Day 35: November 30, 2010.

I posted yesterday about loving this time of year in regards to the Christmas festivities that are all around us.
I also love this time of year for another specific reason, and that is....

It's clementine season :)

I don't know about you, but I love these little suckers...for such a little fruit they're pretty dang delicious!  I love regular oranges, too, but rarely eat them because there's a lot of effort that has to go into peeling them before you can actually eat it!  Haha!  It may sound silly but it's true, which is why I enjoy these guys so much!  Plus since they're so small, I can snack on them all day :)  (And I never get sick of 'em!)  I always forget how much I really do like them until mid-November/December rolls around...Thankfully the time has come yet again for the clementine feasting to begin! :)

Today, these easy-to-peel, on-the-go friendly, healthy, and juicy and delicious seasonal treats make me happy! :)

Day 34: November 29, 2010.

I LOVE the Christmas season.
Everything about it.
Here in New York it's amazing the way the city lights up with the holiday spirit...Decorations everywhere, songs heard all the time (like in the grocery store tonight!  Made me so happy!)...They're right when they say NYC is a magical place this time of year.

This is not to say, though, that I'm not missing the Christmas season at home with my family.
Fall and early winter are the two seasons when I'm really aware of any onset of homesickness and I find myself walking through Memory Lane a little more often than usual.  Maybe it's because the weather's getting colder so the house just feels warmer.  Maybe it's because they're in the middle of Nutcracker season at my studio at home and that was such a huge part of my life since such a young age (and it's something I'm finding myself miss more and more each year that passes!).  Maybe it's because come Thanksgiving day the Christmas songs go on and throughout the house one can probably hear Mariah Carey, Dave Barnes, Jimmy Buffet, and Bing Crosby all at the same time!  (And feel free to replace those names with pretty much any musical artist who has a Christmas album out...I'm positive we've got it!)  Maybe it's because all the decorations at home and at church are up.  The spirit of the Christmas season is everywhere and while it's no hard task to find it here, it's just not quite the same!  And it's even more obvious how different it is when you find yourself thinking about wishing how you were home instead of going out an enjoying what's right before your eyes!

So that's why this made me REALLY happy today!  I posted awhile ago about the farmer's market at the corner of 2nd and 10th outside St. Mark's Church that's held every Tuesday.  Well, here's what I saw--and smelled!--as I walked to and from class today!  (Not the best pictures, but I think you'll get the idea..)

They've got the Christmas tree lot set up :)

For as long as I can remember my family has gone to cut down a fresh Christmas tree every year, so all through the holidays our house smells distinctly of wonderful pine.  As I was walking to class this morning I could smell the trees before I saw them and when I looked up there they were, lining the sidewalk and filling the square with bundles and bundles of cut trees.  There was even a little hut where they sold wreaths and other smaller holiday decorations.  I loved it :)  The scent and the sight was just what I needed to remind myself that even though I'm not exposed to some of my favorite holiday traditions and associations daily, there are still plenty of ways to find the same excitement as I'm blessed to know in my family's house in Virginia!

So on this Monday evening, Christmas trees, the Christmas spirit, and the fact that no matter where I am my joy for the Christmas season will never diminish make me happy :)

Day 33: November 28, 2010.

I am currently reporting en route to New York via 95 North, and I'd be fibbing a little if I said I was fully excited about it.  This always happens on Sundays, though...Sundays are home really are what I miss most, especially this time of year.  I got to see and talk a little with some of the most beautiful people I know at church this morning, so that on top of the wonderful amount of Christmas decoration's they've got up already made it harder packing up my suitcase to come back.

But now that I'm on the bus and headed back to my home, I'm remembering why I love living where I do, doing what I do.  Getting to see everyone tomorrow at the studio, getting to start rehearsing for the Tisch Gala on Wednesday night, getting to enjoy a few weeks of holidays in the city...I really have no room to complain. (And I really don't want to!)

But here in this moment, I'm thoroughly enjoying my travel time on the Vamoose bus line (first time riding this one..so far so great!)  I love bus travel.  Some people hate it, but I find the four and a half/five hours or so (or more if you hit bad tunnel traffic...) to be really relaxing for the most part.  Also, I managed to luck out with a seat to myself on this go-around, which is fabulous!  Of course I don't mind sharing when the bus gets really full and usually everyone keeps to themselves anyway so there aren't any problems, but it's always nice every once in awhile to be able to take up both seats and stretch out and enjoy some real "me" time.  Which is definitely what I do: nap, read, write, think...I'm always so thankful for this time to myself before jumping back into the chaotic whirlwind of a city that's waiting at the other end at 30th and 7th!

