Summer

"The begining of the summer brings back the memory of days with less responsibility and more fun" I saw that comment on someone's MySpace wall and it really hit home. Summer brings with it an air of freedom. While I was super busy at the begining of last summer, I had the excitement of graduation. followed by a hellish schedule of summer classes and work. That being said, I had August to spend at the beach working temp jobs, shopping and just enjoying life. Since I worked so much May- July, I was able to afford a month of relaxation. Now I've just started a new job and I'm feeling in over my head. In need of some summer relaxation. The nicer it gets the more I cures myself for not becoming a teacher. It just makes me try to thin of a way to have an out door job. I ealize I like the professional responsibility and the people I meet in my job but I would be happier with less stress and more outdoors. How can I make this happen? Well if I had abalcony, I suppose I could work out doors and if I was overlooking the ocean I could mitigate at least some of the stress. Summer makes me miss the freedom of being a student and think of turning to a career in acadamia. Then I ask myself if this is what I really want. I want the soft salt water of the ocean on my skin and the sticky feeling in my hair. I want to wear flip flops and skirts, I want to be care free. I wonder if I'll ever have that again. I'll take the mountains and Orford beach over a city any summer day. I always knew I was not made for the city. Somehow, I still want to work in NYC when I return to the US. I think that is because I know it is not so far from the coast and I have friends there. To be lonely in a city is different than to have friends to keep you entertained. Cities are convient too, things are accessible and shops are open late. Cars are not necessary. I still want to move to NYC but I never wanted to stay more than a few years. I feel the same way about Germany, a few years is enough. Although I'm naking a serious commitment to German learning and I've brought Patrick on board and given him some responsibility and motivation to teach me so we shall see. Sometimes I wonder if I would have been happier as a nomad. The problem is I like the lifestyle a real job can make possible, I want a nice house and I want things. I guess I'm just a product of marketing and America, what can I say.

Does it Ever End?

I think you will agree with me if you are in your first (or even second or third) job. We all have those Devil Wears Prada Moments, the ones where you realize you're expected to work more hours than you signed up for and you're not doing it for the pay but for the future reccomendation. I've been having a whole week of these moments. Somehow, looking to the future is always my motivation, just get through this week and the next will be easier but it hasen't been that way yet and just when I think I've caught up and organized the road ahead something comes up. This week it was a postponed event, one less thing to do next Friday but one nbigger headache for the fall. I thought it would get easier in the summer, we shall see. If only I were getting paid by the hour, I think I would not mind as much. Just remember, a million girls would kill for your job, haha.

IMPORTANT -Read the post below first

Don't here until you've read the post below. It was so invigorating, she decided to go for a run, she she threw on some shorts, grabed the pod for a little inspiration a la Justin and headed off around the block. The top two photos are the immediate results and the bottom 2 are post the post-run shower with a hing of gel for control. She is still happy, no worries, the small tail is gone from the back and she plans to see a proper hair stylist this week to clean it up. After all, she's not tha much of a hippie :)

