Two Years After Graduating

Reflecting about how far I have come from graduating in the spring of 08' got me feeling grateful, proud, and accomplished. I have blogged about my graduation experience already but remembering how the job market & economy took a huge hit for the worse is something I will never forget. Going to New York as everything was unveiling was an incredible experience -It was September 14th and remember going out to a 6am breakfast and reading the headline of the Fresno Bee saying Bank of America bought Merril Lynch.  That was the moment I realized that things were about to get really bad.  September 15th, I took my first steps in New York City in the midst of chaos.  I was immersed in it all, with eyes wide open.  It was so intriguing and I was along for the ride!  I was already curious about the city so this spiced things up even more.  Knowing that New York is a powerful city, I realized that if the United States is in trouble then New York would be one of the first places to show the effects, and it was.  Downtown Manhattan was shot.  Late night shows mocked the financial district and execs along with Sarah Palin. Everything that I witnessed will always be in memory. It was a turning point in America and in my life as a young adult and recent graduate.

Now that it is Spring 10', I am proud to say that I am a graduate student and have a great job doing what I went to school for.  This makes me very appreciative because not everyone gets a job in their field of interest.  Let alone, not everyone chooses the right career for themselves.  I believe, without hesitation, from the declaration of my major that I chose the right one.  I am extremely content that I am at the beginning of my career and am confident that I will grow and led a healthy career.  I am thankful.

I will say that education is not the only key to success. Determination, passion and motivation are extremely important.  If you have these things, I firmly believe that you can do anything. Education will help get you there but sometimes I feel like a degree is over rated.  Experience is pertinent and if you already have the connections then you can jump right in to a field.  I am not devaluing education.  I just believe that a big part of higher education is for the purpose of an intellectual pursuit. I love learning and enjoy the master program that I am in and am an advocate of education but what I have realized that educations is not the only thing you need to be successful that it can be the smallest fraction of the whole package.  Don't get me wrong, I would never take back my college experience, I'm just saying that I wouldn't put all my eggs in one basket.

I have realized that going for my masters is an intellectual pursuit. Yes, it can further my career but I am not banking on it.  I enjoy the knowledge and soak it all in and will pass it down to generations.  That is what I love about learning, you can turn it around and use it in many ways. Being clever is suspenseful.

I know what I want to do, what I like to do and what I am good at. Knowing these things will drive me in the right direction.  Motivation and passion is the gas that will get me there.

New York Again - Spring 10', 7 days

Being in New York this time around was full of different adventures and a lot of retail therapy. Traveling out town usually means a visit to H&M, Lush and after this trip now Zara. Shopping out of town is one of the most exciting parts for me. I would say 55-65% of my wardrobe is from cities out of town. Also, I didn’t realize that in New York there are no sales taxes on clothes and shoes (min. purchase of $120). Who said New York was expensive?

I also found this little boutique shop called Laila Rowe where I bought about 10-12 pieces of jewelry. It is a new favorite! I was able to catch a great sale on already inexpensive costume jewelry. Everything in that store was something I would wear. The store also sold tights, boots, scarves and etc. I got the cutest tights with sequence on the side and the jewelry pieces are adorable. This shop is unlike any other that I know of in Fresno. The jewelry is of department store quality with lower prices. Pictures are posted.
I will make sure to visit this store every time I’m in New York!

During this trip I enjoyed many “I want to jump out of my skin” experiences. My first day out I revisited Macy’s to shop for make-up and make a video about the wooden escalators. This was fun because Macy’s is one of my favorite places to shop in Fresno. It is my store of choice for make-up, jewelry, bags and shoes so I saved my buys for the grandest Macy’s in the world, the one in New York on 34th street.

Day 2 - Rockefeller Ice Rink & Robert Dinero's Resturant

Day 2 was an exciting one because I took a taxi to the much anticipated Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink. The taxi pulled up right in front of the rink and I was sooo ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to ice skate and take pictures of the rink and the plaza. The Rockefeller center is a favorite location in New York. I was able to catch this experience on video where you will see how nice it was. Afterward I stopped at Sephora and bought more make-up that I had been holding out so I can do my shopping in New York.
Afterward I went to the Tribeca area of Manhatten and eat at Tribeca Grill which is Robert Dinero's resturant. Inside the building above the resturant is Tribeca Film's offices where Dinero has his office.

Day 3

Day 3 was all walking and purchasing my iPhone S white and eating at the coolest restaurant an the center of Union Square. It’s called the Coffee Café, the name is misleading because when you read it you think it’s a Starbucks or something similar but when you go inside it was noisy with upbeat music and tables full of young people. I went in alone and totally fit right in. The food and service was great too. It was a fun place to have lunch and I would definitely go back.

Day 4 - Chicago on broadway & The View Lounge in Time Square

Day 4 was another "I want to jump out of my skin" experience because I was sooo excited to see a show on Broadway. My aunt and I were able to get half off ticks by waiting in the TKTS booth. Eager to get Chicago tickets we waited in line for about 45 minutes. Once I had the tickets in may hand I was more than thrilled. Then after we went to the intimate and hidden Italian restaurant near our theater were we got some appetizers and a glass of wine before our show. We got the coolest plate of mussels, they look like they are talking to you.
I wanted to see West Side Story first but it wasn’t available and my second choice was Chicago because Ashlee Simpson was starring in it. She played the lead female role Roxy and did a great job dancing, singing and acting. The story line was ravishing too! Afterward, we went to this phenomenal place called “The View” – not the show—it is a lounge/restaurant in a hotel in Times Square on the 47th floor . The coolest part of this place is that the entire floor is revolving; you are able to get a 360 view of Time Square. Highly recommended!

Day 5

Day 5 was eventful too because I went to the New York City Museum and the New York Public Library. This library needs its own post because there are so many things to say about it. It’s a beautiful castle that I just find breathtaking. I was able to take a free tour of Henry Hundson’s discovery of Manhattan Island formerly called New Amsterdam. A big part of my liking of New York is its history and power. Since I was a kid I have always been fascinated by the city and stories. These places peaked my interest and I really enjoyed visiting. I learned a lot by going to these two places. I highly recommend visiting the New York public library because they always have free tours and different exhibits let alone the building is full of marble. In the New York City Museum I was able to see historic home interiors, see cool photographs and watch an interesting video about a timeline of New York City’s history. It was fascinating to hear about the city in detail.

Day 6 - Water Taxi Tour

Day 6 was photo opportunity day at Pier 17. My aunt and I took and water taxi tour (a boat that’s painted like a taxi) of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge. On this tour I was able to take the best pictures of the trip. We were able to get next to the Statue of Liberty and take picture while the boat crew assisted. This is where I met Mr. Morocco, he did a great job taking pictures of me. I was also able to get pictures of me and the Manhattan skyline in the back ground, they are absolutely gorgeous! I am soo glad we decided to take this tour because there are so many and most you just pass up but this one was good because your on the water and your can get really great pictures where you couldn’t have any where else.


This second trip was well worth it because you never run out of things to do and see in this city. Since I over shopped I’m sure I won’t need to shop for a while so I will hold out until my text vacation! Anticipation is exciting.