I Do

Psyched ya mind! She ain’t jumped the broom.

Wedding season has begun. I don’t know if that’s technically correct in terms of when most weddings get underway but at least for me, the season has begun. I am only planning to attend one engagement party and one more wedding this year, but it’s still hard to be 2 months shy of my 27th birthday and wonder When my turn?

It warms my heart to see young people get murried. Doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, black or white, I’m not the girl at weddings criticizing the decorations, color schemes, or even the plates I’m eating off of. As long as I’m celebrating people trying to do what doesn’t seem very popular anymore and I don’t get food poisoning…I’m gonna be there with a big smile on my face.

I enjoy people-watching at weddings. I enjoy checking out the groomsmen (and their ring  fingers), watching people interact and trying to figure out if I can read their body language to see who’s cuffing claiming who. I like to watch the bride and groom talk while having their first dance. I like to sit at a table where I don’t know anyone and meet someone new. I like to see two families come together and get along, even if it’s just for the sake of one day. I enjoy the spirit of being a witness to a sacred vow, and I respect those individuals who stand before God and take that charge–for it’s not something to take lightly.

Today I sat at a table with 5 strangers and experienced a roller coaster of emotions in a matter of about 3 and a half hours at a reception party. I sat at a table and wondered when the young man who eyed me all afternoon was going to get enough courage to ask me to dance. I sat at a table with 3 generations of women who all resembled each other and were beautiful in their own right. I sat at a table with a man who wore many masks to get along with all the characters surrounding us. I listened, I laughed, and I admired. I asked questions, I did some criticizing (of the DJ, who had to be the worst known to NYC), and I showed my support.

Sometimes weddings can turn into materialistic displays of status. There’s nothing wrong with that, but marriage is more than one day. I hope when it’s my turn, that there will be an excitingly delicious aura of passion, dedication, and love ooozing from the Mr. and I. That our love will be visible not merely in the physical sense but in those non-verbals…a knowing look, a sly smile, an inside joke. I want my well-wishers to leave full off that.

It’s my fantasy,

She

Feel free to share your thoughts on weddings and the like…

Me, Mami & Lady Liberty

WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

Both my parents live in different states. My father lives in Boston and my mother chose the tropical hurricane-prone and humidity of the Sunshine State. I love retreating to her state when I need a quick get-away, but for her, coming to NY is usually for personal business and not so much pleasure. This time around, we decided to follow the tourist route and visit Lady Liberty, a lady I have admired on tours only from boats along the island of Manhattan but have never in 16 years of living in New York City visited the actual island where she resides.

$15 dollars later we secured our tour to Liberty Island and Ellis Island (if you want to actually enter the platform or crown of the Statue, that’s a whole ‘nother line and fee that we were too impatient for) and find our line to make our way to the ferry. An hour and a half later, we reached the security clearance which is basically like a small airport security operation sans having to remove your shoes. Finally, we were ready to board the ferry at 1:45pm.

While we were waiting on line, 2 Brazilian men behind us proceeded to make small talk. One of them asked the age-old conundrum of why I was just visiting Lady Liberty having lived in New York City for so many years. My answer… when you live in a city for so long, you tend to subconsciously take landmarks and places for granted thinking they are always going to be there. So for me, there was never really a rush. Also, unlike other states there really is no ‘NY resident’ discount for tickets to attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the countless of other tourist attractions. Money makes all the difference.

Spending time with my mother is always a trip. Simply put, my mom is an animated character. She’s known to laugh with her whole body, use English expressions the wrong way (think Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara minus the annoying accent), and want to make friends WHEREVER she goes. Some of her habits irk me easily at this point, even though they shouldn’t because I already know those are just her unique ways. So instead of sit here and list of the things that annoy me about mommy dearest, I’m going to list the top 4 things that make my mom better than the average mom.

• SHE’S FLYER THAN YOUR AVERAGE 40-SOMETHING. I mean really, how many moms can pull this look off?

• SHE’S THE BAG LADY OF ALL BAG LADIES. Need a mini-flashlight? antibacterial wipe? q-tip? Corona? condom? Bible? floatie device? toilet paper? change of clothes? Mom’s got it covered.
• SHE WILL DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING I ASK OF HER. One of the fascinating facts about Ellis Island that I learned is that immigrants of African descent from the islands were registered through there, not just Europeans like I had originally thought. In the museum on Ellis Island, they have poster-sized pictures of immigrants in some exhibits and I saw some well-dressed West Indian women from the island of Guadeloupe. I then turned and said to mami, Look your sisters, go take a picture with them! And like a great sport, here’s how a mom makes a daughter crack up on Ellis Island.

• SHE HAS CONTAGIOUS LAUGHTER. My mom will laugh at her own jokes if need be. If that’s not loving yourself I don’t know what is.
  

I love her,

She Traces

Welcome Back

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” George Moore

Although the mere thought, fantasy, or idea of any type of trip gives me inexplicable joy the fact that I have somewhere to call home is also very comforting. During this extended time away, I learned that I love spontaneity as well as stability. I love the ability to get up and go and not worry about paying anything but a storage unit. I don’t like being tied down to a job but I know that in order to pay to travel, I will need to dedicate myself to a field for a significant amount of time. I’m equally in love with the idea of home, a place quietly waiting your return. A refuge where you refuel, relive memories, rest, and plan for your next trip. My next goal in life will be to balance a career and home life without sacrificing or apologizing for my deep desire to travel somewhere new once a year. I don’t want to work for vacation, instead, I want to fully challenged and satisfied at work to make vacations that much more meaningful. I want to love what I do, both at home and away.

In spite of the fact that I’m ready to stop calling NYC home, I’m glad to have been bred in a City that many only see in movies and read in books. There’s nothing like seeing NYC with virgin eyes. On my way back home, my flight flew into LaGuardia Airport. In preparation for landing, the plane hovers low over the island of Manhattan (see left, not my picture though). Looking out of my window seat that night with no cloud coverage, my eyes were captured by the conglomeration of lights around 42nd Street, also known as Times Square. How beautiful, I thought to myself. It had been a while since I thought of NYC as beautiful. Home has received me very well, I must admit. Maybe because I know my time here is short, since I will be beginning my next endeavor in 2 weeks (details soon). Maybe because I’ve been away long enough to appreciate what I’ve missed practically all summer. Whatever it is, I’m still learning how to incorporate PURA VIDA when I’m not in Costa Rica. More specifically I’m striving to be present daily, how to not beat myself up for planning ONE TASK a day, how to stay away from fast food, and how to remain active mentally and physically. I don’t know when I’ll be back to Costa Rica again, but I have enough memories, pictures and blog posts to remind me of all the things I have learned.

I came back to NYC to find that: although your environment shapes you, it shouldn’t rule your attitude or happiness. If it does, do what you can to change it!

Ever had an epiphany on your way home or after returning from a trip?