A Year of Learning

Yesterday it was exactly a year since my last blog, which I have to admit is hard to believe – where has this year gone? And what have I done with it? Bear with me on this one. 

I remember when I was nine years old going to the local store to buy some sweets with my pocket money – whereupon paying I told the lady at the cash desk that I was soon to be 10 – double digits! She laughed and said “don’t wish it away, it’ll be 10 this year and then before you know it you’ll be an old lady and life will have passed you by”. I can still remember the walk home, I was so upset. And for years after that time did seem to go faster, I kept thinking if only she hadn’t said that then time wouldn’t be flying by so quickly.

It’s a funny thing though, the way that we spend so much of our lives looking forward to the next big thing, willing months to hurry by so that we can see someone again or take that trip that we’ve been saving for. And in all this rushing around that we do, and in all the impatience, we often forget to sit back and reflect.

So why haven’t I blogged at all this past year? Well, probably because I’ve been somewhat ashamed of myself, and haven’t wished to share my inner dialogue. Let me explain.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve tackled challenges head on. I’ve relished them and even enjoyed fighting my way through them, all while keeping a smile on my face. But for some reason, this past year hasn’t exactly followed that pattern. I left New York City at the end of May last year, and although I gave myself a mantra: “It’s not leaving from, it’s going to”, I found it at times almost unbearable. New York and the people there had given me so much, tested me, pushed me, celebrated me, encouraged me creatively, corrected me when I was off course and above all loved me for being me. It’s a city that will make or break you and I decided on day one that I’d only let it make me.

So why did I leave? Well, because I knew deep down that if I were really going to succeed at this crazy dream of mine then I needed to make some brave leaps – one of them being to move to Los Angeles. My resume wasn’t strong enough yet, and I certainly hadn’t had enough experience so I came to Atlanta as a stepping stone. The industry here is growing at an incredible rate and the opportunities for garnering experience are vast. All I needed to do was take my potential and apply it.

And did I? Well… It’s a strange feeling openly admitting that you could have achieved more. But truthfully, I let challenges get the better of me. As soon as I left New York some very important friendships changed in ways that I couldn’t get my head around and I let anger get the best of me. My boyfriend and I were then in a car accident (3 days after my last blog) – we were rear ended at high speed whilst at a red light;  months of physical therapy and a surgery for Lane ensued. I could go on listing the challenges of this past year, all completely unexpected, unplanned for and at times overwhelming. It turns out that anger, bitterness and resentment are a pretty slippery slope – and one huge thing that I’ve learnt from this year is the only place they’ll put you in is in a vicious cycle with yourself.

What have I got from this year then? Well, I’ve undoubtably become a grown up! Something I’ve avoided for some time. I’ve learnt that worthwhile relationships can withstand a heck of a lot – and I’m incredibly lucky to be in a relationship that continually gets stronger with each hurdle that life throws our way. I’ve made some unexpected and beautiful friendships, learnt that a dog really is a (wo)mans best friend, that exercise is the ONLY way to get out frustration, that Georgia is stunningly beautiful and southern hospitality is wonderful, that i’m actually an alright teacher, that teenagers aren’t as scary as I thought they were – but instead working with them is infinitely rewarding, that opportunity will never come and pull you off that couch – you have to continually go out and find it, that you can NEVER give up, that we are all on a crazy journey and sometimes…we really just have to…let…it…be….

Now and then, when we feel that time’s been wasted – really what’s happened is that we just haven’t been looking past the end of our nose. And if we did we’d realize that there is purpose to everything, and there are always beautiful and incredible things happening around us – if only we chose to look up from our situation. And if nothing else, our current trials are simply equipping us with tools needed for our future endeavors. It’s also important to know that we can’t fix EVERYTHING! Sometimes we just have to let it go and understand that we need to step back for a reason, whether we understand it right now or not.

