"...it is here."

Time flies.

Really, it does.

Just yesterday I remember smiling as I hurried out of the airport. I remember hopping into a shuttle and making the trek from LaGuardia Airport to good ol' 34th Street. I remember going to Times Square with my parents, looking around at the lights and the hustle and bustle and thinking to myself what a wonderful summer this was going to be. I remember walking into my apartment for the first time, half excited and half terrified of the one bedroom, one bath place me and three other girls were to call home for the next two-and-a-half months. I remember my first day of work and how nervous I was. I remember covering my first event. I remember when I fell in love with the Good Guy from Crumbs.

These times are all memories now. Memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

So, here it is, ladies and gents. The last round-up of my time in the city. And it goes a little something like this:

My good friends from London, Mike and Rae, came to town. I got to play tour guide with them all weekend!
Friday night: We took Mike out for a night on the town at the Blind Pig in Union Square, then a different place (sadly, I can't remember what it was called, but they took Stef's ID hostage for a good half hour because they thought it was fake. HELLO! She's 22. Just because it is a Missouri Driver's License doesn't mean it's fake, NYPD). After that, we went to Times Square for a look at the flashing lights.

Saturday was a full-on touristy day. We explored a market that extended the length of 6th Ave. from about 40th St. to Central Park. Rae got a hat for her boyfriend and she, Mike and I commemorated our semester in London by getting delicious Nutella crepes. They sure hit the spot, too! Then we did a little 5th Ave. shopping (well, Rae and Mike did, I just watched and commented when needed). After the spree, we walked to the Plaza Hotel and into Central Park. I took them on the abbreviated tour of the park (Wollman's Rink, the Mall, Sheep's Meadow, Bethesda Terrace, the Boathouse), and we finally ended up at the Met for an afternoon of art.



From the Met, we took the trusty subway downtown to the World Trade Center and South Street Seaport. I am so upset that I waited until the end of my time in NY to visit the South Street Seaport. It has breaktaking views and it's an overall awesome place to chill out with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

After our long and tiring day, we recharged our batteries and headed out for our next night on the town, this time with Rae's cousin and all of his friends. We went to this cool bar called XI, which is on 34th and 3rd. His friends got us on the list for the open bar (!!!!!), so we definitely enjoyed that aspect and danced the night away with unlimited drinks. From there, we headed to East Village to a bar called Continental where they have an astounding deal of 5 shots for $10, just like Quinton's in CoMo!

For a late-night snack, we went to Pomme Frites, a Belgian 'restaurant' that specializes in French Fries with every kind of sauce you can imagine. It was so, so DELISH!

Sunday: gave Mike the grand tour of SoHo, Chinatown and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. In Brooklyn, we headed to Grimaldi's Pizzeria (the best pizza in NY!) for a late lunch. By the time we got back, shopped a little more and got our stuff together, it was time for Mike to head back to Boston.

This week was an awesome end to the summer.

Monday: A great day at Us Weekly. Joe Manganiello, Alcide from "True Blood," came to the office for a luncheon. He participated in a Q & A session with us and I got a much-deserved photo op with him. He is incredibly handsome! TV does not do him justice.



That night was the YANKEES game vs. Toronto. The Yanks lost, but the stadium was such a sight to see. P.S. Yankee fans boo their own players. I don't get it! After the game we met some "interesting" guys on the way home and went to Legends Bar with them where a 40-year-old man tried to win over my affections. No, thanks.

Tuesday: Corrisa and I went to the Guggenheim Museum on the Upper East Side. Lots of weird and interesting art there. Tuesday night Corrisa, Lucy and I went to McSorley's Pub, aka the best beer in NY! They only serve an ale and porter, and they slam it down on the table right in front of you! It was such a cool atmosphere, not to mention the pub has been there for more than one hundred years. We also made a detour to Artichoke for one last slice. Yum.



Wednesday: Worked all day, then Chinatown at night.

Thursday: PACKED, PACKED and PACKED some more!

Friday: Last day at Us Weekly. So incredibly sad! Took lots of pictures in our element. Of course, my last day wouldn't have been the same without transcribing one last interview: Kellie Pickler! Said my goodbyes and walked out the revolving doors one last time. For our last full night in the city, Stef, Stephanie, Bethany and I went to the Frying Pan on the Hudson River. To put in college terms, this place was frat central. And oh so fun.

Today: Packed and cleaned some more. Haleigh realized that she had never been to Macy's (which has been across the street from us the entire summer) so we went there this morning and explored all nine floors.