Also, this morning on my way to church something kind of cool happened.  I was stopped at the red light at the intersection of Claiborne and Hay Road when the woman in the little car next to me got my attention.  She rolled her window down, looking like she had something to say, so I did the same.  At first I was nervous, thinking she was going to critique my driving or something...I didn't think I was speeding or anything!  It turns out she saw the NYU stickers on the back of my car and was just taking a second to share that that's her alma mater, asking me what year I am and what I'm studying.  Just as the light turned green for us to go she gave me some words of encouragement and well-wishes for the rest of the semester, year, and college career.  I just really appreciated her taking the time to encourage a total stranger.

Today, my VA home, my NY home, my VA friends, my NY friends, my VA life, my NY life, and the consideration of complete strangers make me happy :)

Day 32: November 27, 2010.

This day.  Was fabulous.
This break.  Was fabulous.
God's love.  Is FABULOUS.

Today was my last full day in Virginia for the much-anticipated Thanksgiving break and I am more than happy to report that it fulfilled every expectation I had.  Honestly, I could use a few more days, but I know that I'll be home in less than three weeks and then once I get home for the long winter break I'll be complaining and itching to go back.  So here's to living in the present and enjoying what we've got right now!

Today was an awesome last full day home, though!  Friends (for some reason that doesn't look like it's spelled right? Haha!) AND family AND some "Michaela" time outside were all included into this day...Every moment was different, every moment was perfect!  Started off by sharing in some awesome conversation with an awesome friend over some Starbucks, followed by Thanksgiving leftover lunch at my grandparents' house (both of which took place in Reston.  I LOVE Reston, VA.  Especially this time of year with the trees being so big and their colors changing so beautifully!)  I was able to come home for a bit before heading out again for the evening and I couldn't stop marveling at the beauty of the world outside my window so I decided I had to get myself out into it for at least a bit!  It was freezing but that didn't take away one bit from the absolute beauty of my surroundings.  The sun was just beginning its descent into the Western sky, reflecting off the ripples of the pond at the Windmill Recreational Center close to my house and lining the fast-moving clouds with golden borders of brilliant light.  Even in Suburbia the purity and simplicity of God's Earth are still able to be found.  So awesome!  I then hopped in the car and headed up to Lansdowne to have, you guessed it, Starbucks! (YES!) with another beautiful friend of mine before both heading over to Josh and Crystal's (my old youth pastors from high school) to spend some time with some seriously AMAZING people!  Lots of loud laughter was had.  I so appreciated it :)

So this puts me here.  Sitting on my bed.  Unwillingly anticipating my departure back to the city tomorrow, but knowing that once I leave I'll be excited to back and to get back into dance classes and finish off this semester!  These last two and a half weeks will be killer, but the weight that will be lifted come December 16th will be so, so worth the effort :)

On this Saturday night (almost Sunday morning), home and everything and everyone that's associated with home make me happy :)

(P.S. I'm also loving that the Christmas decorations are well on their way to being up and that today in my house there were three different sources of Christmas music being played on each level of my house. Love it.  Love the holidays :))

Day 31: November 26, 2010.

This break has been one of the most wonderful breaks from school I've had to date.
Anyone who knows me well will know that I can be lazy, lazy, lazy!  When I have downtime, especially when I'm home from school on break, one can usually find me on my couch in my sweatpants doing absolutely nothing.  That's fine, but at some point it's time to say "Enough" and get back into the world!  This break so far has been a great balance of relaxation and reconnection and so far, it's been exactly what I've needed!

I went back to my high school today to watch the Stone Bridge football game.  I never went to many games while I was in high school but going back today was awesome.  It felt good to be back on home turf, being back in the place that I spent four great years of my school career.  Stone Bridge won today (GO BULLDOGS!) and while I'm excited about that win for them, I'm more glad about the fact that I was able to see so many people from my high school class, many of which I haven't seen since graduation.  Even if it was for only a moment or two, just being able to exchange a quick hug and a smile and a, "HEY!  How are you?!" was perfect!  This evening I was then able to spend some time with some girls from church who I always love catching up with!  They're such beautiful people and I'm so inspired by them every single day!  I'm also really happy to say I'm able to share time with some more fabulous people over the next day and a half before I head back to school Sunday afternoon.  Such beautiful people who are always constant reminders of what true friendship means!  SO AWESOME!

While Facebook and other technological means of communication are great for keeping in touch quickly and easily, nothing beats face-to-face conversation!  I'm SO thankful for all of the conversations I was able to be a part of today and hope that this serves as a precursor for what is to come in a few weeks over Christmas Break!!

Today, friends and home make me happy :)

Day 30: November 25, 2010.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!