I have no idea what this next year will hold. I will keep writing regular blog entries though – I have a feeling this next chapter is going to be an exciting one. I also know that it’s up to me to make it a positive one, to be open to things that I might not have normally chosen, to be ready to face challenges with a cheerful outlook, and above all to push myself to my full potential every day.

 

New York, I heart you.

I was going to write about vegetarianism today. And I still will. In my next blog. But as I started writing I looked down at the date on my calendar and saw the number 11. I realized that I needed to write about New York City instead.

I was lucky enough to live in New York City for three years, and I’m not ashamed to say that I fell head over heels in love with the place. I now live just outside Atlanta, GA, and although I’m growing to love it here more and more I think I might have left my heart in NYC. I don’t think that there’s anywhere else like New York City – and as I woke up this morning to the news coverage of today’s memorial service at the site of the twin towers the huge sense of community struck me, something I don’t think I ever fully noticed while living there. Let me explain myself a little more on that front; the other day as I was driving home through tree lined streets – I had just popped in to Whole Foods for my daily Kombucha (I’m trying to become more wholesome of a person) and had a nice long chat with the gentleman in line behind me about the merits of drinking red wine- I started to think about how lovely it is that people here have time for each other, and that even though I don’t know many people here I never have to go a day without meeting someone new. Quite a contrast to the feeling of absolute frustration in New York when the barista in Starbucks takes more than 3 minutes to get me my skinny latte. (I know I’m not the only one). I always felt like everything needed to be done yesterday in New York, you never make eye contact with a stranger on the subway, you do that funny skippy walk everywhere you go to show that you’re in a rush to be somewhere important and it’s a relief when the sub guy learns your order, so that you don’t need to repeat yourself every day – you can scroll through your blackberry instead while you stand in line. And so, as I drove home I thought about how nice it was that here in metro Atlanta you have communities, you know your neighbors, you can chat to people here and take your time.

I think I was wrong about something though. While I was thinking that ‘community’ is something that Atlanta has over Manhattan, I was missing the point. Because as I think about what I watched on the news this morning whilst drinking my cup of tea, I keep coming back to the same thought. What an incredible show of solidarity there was today, and every year on the anniversary of 9/11 – although the ceremony this year seemed more peaceful than last year, some of the people more relaxed, the one thing that hasn’t changed, at all, is the immense connection between the grievers, the observers, the tourists and the residents – young and old. You see, with New York you’re only a visitor for a short while. I remember a month after I moved to the Big Apple a lost tourist approached me, and as I explained how to reach downtown I remembered the quote by F Scott Fitzgerald on how you know that you’re a New Yorker when you can give directions. From that moment on the city adopted me.

There’s something unexplainable about that city, it toughens you up – it will undoubtably make or break you and push you harder towards your dreams than you ever realized possible. It’s exhausting, exciting, exhilarating and…expensive. But so worth it because once you become a New Yorker you’re changed, forever, in the most incredible way.

My thoughts are with you today, NYC. I pray for the strength and peace that all who lost that day now seek. I pray that we never forget the importance of standing up together for justice, forgiveness and understanding. New York was changed that day, but it was not broken. You just have to look at the way the sunlight gleams so beautifully on the new Freedom Tower – so wonderfully symbolic.

So, although it might be different to the southern sense of Community, it is still there nonetheless. It’s the sense of one huge, united community that should not be overlooked. If you live in New York you are not a little fish in a big pond, but an important piece in a magnificent puzzle.