Gotta wake up at 5 a.m. tomorrow, so no late night for me.

So, for my final farewell I would like to say this:

New York, you've been good to me. You showed me the good, the bad, the funny, the sad, the scary and the downright terrifying parts of this crazy world. But overall, you proved I can be whoever I want to be. You showed me my full potential. Thank you.

Until we meet again...

A change of heart about Kanye West

Little did I know what I was to experience when I got to work last Friday. It started off like any other morning, the usual daily tasks and conversations with my intern besties Lucy and Corrisa. We even caught Flo Rida strolling through the office like it was an everyday thing. But that afternoon had to be the coolest experience of my life.

It all began when Corrisa and I got on the elevator to go downstairs to Duane Reade. As we got off the elevator on the first floor, Corrisa looks at me with excitement in her eyes. Our following conversation went a little like this:

"I think I just saw Kanye West," she said.
"What?!" I exclaimed, flabbergasted. "No freaking way. I didn't see him at all!" (I tend to be a little up in the clouds sometimes, as you might already know)
"I swear to God. He had on a black suit and sunglasses, but it was him."
"Oh my God! We HAVE to find him!"

After our mad rush around Duane Reade, we headed back upstairs and did a little investigative snooping of our own around the Us and Rolling Stone office. No luck. We headed back to our post in the library where we were working before we went downstairs. And, lo and behold, when we headed back to the library, there was a crowd of about 10 people in one of the conference rooms next to the library. They were all sitting. But standing in front of the room was a man in a black suit and sunglasses. He was talking about an album.

It was Kanye.

Now I've become accustomed to these random celebrity run-ins (I do not mean to make that sound that self-absorbed, but when you work at a place like Us, you're bound to run into anyone and everyone), but this one caught me completely off guard. I tried to keep my cool, but it's KANYE. How can you keep your cool with that? The whole time I couldn't help but think, "Imma let you finish..."

Lucky for us, the conference room is all glass, so we sat at our trusty computers with a full view of Kanye talking to the people at Rolling Stone. After stealing a few looks and glimpses and acting like I was working, we heard music coming from the room.

No WAY he is playing his new music! I thought. I stole some more looks into the room. Everyone in there was head-banging like crazy. Kanye was practically dancing in the front of the room.

What is going on?!

All of a sudden, like a light shining down from above, Kanye looked through the glass into where Corrisa and I were sitting and staring. He waved and motioned us to come join.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

A man came into the library. "Come on, guys! Come on in!"

Why not?

So we were invited into the conference room, with the man himself, front and center. He was still previewing his music. He said some of the songs weren't even finished. And he performed them for us from standing on top of the conference room table!

It was like our own private concert. He was playing the music pretty loudly, so slowly but surely more and more people began to gather outside the room. And when Kanye saw them outside, he invited them in.

"Guys, we have room in here! Come in! Make some room! I want you all to hear!"

He spent a good 45 minutes to an hour of him rapping his new material for us (My personal favorite? One that goes something like "This is a toast for the assholes, a toast for the scumbags," with a killer guitar solo at the end, if I remember correctly). He said his new album was called "Donda's Voice," dedicated to his mother who died a few years ago.

After the private concert, he opened the floor for discussion and questions.

"I want to know what you think! Ask me anything. Anything you want!"

The questions begin to fly. "What was your inspiration for this album?" (You!) "How did you regroup after the whole VMA-Taylor Swift debacle?" (It was just my time for a break to reevaluate who I was and what person I wanted to become) "What's the difference between Kanye today and Kanye two years ago?" (Two years ago it was all about me, me, me, now it's about WE, the fans and me). My heart burned to ask a question.

If your mother were here right now, what would she say about this new album and the new you?

But I chickened out. I thought it was great, but I didn't want to bring up such a touchy subject in front of the entire company. So I kept it to myself. Stupid me.

"Enough about me!" he said. "I want to hear about you! What kinds of music do you listen to? Who inspires you? I need to know."

So then we began. He started going one-by-one to everyone around the room and they had to say who they liked listening to. There were the typical bands (The Beatles, Rolling Stones) and the not-so-typical (Hanson). And then, it was my turn.

"How about you? What do you like to listen to?" he asked.
"Well, you know, I like Queen, Foreigner and Styx. ... And then of more recent stuff I love Lady Gaga and Maroon 5." (I failed to mention my obsession with Taylor Swift but I think that was a great decision on my part)
"I love that you love pop music," he said. "I think pop music gets a bad rep because people are embarrassed to admit they listen to it. But some of music's best artists are pop artists. Gaga, for instance, she's changing the world with her music..."