I can't believe it's this time of year again.  It honestly and truly does feel like we were just celebrating Thanksgiving not more than a few months ago (not 12!), Christmas last week and ringing in the new year yesterday!  (Well, not really, but you know what I mean!)  I don't know about you all but I love, love, LOVE this time of the year!  I finally decided this year that autumn is my favorite season, and I think I decided that Thanksgiving may actually be my favorite holiday!

I don't like to celebrate the holiday season before Thanksgiving; 12 noon, for me, marks the true beginning of the holiday season.  When Santa rolls into Herald Square at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the holiday season has begun!  Thanksgiving is not only a day of giving thanks for all of our blessings (though every day should be a day of giving thanks!), but it's also day one of the Christmas season and what better way to kick start the holidays than laughing and eating and singing and dancing with family?!  I LOVE IT!!

The parade this morning was wonderful as always...Too many commercials but the fact that they were almost all holiday-related made them okay :)  My sister and I sat on our respective couches-well, sprawled out like vegetables, rather!-while Mom and Dad came in and out throughout the three hours, but making sure to be in the room at the end of the parade to watch Santa make his appearance, of course!  The kitchen smelled fabulous all morning--Dad put cinnamon buns in the oven for breakfast while Mom chopped and diced for the stuffing and mashed the potatoes.  It was the perfect setting for a post-parade nap, so my sister and I couldn't resist.  I'm so glad we gave in and did so because now we're up and ready to go for the food fest that's about to go down at Nana and Pop-pop's house with Aunt Mermie, Uncle Chris, Peter and Katie!  CAN'T WAIT!  And I'm ready to go, sporting leggings today instead of jeans...Elastic waistbands on this particular holiday are almost necessary :)  Also, did I mention the intense remote-control car races that are about to go down??  Yup, it's true.  Forget football!  We play our own games!!  Long story short, this family is in for a wonderful, wonderful afternoon and evening and I can't wait to get it all started!

What a day :)  I hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving day as well, finding joy and celebrating in every blessing!!  And start blasting that Christmas music, hang those wreaths, get up those Christmas lights....the holidays are HERE!!! :):)

Today, the giving of thanks, holidays, family, and beautiful combination of the three make me happy, happy, happy :)

Day 29: November 24, 2010.

I love being home.  I love being home.  I love being home.

I've got so much joy taking over my whole self right now :)  So much happiness!

Today a very close friend of mine and I were able to spend a few hours together sippin' on Starbucks and sharing life updates and happenings with one another.  Corinne and I have known each other since kindergarten and even through life's craziness, and the fact that almost all of what each of our respective lives entail is completely different, the solidity of our friendship remains constant and I feel like these first 15 years of friendship are a pretty good indicator that many years, many laughs, and many more coffee dates are still in store!

And it turns out I'm going to get to see another of my friends for some wonderful conversation as well in just a little bit!  Shiori is another one of my closest friends...We met in middle school and have yet to part ways!  So thankful for, again, for the strength of real, genuine friends like her!

Both of these girls and their beautiful hearts are such blessings in my life!  I can't really express in words the extent to which my gratitude extends for them, but I'll just say this...I pray that you have a "Corinne" or a "Shiori" in your life...I pray that you have an longtime friend who you know remains no matter how far apart you may be or how many days go by without an exchange of conversation.  While immediacy is ideal, it's actually unnecessary for true friendship to last.  It can withstand more than we may perceive!

Today, these friends make me happy :)

Day 28: November 23, 2010.

We finally made it home for Thanksgiving break :):) After a long drive through Pennsylvania on a seemingly never-ending stretch of road, we finally pulled into Ashburn and I could exhale a sigh of thankfulness for the few days that are to come :)  It's wonderful to be back!

On the way home I found myself totally awestruck by the beautiful painting of a sunset that stretch across the sky.  It wasn't one of those split-second sunsets, but it stayed plastered across the sky for a good long while.  We were allowed plenty of time to look at it and appreciate it for each and every unique piece of it, all of which made up the sight before our eyes.  I kid you not when I say it was one of the most stunning sunsets I'd seen in a long time.  

I posted this as my Facebook status when I got home:

"I look up and the night sky blows me away with its simplicity: a no-longer-full moon hangs behind a thin haze of fog, illuminating the choppy clouds so as to separate them visually from the deep blue expanse serving as its backdrop. A Virginia night sky is not a NYC night sky, neither one better nor worse than the other. Both beautifully different. I feel so blessed to have the best of both worlds."

One simple sunset-actually, this particular one was quite complex in its kaleidoscope colors and patterns that shifted and changed for about an hour before dulling down as the sun made its final descent, but that's beside the point-caused me to compare the beauty of my current home in New York City to the beauty of my home that could never be replaced here in Virginia.  Neither one, like I said, is better or worse than the other.  They're just different, and it's those differences that I'm most appreciative of.  

Tonight, natural beauty and my homes make me happy :)

Day 27: November 22, 2010.

