What a wonderful day for an egg hunt and to celebrate Easter!
I celebrated Easter this year with my boyfriend and his family in Minnesota. They hosted a fun Easter egg hunt for me! Check out some of the photos!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!
April showers bring May flowers!
Happy April everyone, here’s to brighter, warmer April!
π (Pi) Day is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate and brings out the inner math enthusiast in me! I love math and a math minor in college, I was only a math minor because I could not double major across the business school and the arts & sciences school at my college.
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14, 3-14, representing the first 3 digits of Pi. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
To celebrate π day today, I had some circle shaped foods (pies), including:
Blueberry Pancake Pie from Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company
The pie is a buttermilk chess with blueberries and lemon zest in an all-butter pie crust
Chicken Alfredo Pizza from Red Rabbit
The pizza garlic cream sauce, grilled chicken, bacon, charred scallions, sun dried tomatoes
It is crazy to think last year I was celebrating Pi Day with some friends in Brooklyn at Four & Twenty Blackbirds. Who would have known that was one of the last days of normality before the global pandemic really hit NYC and the US.
Happy Intetnational Women’s Day!
Happy International Women’s Day! 💜
Here’s to strong women.
May we know them.
May we be them.
May we raise them! 💪
Then and now (2020 celebrating together in person & 2021 celebrating together apart)
Who knew this would be one of the last big events I’d celebrate with my coworkers and friends.
Pokemon Happy Meal
Today marks Pokemon’s 25th Anniversary!
Guilty - you caught me, I may have gone to McDonalds today to purchase a Happy Meal to celebrate! Check out their cute collaboration with Pokemon to celebrate Pokemon 25!
I used to play Pokemon Yellow and Silver on my Gameboy color, those were the days!
Who was your favorite Pokemon? I was always a fan of Eevee & Vulpix! #OGs
Happy Mardi Gras! 💜💛💚
Throwback to the 300th Anniversary of New Orleans!
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕
Thank you to the sweetest valentine for these gorgeous roses that won’t die on me - you know me too well! I love you Daniel Kurkowski! ❤️
These are preserved roses that should last for a few years! I don’t have a green thumb, so these are perfect for me!
Happy Year of the Ox!
Flushing, NY
Missing the days of chasing dancing lions down the street!
Chinese New Year is one of my favorite holidays! I love celebrating my culture and heritage and of course all the yummy foods!
Dim Sum
Congratulations to the Super Bowl Champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers & MVP Tom Brady!
And I must commend The Weeknd on a phenomenal half time performance!
This year I decided to participate in a few Secret Santas to spread the holiday cheer! Today I received my final Secret Santa from the Reddit Secret Santa Exchange.
Check out my awesome gifts!
Reddit Secret Santa
The Bucket List & Portable Charger from my Reddit Secret Santa evergreener_328!
AMEX TLS Secret Santa
Laptop Case & Sloth Post Its from my co-worker Greg!
AMEX MA Secret Santa
Tarte Lip Mask Set. Mud Face Mask & Hand Sanitizer from my co worker and fellow MA Gina!
2020 was not the year any of us could of anticipated. Here’s hope for a brighter year for 2021!
Happy New Year! ✨
Happy New Year!!! 2021, we are ready for you! 🎉
Throwback to getting to the top to see the NYE ball in Times Square up close, it was even bigger than I imagined!
Check out my interview with Brennan of Waterford Crystal on designing the NYE Ball!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from my family to you & yours! 🎄
One of my annual Christmas traditions is to visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center and this year was no exception. Thank you to the NYPD for keeping us socially distanced & still able to see the tree this year!
Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! 🥳 All the warm messages truly made my day, especially during a year like this! ❤️
I had a very low key birthday this year, but still managed to have all my favorites to celebrate! My awesome boyfriend got me some beautiful earrings, delicious dinner and a yummy ice cream birthday cake!
Happy Birthday to my favorite sister Jacqueline!
It has been a crazy year, but at least we have each other!
Happy First Date-iversary to my amazing boyfriend, Daniel!
One year in the books, many more to go - I LOVE YOU DANIEL!
Our First Date!
Who ever thought that what the girl we met at the bar would predict our future?
Fun story - on our first date at Barcelona Bar, we met a girl who’s birthday it was. She had asked us to take a picture for her and she offered to take one in return. She had asked how long we had been together, and we told her it was actually our first date! She did not believe us and thought we had been together for a while. We continued to have a great time and when we left, the birthday girl and her friends said “you guys are so cute together!”
Did Daniel pay these guys off? HAHA!
Minion Shots at Barcelona Bar
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours! 🦃
This year has definitely been different to say the least, but I am so grateful for all my family and friends who have been with me along this rollercoaster we call 2020! ❤️
Today I went to get tested for COVID-19 before heading home for Thanksgiving and spent 9 HOURS waiting for a COVID-19 rapid swab test at CityMD. I thought I’d show up 20-30 minutes prior to opening to beat the rush, but I guess everyone had that idea…
Here was my schedule for the day.