I couldn't help but smile and nod my head. It was probably the single most coolest experience of my life.

After the Q & A session, the mini meet-and-greet came to a close. I realized that this guy really had changed. Like he said, he wasn't the "asshole Kanye" anymore. He says he wants to help people with his new record. I guess that will remain to be seen until it comes out, but, for now, I've decided I've had a change of heart about Kanye West.

"The end isn't near..."

I can't believe I only have about a week until I leave. This summer has been everything I've wanted and more. I've gotten to experience so much, live on my own and work and meet dozens and dozens of people I admire. After living here I've realized that I can do anything (cliche, I know, but so true). I can survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I can achieve anything I put my mind to. But I've also realized just how small I am in this city. It's filled with millions and millions of people going about their daily lives, and I am a small part of that equation. It puts the world into a perspective. I experienced that when I lived in London, but NY and London are two totally different places. And, for the most part, in NY I feel like I am in the "real world," whereas in London I knew I would be going back to Mizzou when I was done.

Enough with being sappy and reflecting. Here's what I've been up to recently:

I finally got to try legit Chinese in Chinatown! Stef and I went to this cool, hole-in-the-wall place called Wo Hop on Mott St. It literally had 10 tables, and the line was out the door waiting to get in. I recommend this place to anyone visiting the city. It is away from a lot of the hustle and bustle of Canal St (the main artery of Chinatown and where hecklers sell fake purses). Try the Wonton and Egg Drop Soup... divine!

My lovely Us ladies Corrisa and Lucy joined me in enjoying another summer concert. This time we went to Coney Island and watched the Beach Boys! And did I mention it was FREE? It was amazing. We got there and there were already thousands of people there (I estimate close to 40,000). In order to get a somewhat good view, we snuck into this roped off area where only a few groups of people had laid out their things. We had a view of the entire side of the stage. And the best part was that John Stamos made a cameo appearance and sang with them the second half of the show! He even sang his Full House hit "Forever." I was in heaven! Nothing's like listening to the Beach Boys when you're on am actual beach (well, technically we were in a park that was by the beach, but what's the difference?)



The next day was the last summer Friday of my time at Us. Corrisa, Luce and I went on a little shopping trip through Chelsea and the Upper West Side. It was a great day to shop because it basically rained all day long. We were all pretty successful, too.

Saturday I met up with Amanda and we went to Hell's Kitchen market. Got a cool ring and a purse that I am truly obsessed with. It's beautiful to say the least. It was scorching outside, but we put on our game faces and walked up and down the West Side. We got to visit the High Line (old railroad tracks above the city that have been converted to a sidewalk and garden). Gorgeous!

Saturday night Amanda, Stephanie and I did a BYOB in the Upper West Side for dinner at this place called Bellini. BYOB here means bring your own bottle of wine and you can drink it at dinner, which is nice. So beforehand we went to Trader Joe's and got their trusty $3 bottles and shared them at dinner. Afterwards, Stephanie went home but Amanda and I ventured out to one of my favorite NYC bars, the Gin Mill.

Sunday night was the Mad Men season premiere, and Lauren's boss invited her to go to a watch party at a hotel in TriBeCa, and Lauren invited me to tag along. We were treated with a '60's drink (Tom Collins for her, an Old Fashioned for me) and watched the premiere in a screening room where we enjoyed the AMAZING episode with everyone else!

Monday night, after work, I met up with Corrisa, Corrisa's friend Stephen and Lucy and we ventured to Greenwich for one of my last times in the village :(

Tuesday was the big CARDS vs. METS game at Citi Field. The stadium is gorgeous! But I seriously believe Cards fans are different than any other fans in baseball. If this were a game at Busch, it would have been a sell-out. Not here. Lots of open seats (probably the fact that the Mets aren't very good this year, either, doesn't help) We were up in the true nosebleed section, but we had a fantastic view of the field and also the city in distance. I had a fabulous time (even though the Cards lost big time). Next week we are heading to the Yankees game!



Agenda for my last full weekend in the city: my London friends Mike and Rae will be in town... so lots of city loving coming their way!

Until next time-

Days go by

Lots of cool stuff happening this week!

Monday
-Free drinks and "appetizer plate" at Louis 649 in Alphabet City. I use the term "appetizer" loosely because it literally was a small saucer of pickled beets, pickled red peppers and pickled pickles (if that's even possible). The drinks are highly recommended, though!