I'm too lazy and tired to type tonight so here it is:

1. I go home tomorrow.
2.. Ben and Jerry's.
3. Tim Tams
4. I start Thanksgiving break tomorrow.

Tonight, ice cream (and dessert in general) and nice breaks make me happy!

Day 26: November 21, 2010.

Okay, as much as I've resisted I'm afraid I just cannot wait until Friday to start celebrating the holidays!  I'm just too excited about this time of year!  I guess you could say that my real submission to the temptations took place yesterday when I FINALLY got my first holiday cup from Starbucks; I actually got a tea before rehearsal only due to the fact that over the past few weeks I've been experiencing serious jealousy for all those I've seen on the streets holding the holiday cups!  Haha!  I think the only reason I haven't had Starbucks in the past two weeks is because for some reason I felt that if I had one myself I'd be celebrating the Christmas season.  But whatever!  The time has come!  I've had my first holiday-season chai in my first Starbucks holiday cup and I'm ready to start singing the carols and cut down the tree! :)

Today only added to my sudden burst of holiday spirit...Christmas lights are going up all over the city, carols are playing in every store, the weather is wonderful and cold (I wore a sweater today..I was very happy :)), and to top it all off, my family and I went to see the Radio City Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall tonight.  That's it!  The holiday season is here!  And when Santa pulls into Herald Square at noon on Thursday at the conclusion of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, it will have begun for real!! :)

We also experienced a very funny situation on the subway ride home after the show tonight, which was exactly what needed to happen after getting on the wrong train, walking in every direction to find the subway station we had to be at and then having to wait for what seemed like eternity for the right train to come.  (It was the ultimate "tourist" moment.  I am ashamed.  Haha!) 

On the platform a man had set up his set of steel drums.  Honestly I was totally annoyed by it at first...I was tired, getting very cranky, and the sounds were echoing off the walls and inside of my head, not sounding pleasant in the least.  The only thing that made it fine in my mind at first was the fact that there was a little boy who was totally entranced in the music this man was playing.  I thought that was adorable.  Anyway, the train finally came and, of course, the steel drum player got in our car...with his steel drum set.  I thought to myself, He isn't going to start playing those on here.  He can't play those in here!  The second the train started moving and he had himself situated though, there he went.  The concert began.  But my annoyance with the whole thing went away, and it left fast.  The man turned it into a sing-along with everyone in the train (there weren't many of us but enough to have a nice little chorus going on) and, to my surprise, almost everyone chimed in!  Our concert master was steady singing the whole time, too; his words were mostly wrong but the joy behind his music was what made me happiest.  Between that and the willingness of the passengers to allow themselves to take part in the weird subway sing-along, I found myself enjoying every second of this train ride downtown!  It was definitely a great ending to a great afternoon :)

Today, the holiday season and the gift of music make me happy :)

Day 25: November 20, 2010.

THE MCGOWAN FAMILY OF ASHBURN IS IN THE HOUSE!
Well...IN THE CITY!
So excited to get to spend some time with them here before we all head home together on Tuesday!

TODAY, FAMILY MAKES ME HAPPY :):)

Day 24: November 19, 2010.

I love Fridays :)  And the fact that this one has finally come makes me a happy, happy, happy girl!  My family comes into the city tomorrow for a few days, I'm now only four days away from Thanksgiving break and I--WE!--have come to the end of another busy, hectic work week!  That's the best part! :)

I was done with all classes at 3:30 like usual, but when I usually go back to my room and start my late afternoon/evening of chill time (usually come Friday my body and brain are much and just want to relax and do nothing!), I decided to get myself down to the gym and do a quick workout.  I'm really glad I did.  Some people look at me like I'm crazy when I say "I'm going to the gym" due to the amount of dancing I do on a regular basis, but sometimes it's good to shake things up a little with something outside of a dance studio.  Now I can be a very lazy girl.  The big school-wide gym is located in my own building and I find myself struggling quite often to get myself down there, even if for only a quick half hour session.  I need to make myself remember how awesome it feels upon completion...I always feel totally revitalized and re-energized afterward!  Also, seeing as, A) the gym's, again, in my own building and B) there are TV's on each cardio machine (If I'm going to sit on the couch and watch TV all night, why not catch a half hour show while moving around a little, too?!) I really have no excuses!  There's no need to overdo it, but every so often for less than an hour at a time is a great supplement to my daily ballet and modern classes.  I'm definitely glad I used this late afternoon break today a little more wisely than usual because now I'm feeling good and ready to go for the second of three performances we have this weekend that begins a little later on!  I love the feeling of being healthy and I love the happiness that always accompanies that feeling! :)

On this Friday evening, a good workout and refreshed energy make me happy :)

Day 23: November 18, 2010.

