Bucket List - Week 4

Okay, so it's only been 5 days since the last post... that means I'm getting a little bit better with the updates, right?

Well, in terms of knocking stuff off the Fun & Fearless list, it's been a rather slow week ... but in terms of just experiencing the NYC life ... well friends, that's a completely different tale. So I got to thinking the other day -- while sitting on the Subway, as I naturally do because I mean, aside from looking at creepy strangers (I don't recommend it) or brushing up on my Spanish skills by reading the ads, what ELSE is there to do -- I decided that it's time to make another list. I'm ONE month in as a New Yorker now (it's officially the 30 day mark) and it's time to add onto my list: and not just the touristy stuff, er, no offense to my friends who helped me create my original list.

But before we get to that, here's what I accomplished this week on "the list":

48) Walk the entire length of the High Line.
So. Freaking. Cool. As a huge photography buff *cue thanks to Matt Schott here* all I kept thinking the entire walk was "Oooh! Great angle!" "WOW, amazing nature shot!" "OMG, perf contrast shot!" Now, if I had an awesome Digital SLR (cough grad present cough) I mighta been able to take some more legit shots, but either way ... the photographer in me went camera crazy. Just ask the roommates.

All I could think about was the gorgeous contrasting theme that went along with this "park." See for those of you unfamiliar with the High Line, it was originally created in the 1930s as an above-ground freight train system. It was above the ground because often times, well, these trains were potentially dangerous. Now, come of an age with air travel, awesome highway systems, and so on, well let's just say these railways aren't so necessary anymore.

So what does the City of New York opt to do with this mile and a half long piece of above ground railway track? Turn it into a park. *Cue cheers here.* Anything that adds a little greenery into this enormous slab of concrete and metal known as a city, is "A OK" in my book.

So basically, while walking in the gloriousness of one of my new favorite hangouts, the theme "Urban Jungle" kept popping into my head ... and let's admit, that could be because I watched WAAAAY too much The Devil Wears Prada before I came here. But it really was the epitome of an Urban Jungle. You walk for nearly a mile (most of it is still under construction) and you see this beautiful wildlife blossoming up from the rusty tracks of the old freight train routes. And behind it: a city backdrop of steel skyscrapers and bright yellow taxis flying down winding streets that stretch for miles.

I HIGHLY recommend checking it out if you're ever in the NYC area. It strolls you over 10th Ave. in the Meatpacking District and Chelsea. Totally close to Greenwich, too. Definitely an area you want to see that's somewhat off the beaten touristy path. Thanks for the recommendation Ben!

Totes beautiful, right? Right!

43) Try a new Tasti D-Lite flavor every week.

This week's flavor: Latte Fudge. Location: 60th & Broadway. Cool perk: Checked in on FourSqaure for a 99-cent small cup. Booyah.

******

Alright. New Fun & Fearless List additions. 2 months left. Here goes nothing:

56) Visit every borough in New York. There's 5: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx.

57) Have a movie/TV famous spot day, where we stake out all the best "famous" spots from various TV shows and films. First to see: the cafe from Seinfeld. Yes. Don't laugh.

58) Visit the Museum of Sex. Uh huh. SEX.

59) Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage. L'Heim!

60) Take a Brooklyn Bridge Bootcamp class. It burns up to 800 cal. in ONE hour. Phew.

61) Go to a Good Morning America Concert. Alicia Keys is this week. Empire State of Mind, anyone?

62) Stake out a sample sale on refinery29.com or dailycandy.com and get some designer goodies! They dish the DL on all the best sales in town.

63) Eat a cupcake from Crumbs. Sorry Magnolia, I'm cheating on you.

64) Vow to find the best Fro-Yo in town. Tasti D-Lite is good, but it's time to dig the spoon in somewhere else.

65) Meet boys in the dorm and FINALLY hang out with them. Enough with this elevator chit chat. It's time to make a move -- Helloooo Wall Street interns!

66) Buy and sport a fedora hat. A fedora SCREAMS city chic.

67) Each morning, read (and post) a tid-bit from a (free!) book I got from the office: "1000 Awesome Things." Bonus points for posting my own awesome things.

68) Become a true NYC Twi-Hard: Midnight Eclipse showing in the city. Um, you better be Team Edward.

69) Scour the city for a (somewhat) cheap cut and color. My roots are starting to show: no bueno!

70) Beat Pat Hyatt in our FourSquare badge war. I refuse to lose.

71) Chow down at a Zagat rated restaurant and blog my review. Gotta keep practicing that Vox Voice somehow...

72) Buck up for a gym membership. Fearless points for chatting up a cutie in a yoga class.

73) Bust out a chorus of 4th of July's best patriotic songs on, well, July 4th. My country tis of theeee, sweet land of libertyyyy!

74) Picnic at the park. Grab a blanket, a bottle of wine and the best PB&J you can slap together.

75) Take a trip to Chelsea Market. Am I the ONLY one who hasn't been here yet?

76) Plan an outdoor bar crawl like this one on Time Out New York. Now that screams summer.

77) Visit Grand Central Station. Sometimes I feel like I live in Grand Central Station... who knows the song? :)

78) Go shopping at the Macy's in Herald Square. It's the largest store in America.

79) Ride every Subway train in Manhattan at least once. (If I haven't already done it, I'm sure I'm close. Points for making a blog about each train ... they're all SO different. Seriously.)

