatiron Building and through Madison Square Park, and with snow coating everything and more coming down it was lovely.

Monday, I went out for supper with a friend from HC for a birthday celebration! My birthday was at the end of January and she wanted to take me out so we went to Cafeteria in Chelsea. I hadn't been before and it was de-lish! 

Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese Spring Rolls, Spicy Pork Meatball Sliders, and White Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding to finish it off! A-mazing!

Last night I made banana muffins to take into WeSell today. We had a huge discussion last week about muffins versus cupcakes and what was the definition of a "plain muffin." It was very inspiring. In the sense that it made me want to make some delicious banana muffins which I must say wowed the office and brought everyone together like only food can do :)

Tomorrow is the day of truth. I'm supposed to finally have my evaluation and find out where this internship is leading. I've been there almost 4 1/2 months and am a little anxious about it all but will be happy to have a definite answer, whether good or bad. Wish me luck!

Oh, and since it's after midnight Happy Valentine's Day! Or Singles Awareness Day as I secretly like to refer to it as ;)

XO Ash

From the Greyhound

Hey all!

(*****Sorry that it's been soooo long since I've posted, I wrote this Thursday night but Blogger wasn't working so I'm just now actually getting to publish it :( Lots has happened since this that I may write about later, but I wanted to share these adventures*****)

Thanks to modern technology I am writing this post using the free wifi on a Greyhound bus! Yep, I'm on a Greyhound headed home for the weekend for some family stuff.

I probably don't need to tell you that I've been busy, but I will apologize for not posting recently (and missing another Mug Monday...) There's just been a lot on my mind and a lot going on. But right now I've got 13 hours on the road and wifi so what better to do than write a blog post :)

It snowed for the first time yesterday! Which was really pretty exciting. I don't like winter much at all but I do enjoy some snow.

It was rainy-snowy when I was walking to WeSell, then it came down in big, beautiful flakes that we watched out the windows. Joe from Jamaica was all excited because it was only the second time he'd seen snow. Of course from what I hear, snow in New York is pretty for about 5 minutes before it turns black and gross. So that's unfortunate.

The walk home was not so fun then. I don't have a pair of boots (for rain or snow) and I was wearing about the worst shoes I could be for walking through snow: a pair of flat that rain tends to soak through the bottom of. And by the time I was going home there was a good inch and a half-two inches of snow on the ground! And it was still coming down, blowing right in my face as I walked the third of a mile home. Uphill. In wet shoes. Hehe, just trying to sound like one of "those people," that is all true though...

It was strange also because the trees still have most of their leaves. So here's these trees looking like summer or fall and then branches hanging cause they're extra weighted down by snow!

Today I went in to WeSell, taking my suitcase and carry-on with me, and worked a pretty regular day. Afterwards I had some strange experiences, strange as in my life is always an adventure!

I went to Hill Country to buy some Salted Caramel Cupcakes because I talk about them all the time to my family and I want them to get to try them! (Shhhh they don't know that I'm bringing them...)

If we're being honest though, that's not the real reason I went into HC. I actually went in to get a haircut. No, seriously. One of the cashiers is actually a hair stylist by trade and I'd mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was wanted a haircut and he said he'd do it for free! So we'd been trying to work out a time and it was supposed to happen the last 3 days but something always came up or didn't work out right. I really wanted the haircut before I went home so he said to come in to HC and he'd do it real quick. So I went in and someone else covered the register and we snuck to this little room on the side where the dumpsters are kept and he gave me trim! Haha. Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!

After my haircut and saying hi and bye to all my friends there, I headed back uptown and stopped in at Cafe R for some supper (shrimp tempura sushi!) Then it was off to the bus station - Port Authority.

I'm pretty excited for my first big Greyhound adventure. Even though it's a 13 hour ride and I have a transfer that I'm a little nervous about, I have a "free spirit, travel loving, adventure seeking side" (in the words of Wendy) that makes me giddy for new experiences.

I got to the bus station and had no idea where I was going or what to do. I had to find the information area so that I could get my ticket (I had bought one but had no way of printing it...) I've done a lot of flying and am very comfortable in airports but this was a whole new ball game. The problem is that people can tell when you don't know where you're going and they jump on that.