I woke up this morning with this thought in my head:

"This is a great day to be alive."

That one thought has been with me all day.  And I can't give any specifics today as to why I'm feeling this way.  All I can say gladly with confidence is yes, today IS a GREAT day to be alive :)

Today, unexplainable happiness makes me happy :)

Day 22: November 17, 2010.

It's, as Winnie the Pooh would say, a very blustery day here in the beautiful city of New York.  And I'm loving it!  This post is short today, but as I was walking down the street on my way back from class for my short break just now, I couldn't help but smile.

The wind was literally knocking me over, and I couldn't help but giggle at the fact that I couldn't even walk a straight line.
The wind was also blowing the beautiful yellow and red leaves that have fallen around the pavement underneath my feet. Two things I love: fall and NYC.  It's awesome experiencing both at once :)
I'm totally comfy in my sweats and hoodie.  I could very well take real clothes to change into after dance before running to class, but I'm too comfy to do that!
The sun is shining, music was streaming into my ears, and really, I just have absolutely no complaints at this moment! :)

Today, weather, music, and city-walking so I can drink it all in make me happy :)

Day 21: November 16, 2010.

I woke up this morning to a very grey NYC sky this morning.  It has yet to start raining, but the clouds were enough to make this sleepy dancer want nothing more than to roll over under my warm covers and sleep for many, many more hours.  Ballet class was absolutely NOT my idea of a fun start to the day!  But since I skipped ballet yesterday (to "study"...Which became a nap really quickly!  Haha!) I knew that I really had to go.

Normally I love Tuesday and Thursdays.  It's pointe day, so we have Jolinda teaching us (my favorite ballet teacher at this school!), and the group of girls I get to take class with is just too much fun!  I always leave that class having had a great deal of smiles and laughs!  Today I wasn't totally sure I was going to be able to muster up any joy in that hour and a half class--or have the desire to find any, thinking I was going to have no choice but to give in to the exhaustion!--but I quickly remembered why it is I really love this class.

Not only do we get to have Jolinda on pointe days, but this rotation we also have my favorite piano accompanist for our class.  Long story short: he's awesome.  And today, his great playlist was exactly what I needed to get energized and ready for the long day ahead!  He always plays plenty of classical music (which is beautiful, of course!), but every few combinations we hear a melody that most everyone is familiar with!  Today he whipped out some awesome songs; I always get so excited when I hear something I can sing to!  (And yes, I will start singing!)

During todays class we got to dance to songs such as:
No Scrubs by TLC
Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita
Dancing Queen by Abba (To which Lila and I sang and danced on the side of the room while we were waiting for the other group to finish dancing.)


This is just a taste of a whole list of songs that started my morning off right!  
(Hayk is also known to whip out other fan faves like Hey There Delilah (Plain White T's), The Tourist (Radiohead), What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong), New York, New York (Frank Sinatra), Hallelujah (covered by about every artist at this point..haha!)  Lady Gaga is also known to be thrown into the mix on occasion!)


Basically, he was fabulous.  The music was just what I'd needed.  Ballet was better than I'd anticipated.  And the day has just kept rollin'!


(One more happy note....One week from RIGHT NOW I'll be headed home to Virginia for a wonderful break with some awesome, awesome family and friends!  WOOHOO! :))


Today, beautiful musical covers make me happy :)

Day 20: November 15, 2010.

Most every morning I walk down 11th Street to get to the dance studio.  This is one of my favorite little through streets in the area, so I try to make it a point to take this route so I can enjoy the relative quietness and the residential atmosphere, even if for only a moment.  Toward the 2nd Avenue end there's a line of trees that has gradually shifted color over the past few weeks, going from a vivid, lush green at the end of the summer to this gorgeous gold:

This photo taken on my phone doesn't do the color full justice, but just think in "city perspective."  These trees are surrounded on three sides by grey and black cement and pavement, and above us all a blanket of clouds was shielding the morning sun away.  Those factors made me even more aware of the beauty of the sight before me.  And just yesterday I was thinking about how I would love to get away from the city for a bit...Go somewhere that I've never been before and experience nature.  Give me trees and water...New England or somewhere southern--Tennessee maybe?--would be awesome, but I'm not picky!  This is a trip that's got to happen eventually.

But for now, this is as close as I'm going to get.

And I'll take it :)

So today, the little tastes of nature make me happy :)

Day 19: November 14, 2010.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHIORI!!  Today marks the 20th birthday of one of my closest friends!  So thankful to be able to call myself her friend!