80) Travel to Atlantic City. I've never been to a casino, so why not go here!?

81) Go to a parade. They have 'em all the time in the city. Doesn't matter the subject matter. The more random, the better.

82) Go antiquing/ vintage clothes shopping. It's not just for grannies, TONY recommended it. I swear!

83) Champagne cruise on the Hudson. It's fairly cheap and it sounds breathtaking. Skyline view at sunset. Yes, please.

84) Club it up at Webster Hall. It'll smash Ten14 to shame. Sorry STL.

******

And that's about all I can think of for now. I'd go on, but it's 4:33 am. See, this is why I don't blog every day. Get a writer on a roll and she'll never stop going.

Keeping it Fun & Fearless.

XOXO,

Schall

Gathering groceries

"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these three trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York's high-strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements." - E.B. White, Here is New York

Though Mr. White's observant description describes New Yorkers in the 1940s, it's strangely similar to the characters I see bustling down Manhattan streets in suits and sneakers today. It's funny because in only one short week (on contrary ... a New York minute truly is a whole different passing of time) I've already encountered the three types of New Yorkers. Myself and friends of course being the third.


Upon the initial excitement of working in New York at my dream job, I thought my goal was to succeed at work, to have fun in the city, and to never look back. While these might still be my goals .. I'm already seeing things in a new light (but that could just be all the flashing ads I see everywhere).

Moving to New York isn't only about an education and having fun in the city. It's about achieving a greater goal: a goal of self-actualization. I've always been a huge psychology buff; in fact, had I not chosen journalism as a career, I would be a psychiatrist. And I have to say, Maslow knows his stuff.

A for instance for you:

Friday I did my first-ever grocery shopping. Not just the "Oh-I'm-In-Panama-City-Let's-Stock-The-Fridge-With-Pizza-Rolls-And-Booze" or the "Hmm-I-Hate-Jodi's-Chicken-Nights-At-The-Sorority-So-I-Think-I'll-Buy-A-$5-Footlong" ... but seriously legit "Oh-Em-Gee-I-Have-To-Make-Real-Meals-For-Myself-Now-Because-Mom-And-Jodi-Aren't-Here" grocery shopping.

And let me tell you, grocery shopping in NYC is not that fun. I used to love frequenting the grocery store as a child. I got so excited for my fruit roll-ups that I'd open the box while still sitting in the shopping cart, and my mom would have to pay for an already opened box at checkout. "Uhhh.. you know that box is open? Do you want a different one?" "Oh no, my daughter was hungry." Fast forward 15 years... WHAT!? $5 for a loaf of bread!? I have to CARRY my groceries back to my apartment?! After an EXHAUSTING day at work? No help from mom? No car trunk? Talk about a wake up call.

So being the thinkers we are, my roomies (Allie & Morgan) and I decided to be smart poor New Yorkers. We hitched a ride on the 3 Train to Brooklyn. It was like a smorgasbord roaming the food aisle at the local Brooklyn Target... "Missouri prices! Hallelujah!" So I (double)bagged up my Target brand wheat bread, carton of soy milk (70 calories!) and a small stack of Lean Cuisine dinners and smiled at the receipt -- only $50. In this city, not too shabby.

Proudly we walked down Atlantic Avenue, beaming at our ability to gather the glorious food in our hands, and hopped back on the 2 to Fulton Street.



It's really, really ridiculous to say I felt proud and self-sufficient for buying my own groceries, I know. But it occurred to me then somewhere between my resting my aching feet and stocking our meager portions into the fridge (seriously, I now understand why New Yorkers are so skinny!) that I truly was proud of myself for my independence.




I've known many a St. Louisians who are more than content in staying in our little bubble in the Midwest. You couldn't get them to move away for anything. I get it, it's safe and it's easy. But you know what, here I am. Away in a city completely unknown, far in proximity from streets I grew up on, making my first baby steps at becoming a successful New Yorker.

Laugh... I know... I sound like a complete ruh-tard, but hear me out -- maybe even something as simple as your first time making your own meals (or creating a makeshift dinner table out of a clothing dresser) can truly be self actualizing.


It's that first small step in the quest -- to join the ranks of the accomplished in the big city and say, "Yep. I'm a New Yorker. Maybe not born and raised. Maybe not an east coast commuter. But still a New Yorker -- a title earned after a little hard work and a lot of worn-out pairs of shoes."

Ed 2010

For any lovers of journalism or magazines, especially those trying to break into the ever-popular field of magazine journalism .. please bookmark the Mecca networking and advice site Ed2010.com. I was lucky enough to be referred to it by the Missouri School of Journalism's intern coach.

It's seriously amazing. Every week "Ed", the mysterious magazine man behind the greatness, updates Q&A's, advice, JOB POSTINGS and networking opportunities. It's the best go-to site for any aspiring editor/ writer, really.

So I'm SUPER stoked to announce that after diligently following his advice and postings for the past semester, I'm going to attend Ed's 9th Annual Welcome to NYC Intern Party this summer! I keep being told by everyone how important networking is, so I'm absolutely dying to go. I still can't believe how many incredible people I'm going to meet this summer. It just feels completely unreal.

For all my friends in NYC ... come with! It's from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Wednesday, June 9th at the Boat Basin Cafe on West 79th Street. What a great opportunity.

Time is quickly flying by until I say SAYONARA St. Chuck and HELLOOOO New York.

6 days.