I was looking at a map and a man came over asking where I was going and said to follow him and he'd get me there, he knew the whole place. I declined and he joked that I just didn't want to have to tip him, whatever that's supposed to mean... I then asked someone working at a kiosk there for help and they directed me to the Greyhound information center which I found easily and got my tickets printed, after a lady offered me her ticket that she wasn't using and was expiring today, all I had to do was pay the difference between her $65 ticket and what I told her my ticket would cost.

I searched my tickets for a gate number but no luck. I was standing outside the Greyhound check in area and debating if I should go downstairs and look around since I'd heard that's where I would check my luggage when a man in all black with a cap on his head and badge hanging from his neck walked over and asked if I knew where I was going. He then asked my age and if I had ID to prove that and explained that he was a cop and there's been a lot of runaways going through that station. I hesitantly showed him my ID and he said I was fine, and he's just making sure. Then he made sure I knew where I was going and advised me to get there quickly because there are a lot of bad guys hanging out up there on the lookout for girls who aren't from New York and don't know where they're going. Comforting.

Once I got to the gate there were no more issues, except the lady in front of me bumping me with her big old bum every time she stood up or sat down on the floor, which she felt the need to do every  time we moved up in line while waiting to start boarding.

I'm sooooo excited to be going home for a little bit. It will be wonderful to be with my family.

Munchkins on the Counter Make My Day

Back to work today! Buses were "partially running," what that meant exactly I wasn't sure but I set out at 9:45 to catch the 10:01 BxM4 Xpress bus into Midtown, hoping to make it to work by 12. There were other people at the bus stop which I saw as promising and took to mean that they probably knew the bus was indeed running. They did not actually know this, I found. Everyone was on the same page, not knowing for sure when or even if this bus was coming. And it didn't, not the 10:01 AM bus at least. Around 10:30 we saw a BxM4 driving in the opposite direction, towards Yonkers instead of Manhattan. We all grew hopeful then, knowing that the bus was at least running! 

It was interesting to see the little community that built as we all waited. A British man helped out a dog walker by informing him that the buses honestly were free today and that he didn't need to keep counting that pile of change and making sure he had $5. The dog walker then opened up to him about his latest bout of struggles and how everything happens at once. An Irish couple "here for a fortnight" nervously joked with anyone who talked to them that yes, this was the stop for the BxM4... if it ever showed up.

Finally, the bus did show up! We saw it there on the horizon, squinted to see the numbers, and all exclaimed with joy (no really, we did) when, at last!, they were the combination of numbers and letters we were all hoping for. We all piled in at about 11:20, happy to get out of the cold and be on our way. We even all got seats! 

It was about a 2 hour bus ride, hitting bad traffic once we got into Harlem. I enjoyed being above ground the whole time and seeing the sites of the route I usually am traveling underneath. Surprisingly, I didn't see a whole lot of destruction, not as much as I thought I'd see at least. There were some trees down and some caution tape and some windows/storefronts were boarded up. I suppose everything along the road had been cleaned up though, so the buses could actually run, understandable. 

I got to work around 1:10 and found only a handful of people in the office. There's probably 35-40 people who work there and today there were maybe 12 of us. There were also Munchkins sitting on the kitchen counter.... as in donut holes from Dunkin Donuts :) They seemed to be fall flavors (like pumpkin!) and they honestly made me feel that going into the office was worth it. 

It was a pretty good day at the office too. With so few people it seemed like I got to chat with more people. I also got to create the flier for an upcoming pubcrawl which makes me feel like a real designer! 

Getting home was another experience. I decided to take the same bus as in the morning so that I didn't have to make any transfers. I left work a half hour early in order to catch the 7:55 bus. Wellllll, just like the morning version, it did not come. Once again there was a little community built as a group of us waited for the bus to arrive. A man told us how he was glad that the bus was free today because $5.50! He could easily buy some rolling paper and weed to fill it with for that money. A guy from Peurto Rico told me about his first experience with a hurricane and how the sky had turned red. I also noticed the oddity of looking to my left and seeing the city full of light while to my left side the only lights were headlights, the lower many streets still being without power.