6:40 AM - Arrived at the end of the line
6:15 AM - Wake Up
6:25 AM - Walk to CityMD
6:40 AM - Arrive at CityMD & look for end of the line. The line went down the avenue and around the corner to the end of the block (and wrapped around the next corner behind me)
7:00 AM - CityMD officially opens
8:00 AM - I made it to the front of the line, only to learn they were just taking down names and phone numbers a list and would call me when it was my turn, then I will only have 15-20 minutes to return
I was #82 on the list. There was only a small group of people (~12) waiting around outside at this point, so a few others and I stuck around and waited around for our turn - how long could it take? I live 15-20 minutes away, which was exactly how long it would take me to get back, so figured I should just stick around and worry about hustling back - my mistake!
8:45 AM - 45 minutes later everyone still seems to be waiting outside
I asked the woman checking people in what number they were up to, in disbelief I learn they were only up to #6 on the list & she laughs that i am #82 on the list
Shocked they are still in single digits, I tell my line buddies to hold up one hand and one finger and that was the # they were up to. They were shocked as well!
8:48 AM - At this point, I was freezing and disheartened by the lack of progress on the list - I decided to go home and wait to be called since it would definitely be a while.
10 AM - No call yet
11 AM - No call yet
12 PM - No call yet
12:15 PM - I called CityMD to see what # they are up to… Any guesses? They were only up to #50 since they opened, 5 hours ago. I guesstimated they see ~10 patients per hour
1:30 PM - I received a call to return to CityMD - “you need to return in 15-20 minutes, your number will be called soon”
I immediately drop my fork, stop eating my lunch and hustle back
3:18 PM - Made it inside!
1:48 PM - I make it to CityMD in just under 20 minutes and head to the front door of CityMD. The security guard shouts “MISS” and points to the line, of course there is another line. This one should be quick, right? WRONG
I see my line buddies from this morning and join them on this new line with ~10 people in front of me
2:48 PM - 1 hour later, I am still standing in line & have not moved a bit
3:00 AM - I am second on line… to get into the building, they are letting people enter the waiting room in small groups
3:18 PM - I made it inside!!! They let a few of us in, I checked in, sat down & waited to be seen
3:45 PM - Finally being seen!
3:38 PM - About 2 hours since I ran over, my name is finally called and I am taken to a room to be swabbed & tested
The nurse takes my vitals - temperature, pulse and blood pressure
I am given the nasal swab test and the nurse leaves (probably a total of 5-7 minutes max)
3:50 PM - The PA finally comes to see me after waiting for what seemed like a long time since the nurse left. She says sorry for the wait to get into CityMD and that they were trying to create a new more efficient system that gives a more accurate window of when to show up, asks if I need anything else while I am there and then dismisses me.
3:52 PM - I stop by billing, confirm my information is correct
3:54 PM - I am out the door. DONE!!!
4:03 PM - Results are ready - my test is NEGATIVE!
Overall I spent a little over 9 hours end to end, and probably spent ~5 hours between waiting on line and commuting between my apartment and CityMD. This is definitely an experience I would NOT like to experience again. (I did offer the PA help in creating a more efficient waiting window system). However I am thankful they did give us the opportunity to go home, which I was able to utilize working for a few hours. I know other CityMDs did not give people the opportunity to do so.
While waiting online, I learned a few interesting facts:
The line was cut off after 2 hours of opening (7 AM - 9 AM) with 166 people on the list.
If I was half way down the list at #82 after 9 hours, how do they anticipate to finish another ~80 people by 9:30 PM in 5.5 hours?
I overheard person #61 arrived at 6 AM, 40 minutes before me! I was debating arriving or leaving my apartment at 6:30 AM, so I am glad that the 10 minute difference did not make much of a difference. What time did person #1 show up?
Thank you to the frontline workers for all of your work, especially on days like today! I appreciate all that you do!
I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thank you to all those who have served and are still serving in our military. We appreciate all that you do!
Wounded Warrior Project Holiday Party 2012
There are so many ways to support our Veterans, one of my favorite organizations is the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). WWP a non-profit focused on helping veterans and those serving in the military who have incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military. WWP provides programs to support
Mental Health
Financial Wellness
Physical Health
Peer and Community Connection
I had the opportunity to get to know many soldiers, primarily through college debate competing against West Point cadets and from working at the US Embassy in the Bahamas where I was able to work very closely with a few branches of the military, many of which I now consider to be big brothers to me. Having been so close to all of these amazing people gives me that much more respect for all that our military does.
I cannot be grateful enough for all that you do, thank you!
This year’s election has definitely been unlike any other election from socially distanced presidential debates (mute buttons and all) to the president contracting COVID-19. Many records have also been broken this election, an astonishing $14 billion was spent on this election, making it the most expensive election to date. This election has had the highest participation rate in over a centurion with 80 million Americans already casting their ballots!
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to social distance, the government provided 3 ways to vote:
Mail in Ballot - similar to an absentee ballot
Early Voting - voting during the week prior to election day at a central location of many polling locations
Election Day Voting - your traditional voting at your designated voting station
Not going to let the rain keep me from voting!
Many of my friends who chose to vote early waited anywhere from 30 mins to a few hours online for early voting. This year I chose to vote early with a mail in ballot to minimize my exposure to COVID-19. For those of you mailing in your ballot from NYC, it costs $0.70 (1 forever stamp and 15 cents) to mail you ballot. I had no idea and almost did not add the extra 15 cents, so make sure you have enough postage!
Make sure to get your vote in, every vote counts!