For any of you who know me well enough, you know that I do not enjoy studying whatsoever.  Mainly because I just don't know how to study effectively (any good study skills or habits I may have developed in middle school and early high school were gone by graduation day and I can't seem to find them anywhere!), though my shift in priorities over the recent years along with simple laziness and apathy toward the subject matter have all played serious roles as well in the buildup of this annoyance I have toward academics.  Also, since somehow A's and B's are still somehow pulled off most of the time--I'd DEFINITELY being lying if I made you think otherwise (Haha!)--I just find that especially these days I'm too lazy to stress out too much!

Anyway, that being said, I'm happy to say that this has been me for the past three hours...

...and I've got to just keep truckin' along until my 6 P.M. rehearsal.  Way too much dance history, not enough brain capacity to retain all this information, but I'm so happy to report that today's serious study session hasn't been nearly as bad as my other (infrequent) ones have been thus far this semester!  By audibly singing my way through the afternoon with my music on and telling myself that while yes, it's a ton of information, but yes, I know that I DO know it better than I may believe has kept me confident, calm and happy!  I'm feeling that tomorrow when I go in to take this test I'll be pretty ready to go.  Either way, I can go into tomorrow knowing that I honestly put in my best effort and did all that I could to know everything about the material as I possibly could.  Thanks to my terrible study habits, that's not something I feel too frequently.  This will be a very nice change of pace :)

Today, academic productivity makes me happy :)

Day 18: November 13, 2010.

I think it's so interesting how people have such different eating habits!  Today's example, for instance, is how one eats a cupcake (or muffin or something of the like).  I eat mine bottom to top, saving the best part for last like so:

People think it's weird, but hey..Aren't we all?! 

Cupcakes and quirky, individual character traits make me happy :)

Day 17: November 12, 2010.

My high school friend Sammie is here in the city today!  This beautiful young lady is a budding actress, preparing herself to take on the the crazy lifestyle of a professional in the industry.  In the spring she'll be coming up here for an awesome acting program (honestly, I can't relay too much information about it..I apologize!), but this is really exciting because this means she'll be moving up here to pursue this dream of hers!  Go Sammie! :)

Anyway, I'm about to go meet her across the street in Union Square and we're going to go grab dinner and coffee/tea before heading over to the dance building to watch the last night of the third student showing, and I think I have the perfect place to go to catch up!  There's this little cafe right across the street from the dance building called Cafe Mocha (you may have seen or heard me reference it before), and so far, it's my favorite little cafe/tea bar/coffee shop in this part of town!  I really love all coffee shops, though.  Preferably the independent ones (as opposed to big chains), but I won't hate on any of them!  Something about them calms me, even when it's in the middle of their "rush hour" and it's jam packed with people and filled wall to wall, ceiling to floor with conversation.  I like to go to them to do homework, indulge in free wi-fi, read...sometimes I just like to sit by a window, especially here in New York, and just watch things.  See life.  It's pretty awesome.
Coffee shops are also my favorite places to go to talk with people!  In my opinion, the atmosphere is perfect for casual conversation (or even work-related conversation!  Study party, anyone?!  Haha!), and the combination of the environment, the people, the friendships, and the tasty treats, I just don't think one could really go wrong :)

On this Friday evening, tea(/coffee), friendship, and low-key ambiance makes me happy :)

Day 16: November 11, 2010.

First off, to all the men and women who have served, do serve, or will serve this country, I can't say "Thank you" enough to express the gratitude and appreciation I have in my heart!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Happy Veterans Day :)

I love sweatpants.  The baggier the better.  And I love, love, love not wearing makeup!  Haha!  (I put some on yesterday before I went to get lunch with my grandparents and instantly remembered why I don't wear it on a day-to-day basis anymore!  Ha!)

Comfort makes me so happy :)

Day 15: November 10, 2010.

I'm so thankful for the warmness of others.  It's only about 9:15 in the morning and already I'm feeling quite frazzled and it really didn't help that I had to dry a load of laundry twice last night and when I went down to pick it up just now it was STILL soaking wet.  In stressful times like this, especially running on not nearly enough sleep, it's the things like that that are just enough to get me overly frustrated and worked up.
On my way to and from the laundry room, though, I was lucky enough to cross paths with one of the custodial workers here in my dorm building.  I've seen her once before but really appreciated her words and smiles this morning.  She greeted me the same way as the first time with a big "Good morning, beautiful flower!  My flower!  You are so beautiful!" with a real smile on her face and joy in her heart.  I responded and as I neared the entryway to the laundry room she concluded with a "Have a wonderful day, my beautiful flower.  God bless you!"  A boy came down the hallway behind me in our direction and I heard her greet him similarly, saying "Good morning, handsome!"  She gave me one last well-wish and blessing as I passed her once more on my way back to the elevator.  That one greeting was just what I needed to hear on this morning...The trueness in her tone was a contagious happiness that she was so willing to pass on to each of us who walked by, myself included.  I couldn't be more thankful to have received such a gift to carry throughout my day!