It was pretty chilly, mostly due to the wind and, once again, it was a long wait for the bus. Another hour and 20 minutes, actually. The trip home was shorter, thanks to less traffic. Plus, when I arrived I found a lovely package of popcorn and goodies waiting for me! (Thank you Grandma!!)

Overall a successful day! I'm very happy that the subways are open (at least the trains and stations that I use) tomorrow! The bus might be a nice change every once in awhile but I don't understand it well enough (and neither does ANY other New Yorker) to have the stress of HAVING to use it. 

Survived the Hurricane

Hi All!

I had another relaxing day at home today--I drank lots of homemade hot apple cider and fixed my Cablevision box (now I can change channels again!). The rain had stopped by the afternoon and my electricity never went out!

I still haven't gone outside and really seen the damage, but I'll be going in to WeSell tomorrow so I'll have more to report then.

Figuring out how to get to work was a little stressful. The subways are still shut down and will be for a few days yet. The buses are partially running and cabs are in full force, making a killing I'm sure. Around 9:30 tonight I found out that the buses should be in full service tomorrow, which was a huge relief since a taxi would cost about $100 round trip since I'm so far from Midtown. So for the second time since I've been in NYC I'll be taking a bus!

I'm a little nervous as I'm sure it will be packed and, like I said I'm not used to taking buses... But it will be fun to be above ground the whole time and I'll get to see the city as I go, what's left of it. A new adventure!

Pizza, Players, and an Open Window

Whew, what a day! A good day :)

I worked at WeSell today, plotting out the locations of venues for a huge Halloween pub crawl. This proved to be a day long task as it involved a lot of double checking and additional steps. But it was actually pretty fun! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I'm actually doing what I love and am interested in, as a job!

It's crunch time for this event which meant that everything I was working on had to be done today. My boss, David, had stayed in the office yesterday until 5am this morning and it was looking like tonight was going to be another late night, but for more than just him! Technically I'm supposed to be done at 8 but I don't usually leave until around 8:30. Tonight I left at 11:30. But I was told I'll get paid a little something for staying so long. Plus, we got pizza!

The others left around 10 and at 10:30 disaster struck! David and I were both working on the maps to get them done faster when--suddenly and for no apparent reason, the folder we were saving all our files into just disappeared! Into thin air. This was super scary as it meant we would have to redo EVERYTHING I had been working on that day. Luckily he figured it out and we both rejoiced and got back to work. It was a fun time to get to know some of the other people in the office better. And fun because I enjoy the work :)

I had some entertainment on the subway when a man in his 40's got on the train with a younger friend. The older man was reminiscing about his younger years, "those were the days," and recounting how he was quite a player-- talking of how he would scout out an area and get a feel for it then go to a thrift store and buy cloths that fit the attitude there just so he could pick up the ladies from that area. (He came on the train describing how ladies are actually more judgmental than guys because they size up a man and judge every detail of a man upon first encounter, so naturally he had to dress a certain part to be accepted by ladies.) He was interesting to listen to and I shared a few looks and laughs with a girl across the aisle from me who was also listening to him.

One thing I did learn from him is that the subways would be the worst place possible to be during a flood. He said there was no way to get out of them in an emergency like that and they'd fill right up with water... Which doesn't put very pretty pictures in your head.

I came home to find a new addition to my apartment thanks to the construction outside (some refurbishing of the ole brownstone). I found a rather inconveniently placed extension cord strung from my living room window to an outlet by my door. I was awoken by the sounds of power tools and loud male voices right outside my window the following day. Today there is a layer of dust of some sort on everything laying out on my kitchen counters (which is pretty much all my dishes, spices, some food boxes...). I guess the dust/dirt came in through my window which is still slightly open, only because I can't reach the top of it :/

Anyways, that got very off topic but it was a good day overall :) But now I'm going to attempt to clean up some of this dust... Or go to bed. We'll see how I feel when I stand up.