Tuesday
Poured down rain ALL DAY LONG. Seriously POURED. Ran some errands, but got soaked along the way. Also witnessed a homeless woman pop a squat in the subway station. I am traumatized for life.

The weather DID clear up in the evening, though. Stephanie got a job at good ol' Louis Vuitton, so Amanda, Stef and I met up with her for celebratory drinks at Legends, on 33rd between 5th and 6th (aka super close to me!)

After a few drinks, we headed to Central Park to watch the NY Philharmonic perform! It was so peaceful and a great concert! I love classical music, but this made me love it even more, even though it was on the Great Lawn of the park and the ground was still wet from the day's rainstorm!

Thursday
Got some much-needed pampering, and then met Lucy and Corrisa at Grand Central Station and headed to Connecticut for the Cake concert! Lucy lives in New Town, Conn. and the concert was in nearby Danbury, Conn. at West Connecticut State University. The train ride is only about an hour and a half, and by the time we got there, Lucy's friend Caitlin was waiting in the parking lot to pick us up. From there, we headed to WCSU! It was really refreshing to be in a town like Belleville again — Walmart, cute little houses, GRASS — I almost forgot what they looked like. And it was nice to get out of the city for the night and be in a place like home. I've come to realize there is no place like home! (cliche, yes, but SUCH a true statement).

The concert was so much fun. It reminded me a lot of concerts at the Verizon Amphitheater in STL. We had lawn seats, but towards the end of the concert we decided to make our way up to the stage (the whole concert area was quite small compared to that in STL). So we ran up to the front and made it to the front row! Ha! It was insane!



Friday
Friday we had to catch an early train back to NYC from Lucy's house because we all worked on Friday. LONG morning, but it ended up being an overall great day at Us with lots of busywork to do.

Friday night I met up with Amanda and her friends from IU and we headed to the Lower East Side to a bar called Arlo and Esme. Granted, we didn't get there until 1 a.m., but this place was hoppin'! It had a good vibe to it and was equally enjoyable.

Saturday
After the madness that was Thursday and Friday, Saturday called for a relaxing, yet fun day. Stef and I took a look at the weather and decided to head to Coney Island for a day filled with hot dogs, sun and amusement park rides.

After the long subway ride (thank goodness we didn't have to pay extra!), we arrived at the famous beach. Our first stop was the ever-so-delicious Nathan's Hot Dog stand, home of the hot-dog eating contest on the 4th of July. We quickly filled our tummies and explored the Luna Amusement Park, then headed to the shore.

The beach at Coney Island isn't that great. It's really crowded and a bit on the dirty side. Stef told me a story that her friend told her about the nastiness of the beach, and it still haunts me at night.

After laying out for a few hours, we decided to end our beach day with a great boardwalk snack, a funnel cake, and a ride on the Wonder Wheel, Coney Island's own version of the Ferris Wheel — with a twist. It was quite terrifying, actually. It seems like a normal ride at first, but each car is on its own track, so that when the wheel moves, so does the car, backwards and forwards. I guess getting older means having a more sensitive stomach!



After getting back into the city, Stef and Haleigh were the lucky recipients of Wicked tickets they won in a lottery (I already saw Wicked when I was in London, so I didn't mind not going to the show) I, on the other hand, decided to see Rock of Ages, starring American Idol's Constantine Maroulis. It was one of the best shows I've seen... and all the songs they sing are Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon and more. I had so much fun singing along!



After our respective shows let out, we made our way to Union Square to the famous Max Brenner Chocolate Bar. I woke up with a chocolate hangover the next day. So totally worth it.

Sunday
Stef and I decided to head to Brooklyn. Our ultimate destination was the Brooklyn Flea Market, and we sure had one hell of a time getting there. But despite canceled trains, wrong directions and bad luck, we made it two hours later. I got two amazing bracelets for a total of $15. I call that a steal in this city!

Sunday night Corrisa and I saw INCEPTION. I cannot stress this enough: you MUST see this movie! No ifs, ands or buts about it. It will blow your mind. And Leo isn't too bad to look at, either ;)

Catching Up

Because I have so much to update on, I've decided to turn to trusty BULLETED POINTS. That way, it's less I have to type and less that you have to read. Win-win situation, right?

4th of July Weekend
Because of the holiday weekend (and the fact that Us has to work on Mondays, no matter what) we were off on Friday. That meant interns' night out Thursday night!