Mary McBain, September 11th 2012

What to do on a Sunday in New York City

Sunday Funday

Top 5 places to make the Best of your last day away from the office

There is only one pace of life for a New Yorker. Fast. I don’t remember the last time I strolled leisurely in to a subway station, calmly stood behind the lady in front of me who keeps swiping her metro card the wrong way up, or enjoyed waiting in line for my Grande skinny latte with one pump of vanilla – oh please don’t forget the vanilla. We rush around, jumping on and off trains, grabbing our coffee and bagel only from the guy who knows our order before we even have to say it – everything bagel, light on the cream cheese. Off to work, back from work, call in a takeaway before going to bed and doing it all over again. Suddenly it’s Friday, and thank goodness it brings with it a good excuse for a large, ice cold glass of sauvignon blanc; no one knows where Saturday always disappears to and now here you are, slowly waking up on Sunday morning, knowing that you really must make the most of it because tomorrow morning you’ll be back in the office. But what do you do? Hurrying around it’s easy to completely overlook so many of the amazing things this city has to offer – from the extravagant to the free. I you had to choose 5 things to do with your Sunday what would you do? Here’s what I would choose.

Hop on the subway and head in to Brooklyn Heights – now, if you are well and truly attached to Manhattan then please trust me on this one. First stop in to Brooklyn on the A/C or the 2/3 will take you to the Park Plaza Diner, hands down my favorite diner in the city, especially on a Sunday. The clientele ranges from the students who clearly had a heavy night – needing some starchy rescue, to families needing a menu that will satisfy even the fussiest children, to elderly locals who have been heading here every Sunday for the past 60 years. My personal favorite: The French toast with strawberries, washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice and a nice, strong coffee. Or two.

Once you’ve satiated your appetite, head to the Brooklyn Heights promenade. My favorite spot for running, reading and being romantic. Also a phenomenal spot for taking in the awe-inspiring vista that is the New York City skyline. You can see everything from the Statue of Liberty, to the Empire state building, with the three bridges in between. I’ve been coming to this spot for two and a half years now and every time it takes my breath away – it reminds me why I moved here in the first place.

After falling in love with New York again, head back to the 2/3 on the corner of Henry and Clark, go two stops to Fulton Street and head over to Front street where you will find the Bodies Exhibition. Now, it took me a while to come around to wanting to go in to this exhibition as I can be a bit squeamish, but I was finally won over. I have to say this exhibition is mind blowing and well worth a quick gander (that means look where I’m from). You’ll gain a new respect for your body and be cheered by the fact that you’ve managed to squeeze a little culture in to your weekend. Ok, it might not be Monet but it’s still an exhibition.

Feeling a little healthy now that you’ve learnt all about the inner workings of your body? Well fear not, I have the perfect guilt free snack for you. Head up to 31 Carmine St between Bleecker and Bedford where you’ll find Victory Garden. Your taste buds will be given quite the thrill by some fine goat-milk based frozen yogurt – trust me, they’ll win you over with their salted caramel…No, I know, I thought that too before I tried it, but honestly, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Especially by the inventive flavors and the friendly owner.

Now, given that it’s a Sunday I’m quite sure that it wasn’t an early start this morning – am I right? So, I hope I’m not being too presumptuous, but I’m guessing that it’s not too long now before sunset. Fancy a view? Well why not head up to The View Restaurant at 1535 Broadway on 45^th and 7^th. You can enjoy a 360° view of the city right from the heart of its Theatre District. My research shows that one full circle is just enough time to enjoy a nice bottle of wine shared between two. They even have some pretty good snacks. Once you’ve finished here it’ll be time to head on home, refreshed and revitalized in time for the week ahead.

How To Be a Brit in America

My first project post-graduation was a two week challenge that I set myelf. Write, cast and produce 10 episode webseries on any topic. I decided one quiet afternoon that I would like to use some of my experiences of being British, but living in America. I also wanted chance to use a sketch character called Marion that I created a while back and really fell for. So, How To Be a Brit in America was born. I have a wonderful group of friends in the city who all pitched in, we got it cast and filmed in an intense 2 week time period. Editing was done by two friends of mine, chiefly Ariel Pacheco, and then final cuts were done by Adam Lowder. We have so far released two episodes, the links are below.

Enjoy! Episode 4 will be released this weekend, where Marion will show you how to Eat like an America – just in time for Thanksgiving.

My First Post

I’m very excited to have started my blog, something I have wanted to do for a long time. Time to start blogging then….