Day 2 and Cafe R

Today was my second day at my new internship and it went really well! Maybe even better than yesterday because I was past the first day and already knew what I was supposed to be doing.

It's amazing the differences between the two places already. Everything from the atmosphere, to the work, to the style and setup, the office itself, the size of the operation, the hours and people... I'm thankful for my time at Resource, I had a good experience there and definitely learned a lot, but I'm happy to be in a new environment.

Now, because I love food and am completely in love with the food opportunities open to me in New York, I have to talk about my lunch today. At Resource I packed my lunch pretty much every day to save money, and I'll probably do that a lot at WeSell as well. But this morning time got away from me and there was no time to pack. So, come lunch time (which was actually more like early suppertime), I explored a little and found that there's this awesome deli/cafe, Cafe R, right across the street from my building!

I was always impressed by Bridge Fresh, the deli we frequented in DUMBO, but this, this was ridiculous. Literally any food you could imagine or want was at this place. The sign for a sushi special attracted me and at first all I saw was sushi and Chinese food, which you could order at counters and have made right in front of you. Then I noticed how big the place was and how many more counters and signs there were. Then I noticed the buffet of food ($6.65 per pound) in the middle. Then I saw the little grocery area. Then the packaged foods under the counters (like Easy Mac and Chef Boyardee). Then I realized there was a whole other side lined with counters. And these counters where you could order food were in addition to the coolers and cases in the middle where you could grab ready-made sandwiches and sushi and fruit salads and cookies and wraps and... well you get the idea.

Basically this place was overwhelming, but in a very good way. After glancing at the menus for sushi, Chinese, soup, Teriyaki, and Korean I decided on some orange chicken with lo mein. It was prepared right in front of me and delicious! Plus I could only eat about half and had leftovers-yay!

They had seating at both ends of the place, so I stayed there to eat and gawked at all the food options. Pizza, a bakery, "American grill", Mediterranean, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches (both having pitas, paninis, and wraps), Mexican, Philly Steak, breakfast bar, pasta bar, beverage bar, salad bar, smoothie bar... I, of course, looked them up online later and, although they don't have a website (guess they need a good web designer's help ;), I did find their Facebook page which even shows their specials for every week! 

Maybe no one else finds this interesting and I'm sorry if that's the case but I am a lover of food--places like this amaze me and are just another fantastic thing about New York :)

If I don't post for a few days it's because I'm crazy busy working at HC. Pulling a double tomorrow and Saturday plus working normally Friday and Sunday. Gotta make the money to buy these new clothes I want so bad! Haha, or at least to buy lunch for myself every once and awhile ;)

Internship #2

So remember that exciting thing I promised to "talk more about later" last weekend? I'm finally going to talk about it.

Two Fridays ago, I had an interview for an internship at WeSell.com, a large advertising and event hosting site located in Manhattan. I felt like the interview had gone really well, but didn't really want to share too much until I had heard something back from them, preferably something positive.

I had been told I would hear from them after about a week and when I didn't hear from them right on Friday (or Saturday... or Sunday) I got a little disheartened. I mean, I felt very good after that interview! But that's life I guess... Who actually gets the first thing they interview for?

Friends advised me to follow up so I planned to call them back today. Well, last night, right in the middle of writing my Mug Monday post, I got a phone call and what do you know, it was David over at WeSell inviting me back and wondering if I could start today! I was ecstatic! I literally jumped up and down and screamed a little, which isn't something I do, like ever.

After fretting over the definition of "Business Casual" I figured out an outfit (I've been longing for new clothes and eager to do some shopping in NYC and now I actually have an excuse to get some new, professional clothes!) and headed off for my first day today! It was awesome. I actually have my own desk, complete with dual monitors! Everyone seems pretty friendly and it's such a professional setting, while being young and fun. Best of all, just the little taste of graphic design work I got to do today made me excited and remember how much I love graphic design. Oh, and did I mention it's a paid internship? A rarity, I assure you.

I'm ready for a new venture and so excited to be doing graphic design work! This is such an answer to prayer and I just wonder what else is in store for me...