Also, we don't have dance classes this morning because of advisor meetings for spring registration!  (I can't believe we're already getting ready for spring semester?!)  What a nice break!

AND, to top it all off, I get to see my wonderful, amazing, beautiful, fantastic Nana and Pop-pop for lunch today!!

I love, love, love my grandparents and was really worried I wasn't going to get to see them during their visit here this week!  (They just came for a little vacation for a few days.)  So happy it worked out that I'll be able to share some time with them!

Today, people who give lovingly, mornings of rest, and grandparents make me happy :):)

Day 14: November 9, 2010.

I know it's not good to wish days away.  To be so focused on the future and what is going to happen rather than enjoying the moment we have right now.  Don't get me wrong, I am fully enjoying everything about this day and this week, but sometimes no matter how much you enjoy what you're doing and the place in which you're doing it, the stress can amount to just enough to make you ready for the next phase.

That's where I find myself today, so I'm noticing that I'm finding myself finding so much happiness in incentives, reason to accomplish each task at hand now.  Each of these incentives is seeming to revolve around family, too, which makes me even more excited when I remember that once I push through these difficult times I'll have the opportunity to breathe and find joy with those who I love most!

Here's the calendar of events that is what's keeping me going today:

Tomorrow-Lunch with Nana and Pop-pop! (They're visiting from home and I was so worried I wasn't going to be able to see them this week with all that's going on!)
Next weekend (11/20 through Tues. 11/23)-Mom, Dad and Morgan will be in town!
Thursday the 25th-THANKSGIVING!!!!! :) (SO much family time that day!!!)
Thursday, December 16th-Home for Winter Break!

Keeping this in mind has been able to help me put the tail end of this crazy semester from a newer perspective--a perspective where it looks broken up enough to not seem like one big, daunting expanse of never-ending time, and by allowing me to remember that family time isn't as few and far between as is easy to think sometimes!

Today, thoughts of family makes me happy :)

Day 13: November 8, 2010.

I've got to make this one short and sweet tonight.  You're reading the words of a very sleepy, sleepy girl with way too much work to get done.  So I'm just going to say this:

Monday. Has. Been. Conquered.


Accomplishing feats such as this make me HAPPY :)

Day 12: November 7, 2010.

HAHA, okay so my "like" today is going to actually be a somewhat embarrassing personal habit I seem to have formed this year that I've caught myself doing on several occasions, but it's so silly I feel like I have to share!
Walking is the transportation method of choice in this city.  (It's less costly than driving and the delays aren't usually so bad.)  Listening to music is, of course, my go-to way of finding enjoyment in my many daily walks.  But not at night; don't listen to ipods at night when you're alone on the street.  It's just not smart!
Anyway, I've found that I do this especially during the middle of the day when I'm making my way down the sidewalk back to the dance studio for my second wave of classes.  So I've got my headphones in, my music on, and I can't help but get the feeling that I could be in a movie.  I mean, it's New York City, right? There are film crews around every corner all the time!

But here's what I mean...let me give an example of the first time this happened.

I was heading out of my building to back to music class one afternoon.  In the elevator, I turned on "Coming Up," one of my favorite tracks off of Brendan James' new album.  (SO GOOD!)  Somehow, the music and my exit was timed absolutely perfectly so that my right foot stepped out of the revolving door onto the hard cement of the 13th street JUST as the big downbeat of the first chorus kicked in with the guitars and drums and whatever else it's got going on.  Also at that same moment, my eyes left the ground and fixated on the world in front of me, exuding some sort of really weird, REALLY sudden energy shift.  If you listen to this song (which I highly recommend you do, both for personal enjoyment as well as to get the full effect of this story), you may agree with me with I say that it's the kind of song that would be played at the end of a film as the character is "coming up" out of the hardships that he or she has endured for the past 2+ hours.  It's a song of hope, one that would be a great lead in to a fade out and some end credits.

I speak the truth when I say that until the end of that song, I felt as though I could very well be that character concluding that unnamed film.

It was so random and so weird and so ridiculous, and the fact that I've found myself thinking this way on more than one occasion is cause to make me laugh at myself!  (But I'll be the first to admit that it's kind of fun!! :))

Today, laughable trains of thought make me happy :)

Day 11: November 6, 2010.

