Costa Rica with LOVE

So don't worry about it, I celebrated my graduation with going on a trip with some friends to Costa Rica.. it was originally was going to be me and like three friends, but it ended up gradually expanding, ironic especially since we literally bought the tickets two weeks in advance. However my aunt and uncle were gracious enough to let us crash at their program in an extra couple of dorms, so it all worked out.. and don't worry about it, it would not be a true trip without the 15 passenger white van.  We did it all, saw crocks in the river, did the zip line, rode horses, did yoga on the beach, tried surfing/boogie boarding, got sunburnt, swam in a waterfall, saw the volcano and stayed in the sweetest resort with 25 hot springs, ate rice and beans for every meal, shattered a glass door at Burger King, went to church, went disco dancing, ate Chiky's and mango's to our hearts and best yet celebrated Hosea's birthday by giving him want he wanted...."Peace and Love." Four girls came in for the long weekend then left me with six guys... yeah, needless to say I was yearning for some female representation.... but it was fun we went to the Carribean side, where I stayed in a hostel like room one night and in the van the next.... they taught me how to rough it.... it's okay though, I know reality and I do know how to rough it!

NY Ragnar Relay

So my pro-active friend Heidi put together a team of 12 people to participate in Ragnar's first relay in New York starting near Woodstock to the Boogie Down Bronx,  a total of 180 miles.... needless to say it was a bit intense, but so WORTH it. I finally have experienced the runner's high, and find it very fulfilling and theraputic.  It was also a fun adventure to bond with some friends. We paid our tributes to Woodstock and bought tie-dye t-shirts and looked up the history on my friends i-phone. We cheered each other on, ate at an "interesting" Italian restaurant who were not stingy on the food portions... and took an hour nap in the park. I ended up running four legs in total, to make up for taking the "easier" second legs and ran a total of 14.2 miles... yeah!!! It almost gave me the same sense of accomplishment of graduating.... but not quite.

Another Graduation....

Just so we can milk it for what it's worth... there is a specialized graduation with your specific school, then the general commencement with all schools. Well this year it was kind of a big deal, no not just because I was graduating :) but because it was in the new Yankee Stadium and Ms. Hillary Clinton, Sec. of State was the commencement speaker. I decided to go merely to enjoy the fruits of my hard work and celebrate as much as possible of finishing... it's part of my closure... sorry clinical jargon. So my family came in for the weekend, and attending my smaller more personable graduation and left before the general commencement. So I had four tickets to the highly coveted event, however it was in the middle of the day on a Wednesday, and it was like I am not going to ask someone to miss work to a graduation, but some of my good friends shown interest and were able to come due to some "flexible schedules," which I was so grateful for their willingness to come and show their support! 

G R A D U A T I O N !!!

We all know the song, we all know the drill and we all know the ugly and very unflattering robes that it all entails (especially bright violet, really?), but there is something very cathartic about the ceremonial process. To be honored with all of your fellow colleagues and professors and your family, it gives you sense of accomplishment and closure that the enduring of school is finally over. However you feel the stress of the "what's next?" in your life... and as I answer simply and have learned from many cross roads in my life it is TBD... to be determined. I believe life has a way of presenting opportunities to you and it's up to me to sift through which ones I want to embrace, explore and pursue... so we'll see what happens next....

It was a good ceremony, especially the short and sweet speakers, the bag pipes and seeing such proud parents of all the graduates, it really was kind of cute.... It was fun to have both my parents, my maternal grandparents, my sister's Loni and Lana and my aunt Jeannette come to show their support.  Also, just want to say Thanks to all of you, who have supported me through-out my educational pursuits, you know who you are :)

Life is GrrrrEAT at age 28!

I turned the rip ole age of 28, as my sweet cousin so pointly put it, I am getting close to 30. But I really do feel great about where I am at, and embrace my age. Mainly because inside of my body I feel and still kind of act like I am 22. And lately people have been mistaken me as younger, which makes me feel even better. But I won't lie, there are times I start to see little signs of aging, and it is not fun, like in training for this relay I am doing, the body doesn't bounce back like it used to.

However it's a time of year to reflect where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be. I feel great graduating with my Masters from NYU, I have DONE a lot in my life, expereinced many things, been to many places however my most cherished treasures of life's experiences and lessons, are the people I meet and that leave that long lasting impression. I have met many people and have come and go, but the best part is, your accquaintance unlike your body increase as you get older, and that is really what life is all about for me. So for my b-day celebration, I went to brunch at my favorite place, Clinton Street Bakery for yummy blue berry pancakes, then had a spa day :) then bought me a shirt (surprised?) and met up with some of my really good friends for a quaint little b-day dinner at the Shake Shack, it was a bit chilly (even in May?) but suited my style, small intimiate group, chillin and chatting... I LOVED it and so grateful for all who came. Then we all went to a movie afterwards, can life get better than this? I submit it can not!!!

Cinco de Mayo

Feliz Cinco De Mayo!!! So for celebrating not only another completed year of school work in our MSW program, but GRADUATION, my friends from NYU and I decided to celebrate with Cinco De Mayo way. So we met up at Maryann's (I know kind of not a typical Mexican name, but really good food), and got together to eat and celebrate our achievement of graduating. One of our friends already landed a job, yeah for her at Fountain house and then another is getting married in June, and another is going to Algeria in the summer, and we are all job hunting... fun... especially in this economy... :).... however, it was fun to look back at how far we've come through the past two years of our schooling and how fast it has been... it's experiences like this and the people you met a long the way is what makes life worthwhile :)

90210 to Boogie Down Bronx Girl!!!

So for my second year of field placement and for the last nine months, I have been interning (non-paid, I might add) for 21 hours a week at a substance abuse agency in the Bronx, called Arms Acres. Many have probably heard my stories, I talk about it all the time, like when I used reflective listening during my parole group and said "you and your baby's mama" and a guy in the group calls me out on the carpet and says, "that doesn't sound right coming from you," let's just say I've come a long way to integrate into the environment. That is how when they first met me my co-workers nick named me 90210 or Beverly Hills, but now I am won their approval and they call me the "Boogie down Bronx girl," and let's just say it wasn't easy to win them over. However it's been so much fun building such a rapport and friendships with my co-workers, they felt kind of like a family at times. The highlight of the day was what we were going to order for lunch... mexican, chinese or sometimes italian, got to love NY for that :)

Friday was my last day, but good news they offered me a part-time position for the summer, so it' not a final good bye.