productivity and fun can co-exist

This past weekend i went to washington dc and also new york. i had my fall break, and about a month and a half ago, i decided i wanted to do something great for the break. so i bought my plane ticket and just looked forward to it for weeks. lately i've been thinking, and kind of getting slightly discouraged about what i'm going to do after i graduate. my desire is to be working in one of three choices doing public relations. my locations are New York City, Washington DC and also Chicago. i didn't know exactly how to get to these places. so i used my trip to better understand. I shot out some cold contact e-mails to some firms in DC and NYC just hoping for a response, and hoping to schedule some informational interviews. surpisingly, i got more than i thought. People were willing to meet and just sit down and talk. It was great to do some networking and get my foot in the door.

i flew in to DC late wednesday night and my stallion of a friend blake behnke picked me up. it was absolute bliss to see him after a few months. and just relish in the conversation about life, the whole drive back. the next morning we just hung out a bit and slowly got ready. it was a beautiful rainy day in the district. I've missed the east coast rain, and was looking forward to spending the day in it. my first interview was at 1:00 with VOX Global. Then met with Fleishman-Hilliard. Both meetings were very encouraging and opened my eyes as to what i need to do exactly to better my shot of making it east.

It was then that i appreciated the despair and discouragement i'd been feeling the past couple weeks. It was then that i was able to really find hope, and excitement for my future. I've learned that we need to love the moments of doubt and darkness in our lives, because what comes after, the light and knowledge, is what really gets us places. realize you're in the dark, and anxiously look for the lesson that comes. 


The rest of the day blake was in class, so i had the entire day to walk around the city and just explore, take it all in, enjoy, and smile. being out there made me truly happy. i wasn't necessarily even doing anything, but just being there made my heart tickle, my mouth smile, and my eyes beam. i've been to DC a few times before, so i've seen all the touristy stuff, but figured i'd go do the loop anyways. then i spent the last few hours of the day in the business centers. I loved just being in that environment. It was great to see all the sights, but it was especially nice to sit down in a park and read a book.

I really did enjoy being in DC for the brief time i was there. I then caught that magical BoltBus early early friday morning so i could head up to New York. I made it there mid-morning and met up with my dear friend tati, and a couple others. After serving my mission in New York, and going back a couple times since, i didn't feel a need to go sightseeing. I've seen it all before. but i went with tati, aubrey, lacey and melanie and saw the sights anyways. and loved every minute of it. it was still so much fun.

                                    i can't tell you how uncomfortable this made tati. very funny.

It seriously was fun to see everything again. All i needed was to just be there in the city, and i'd be having fun. My entire list of things to "see" all consisted of food places. I had to have authentic new york pizza, i needed the 'nuts-4-nuts' stands, some serendipity, Sylvia's fried chicken and waffles, snapple (by the caseload), mr. softy ice cream, desserts from all over, and much much more. I was simple and easy to please. so hanging out with these girls (often referred to as the 'girls weekend') was a true delight. they were lots of fun, and put up with me the whole time. by the end, i was trying hard to fit in with the girls more, but still just couldn't pull off that vibe.

One thing i've always laughed at, and been disgusted at, is when people walk their dogs through the city and the parks, and they have to pick up the poops after the dog lays dirt. i laugh because i think in my head as i watch it, "if aliens were watching this right now, and had no idea about our culture, who would they think is the master? the one on the leash? or the one picking up the poops?" you tell me...

i saw this at washington square, and just HAD to take a picture of it. i couldn't help it!

One of the greatest parts of the trip was seeing a couple friends i graduated from high school with. it's seriously been 7 years since i've seen these people. on friday night i met up with Shane York. he was in my ward growing up and we played basketball and went on many camping trips together. he'd been in new york for 3 years now and i had no idea. We went to an awesome chinese place for dinner and just caught up. I couldn't believe it. Then on saturday i had lunch with another true friend, Frank Frelier. We went to a little hip sandwich place and just caught up. again, it's been 7 years. I couldn't help but smile and feel slighty jealous of all his accomplishments and just the cool things he's done. What a champion. it's great to see how people branch out, from tiny old Burley Idaho, and make it to New York City and can be successful. I love it.

                                          me and frank where we met up, at grand central station

a couple of the true tender moments i experienced out there were stopping by my "greenie" apartment in china town while i was on my mission. it was fun to tell the girls, that my first night on the mission, my trainer left the keys in the apartment, so i had to jump up the fire escape ladder and climb up to our 4th floor apartment and crawl through the window. Well, i thought it was the 4th floor window, really i was on the 3rd floor, and opened the wrong window. oops. i'm sure those people were surprised when i was half way through the window.

                                            Greenie apartment. 117 mott street. just off canal street

another one of the truly tender moments was getting to go back to harlem to see a family i taught. It is roberta gilyard's family. her and her 6 (now 7) kids karena, joshua, isiah, aaron, aaron (yes, another aaron. goes by travis), Keynia (kiki), and the recent addition being selwin. I spent 6 months in harlem and for the entire time they were an integral part of my missionary life. it was absolutely incredible to hang out with them and catch up. the first thing they said was "damn you got big!!" felt good to be back.

While a missionary, i never actually felt threatened going through harlem and the bronx. I guess having that missionary name tag, and especially the mantle, makes ya feel safe. i was threatened all the time, though never actually felt threatened. this past weekend, within 5 minutes of me being in the Harlem hood, i was yelled at 3 times, and threatened at each of those. apparently being gone for a couple years doesn't fix the racial hatred. i was called the white devil, demon, white satan, among other great things. i won't lie, i actually did feel a little sketched out after a bit. That place was fun to go visit, though i won't be living there. that's for sure. while in the Bronx i made a trip to my mecca. before i die, i will see the Yankees play in the world series. Unfortunately, while i was there, the yankees were playing in texas, so i went to the stadium while the game was on, ate lunch in the Hard Rock Yankee stadium, and watched the game with about 100 other fans. it was lots of fun to feel the unity going on in there. it was frustrating to watch them lose, but great to have that experience of being at the Yankee Stadium Temple.

                                                  someday i'll see a world series game here...

this trip truly was just what i needed, and just what i wanted. i couldn't have asked for it to go any better! i loved eating at Sylvia's in harlem, getting the fried chicken and waffles. that place has so much soul in it. there was some outstanding live music going on and i could have sworn it was gladys knight. there was enough heart and soul in that place to slightly elevate hell itself. slightly.
i loved being in the city. being surrounded by thousands of people everywhere i went. i loved riding on the subway sandwiched between others. i loved the smells, as putrid as some were, there were also some nose tingling sensations that i would give anything to have with me forever. i loved going to church with my Harlem family and feeling that inseparable spirit there. i loved hearing the speakers say good morning over the pulpit and the entire congregation responding with a hello. i loved hearing them say "aks" in the sacramental prayers and not "ask." i love feeling the spirit and love that just radiates out of that place. i loved feeling completely at home.
i loved being in central park and the allure and beauty it offers. i loved seeing familiar faces. i loved every second of being there.
i'll be back there soon. real soon. i'll make New York City a giant part of my life. it already has been, and it continues to be so. thank you everyone for making my trip absolutely amazing!