An American Girl in a Great Big World

As she stood in line to buy her ticket, she realized her exhaustion and wanted to cures her job but since she just stepped out of a satisfying meeting sheaccepted the exhaustion, knowing that this part will pass and vowing to do everything in her power to avoid the mistakes others have made in her future planning. She listened to the words being spoken around her zoining out to their meaning and focusing on the sound. She watched the legless man in the line opposite and wondered how he would board the train, she also wondered how he lost his legs. Soon it was her turn and after quickly dodging a sales pitch she got her ticket and was on her way. The train was leaving from Gleis 9 at 16:13. It was now 15:32, Gleis 9 is directly across from the ticket office. In deciding what to do, she contemplated changing into the comfortable clothes and shoes she had packed the day before for just this occasion but quickly decided that would be a hassle in a small bathrom stall with a large backpack and a suitcase so she stayed in her business clothes. This particular day she had chosen her outfit carefuly around her favorite but never worn blazer. A soft, kaki, single brested, slightly longer than average and Tommy Hilfiger blazer lined in lime green. When she bought it last year she fell in love as much for the fit as for the lime green lining but had difficulty matching it to anything. Today she choose to wear it over a black tube dress. She started to thing about how sill she must look in a dress, a blazer, heels and wearing a red oversized backpack, more suitable for a backpacker than a business woman, this made her smile. She never really dressed to fit a mold, there are times she wishes she could look effortlessly pulled together but she came to grips with the fact that she wil never be a size 4 and never have straight hair so effort will always be required to look effortlessly pulled together. Since the train wouldn't get in until almost 19:00, she decided to pick up dinner to take along, sushi. On her way to the platform she stoped by Hagen Daz for a treat and then sat and waited for the train. The ice cream was the perfect distractin from waiting. Soon she boardedthe train and was lucky enough to find a free seat at one of the tables. The train was quickly overpopulated and she appriciated her table even more once she remembered she had a fresh copy of Us Weekly. What better way to pass a 3 hour train ride than with a trashy American magazine, an iPOD and eventualy sushi. She was completely in her own world as she sat in her black cocktail dress, currently sans blazer and with pink ballet slippers subbing in for the heels, listening to Dispatch and reading about Lindsay Lohen and Vanessa Milano's photo shoot with knives- the things you miss in Europe! She was happy. Us Weekly does not have enough content of photos to last a 3 hour train ride so she had plenty of time to enjoy her sushi and ponder. Quickly, her thoughts were on change, possibly inspired by the previous day's discussion on change management and possibly inspired by boreom she came to the conclusion that it was a time for a dramatic change in her life. It's time to cut her hair. She had been growing her hair for almost 3 years with only minor trims in hopes of one day chopping 10 - 12 inches to donate to Wigs for Kids. She knew it was never her hair that she carried around, it was being cultivated to harvest and pass along. Diligently, she fought the urge to dye it in any way or cut it before it was long enough. She conditioned daily and deep conditioned at least twice per week to minimize damage, breakage, split ends and any other hair crisis. She enjoyed it while it lasted but now it was time to give it to someone else. She had planned to treat herself to a fancy hair cut in New York City when it was time, as a personal reward for completing the mission. That was way out of the picture now as was her trusted hair stylest. Being one who does not easily trust new hair stylists and appriciates impulses, she decided that she would cut her hair herself, tonight. First it was just an idea but by the time the train pulled into her home station it was decided, the hair goes immediately. She pulled it into a low poneytail and looked at her reflection in the train's window, not bad. She realized she could handle this. She'd never cut her own hair more than an inch before but that wasen't going to stop her, in fact, she would have done it on th train had she had a pair of scissors. Although, after a brief conteplation she realized cutting one's own hair on the train would most likely give the wrong idea to the other passengers and scissors are probably banned on the train. It would be the first thing she would do when she walked into her apartment.

London Love Leggings, Explained

Okay so I guess I owe you an explanation for the previous leggings comment. I would just leave it at it’s true but, that will not do justice to the statement. First of all, it must be said that when I first entered London in 2003, I made the statement that it looked as if the 80’s had puked all over the city. Now it’s not just puke but total revival. Seriously, I was in London for 2 days and it was like a time warp onto the set of Growing Pains. I expected leggings but I did not expect the rest of it. I cringed when I saw women wearing tights under shorts with ankle boots! I even caught a glimpse of teased hair in the tube station and Claire’s is full of neon, plastic jewelry. As a child of the 80’s, I’m a supporter of leggings, footless tights, funky jewelry, leg warmers and crazy prints. I even like the wild colors and clearly I can’t say anything bad about big hair. A line needs to be drawn at the shorts/tights/ankle boots combo. I’m convinced that the neon, plastic jewelry hasn’t caught on as Claire’s is not the most fashionable place and Top Shop had a much more respectable selection of funky jewelry. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that shoulder pads and patterned sweaters never return. Some things just need to stay in the past.