I'm going to be performing at the annual Tisch Gala in early December :)
The Tisch Gala is a fundraiser event put on every year by NYU's School of the Arts that attracts famous alumni and financial benefactors.  This year, the money raised is primarily going to the building at 111 Second Avenue, which was the original home of Tisch School of the Arts and is now the home of the dance department.  It's where we all spend so many hours together every day, and the money raised will be going toward much-needed renovations!
Billy Crystal is this year's Honoree--having graduated from Tisch's film department in the class of 1970--and will be speaking during the event.  Myself, along with an amazing cast of dancers, will be opening and closing the performance for the evening, and this year's third year class will be performing a special new work!  Check out this link for more info on the event!

http://support.tisch.nyu.edu/object/gala2010

Rehearsals for those of us in the opener and closer are going to be December 1-5 (with the show on the 6th at Lincoln Center!), so it's going to be a whirlwind of a week but I couldn't be more excited to experience it with such AMAZING people!!  What an opportunity!  SO thankful!!

On this day, special performance opportunities and wonderful communities of artists make me happy :)

Day 10: November 5, 2010.

Again, today's been more of a challenge for me to recognize my "likes."  (Ladies, keep this in mind...Mother Nature isn't really a fan of The Like List!  Every so often she'll come around and try to get you down!  Don't give in!! :))  Here are a few things that are getting me through this Friday--

It's Friday.  Enough said.  :)

After my next (and final) class of the week, I'll be done for the day!  Meaning I'm going to be able to enjoy some much-needed downtime and try to kick the tail end of this obnoxious cold!  So looking forward to that! :)

I just enjoyed a nice turkey melt and some really good yogurt.  My mom and I used to enjoy this together senior year of high school every other day when I'd get out at 1:45.  At 2 p.m. we'd grab our food, sit on the couch and turn on The Ellen Degeneres Show.  They were the perfect lunch "dates" and when I need a touch of home, this is one of the first memories I draw on! :)

I'm also thankful today for the celebration of my wonderful Nana's birthday!!  I talked to her on the phone just a little bit ago and just hearing her voice is enough to ease my unsettled heart!  She's THE best and my childhood wouldn't have been the same at all if she and my Pop-pop hadn't played such a huge part!!  Love them TONS! :)

Today Fridays, rest, yummy lunches (and even better memories!), and my Nana make me happy :)

Day 9: November 4, 2010.

Today's been the first day during this project that it's been a push for me to find things to be excited about.  Between the cold, gross city rain and this nasty head cold that won't go away, it's been quite a morning!  However, I am happy to report that after thinking about it, I can actually list a few things that have happened so far that put a smile on my face!  (Or at least relieved my mind from the annoyances they seem to be dwelling on today!)

Last night I got over nine solid hours of sleep.  It was glorious! :)

Hayk was our accompanist in ballet this morning.  (He's the best!!)  He played "Hey There Delilah" during barre and some MJ during one of our center exercises!  That always, always makes me happy!! :)

At this moment, I am really enjoying this bowl of oatmeal in front of me.  I'm a huge oatmeal fan in general (Maple Brown Sugar is the best, of course!), but for some odd reason I like it even better when I eat it out of a ceramic mug--the one my mom got me last year in particular--with this really old, really cute teaspoon. I don't know why, but that's become my favorite way to eat oatmeal!  So a nice hot mug of it is just what I needed on this cold Thursday!

Those are just a few little things have have perked up this otherwise dreary morning!  They may be small, but I'm thankful for them nonetheless!

Rest, great musical taste, and oatmeal in a mug make me happy :)

P.S. I want to wish a happy, happy birthday to my beautiful roommate and friend Dana!!! :):)

Day 8: November 3, 2010.

I came across this picture on my phone today:

First of all, it's important to know that I couldn't be a bigger fan of Burt's Bees.  In my opinion, it's the best remedy for chapped lips available to us these days!

More importantly, though, I think it's so funny that my chap stick ALWAYS ends up looking like this!  Every tube, without fail, morphed into a shape looking like this.  I think it's just kind of funny :)

(Also, please note: This photo was taken a few weeks ago I think.  I'm pleased to announce that this is the first tube of chap stick I've ever actually finished!  I always lose them before I have the chance, but this time I have managed to successfully use up the entire thing!  Haha!  Woohooo!)

One last thing--that blasted take-home midterm you all have heard me complaining about for the past few days is done, it's turned in, and it's now history :) :)

Today, Burt's Bees, weird geometry and assignment completion make me happy :)

Day 7: November 2, 2010.

Every Tuesday on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 10th Street outside St. Mark's Church I pass by this farmer's market:

In the morning on my way to class I walk through as they're setting up.  In the early afternoon as I'm walking home for a lunch break they're in full swing. At night at I'm heading home after classes are finished for the day the tents are coming down and the workers are getting ready to head home as well.  

For some reason, something about knowing that it's the day of the farmer's market makes me happy :) 

Day 6: November 1, 2010.

Today's recipe for happiness:

1 part clear, blue skies.

1 part cool, 47 degree weather.

1 part November :)


The fact that November is here and that it's come upon us so beautifully makes me happy :)