-Barcelona Bar. Harry Potter shots (flaming shots complete with the bartender who dressed up like Harry!)

-Got lost in TriBeCa. Getting lost in heels is not fun.
-Found a cool little bar in the Chinatown/SoHo area. Forget the name, but it was well-worth getting lost for!
-We all tried to pull an all-nighter in order to see Maroon 5 at the Today show Friday morning. Well, we failed. I vowed that I was going to wake up, but my alarm didn't go off, so I missed the entire concert :(

Friday
-Ran into Amy after I attempted to go to the concert late. We decided to spend our days off at Brighton Beach, a beach a few miles from the famous Coney Island. Didn't get a Nathan's hot dog, though.


Saturday
-Amanda, Stef and I headed out to Long Island Beach for a hot, hot day on the shore!
-Got burnt to a crisp. Literally. Stef looked like a tomato and I looked like I spent a little too long in the tanning bed. Yay, summer!
-Met up with Regan that night for a fun night in the East Village at a bar called The Blind Pig. Guy bought me a PB&J shot when I told him I had never tried it. Tasted exactly like a PB&J and I was taken back to the good-ol' days at St. Teresa.


Sunday
-4th of July!
-All of us roomies and Lauren's friends made a pit-stop in Central Park, the most famous park in America (in my opinion!)
-Headed to Pier 54 to watch fireworks. Arrived and found out that the pier didn't open until 6. We ended up walking to Pier 88. Walking two miles + 100-degree heat = me almost collapsing of dehydration.
-After I almost died (two bottles of water and ice cream saved me), we hung out at the pier 'til the fireworks started at 9:30. Best fireworks display I've ever seen! Bravo, Macy's!


Monday
-While everyone enjoyed their day off, I worked.

Tuesday
-Woke up at 5 a.m. to get in the standby line for Regis and Kelly.
-After waiting for three hours, finally got in!
-Attended live taping of Tuesdays show. The guests: Julianne Moore and Nikki Reed from Twilight
-After the taping ended, the producers informed us that they would be taping ANOTHER show that was going to air the next week. They told us to stay if we could. BONUS SHOW! I totally stayed, of course.
-2nd show: Russell Brand (!!!), Nicholas Cage and Snooki, Pauly D and The Situation from Jersey Shore (!!!!!!!!!!) Too much fun! And sooo glad I went!
-That night I went to Kendra Wilkinson's book signing. Got to meet her (she's gorgeous!) and her hubby Hank (so cute in person, too!)

Wednesday
-Ah, work again.
-After work we all went to Pier 54 for the Hudson River movie nights. Tonight's feature presentation: THE HANGOVER! I was in heaven. Watched the movie on the pier that overlooked the Hudson River. Breathtaking!

Thursday
-Spent my afternoon at Bryant Park reading and writing :)
-Went to bed early in order to wake up early for the LADY GAGA concert!

Friday
-Woke up at 3:00 AM for the Lady Gaga concert at the Today Show!
-People had been camping out since Wednesday. Needed to say, when we arrived there was already a massive crowd. We made camp behind the stage.
-As the concert neared, police let us scoot forward towards the stage. We ended up about 100 feet closer to the stage than when we started. Not bad, not bad!
-Gaga came out and performed four songs. It rained after the first set and during the last set. It was surreal. She didn't let the rain prohibit her from performing. AMAZING live and so incredible.
-Found out that we were apart of the biggest concert crowd the Today Show has ever had. 20,000 people crammed into Rockefeller Plaza.
-Had to go to work after that (but first, I raced home and changed into clothes that weren't soaking wet!) Thank you, Starbucks Iced Coffees.
-Happy Hour with Lucy and Corrisa at the House of Brews. Yummy raspberry beer!

Saturday
-Chelsea Markets and the Meatpacking District
-Stef and I trekked to the upper, upper west side and visited the prestigious Columbia University. Snuck around and went inside the Journalism School and also the Art School. Beautiful campus, but didn't compare to Mizzou :)
-Screened the new movie, Ramona and Beezus, for Us. SUCH a cute family-friendly movie! The little girl who plays Ramona is unforgettable.

Sunday
-Ah, finally today. I'm meeting my aunt and her husband in Hoboken!
-This afternoon is the press junket for Ramona and Beezus with Selena Gomez, John Corbett and Bridget Moynahan! Sooo excited!

So that's the latest updates in the life of Jenna. Stay tuned for more, kids.

Jamie in the city

My sissy arrived in town this week! So it has been all fun, and no work!

She arrived at my apt. Wednesday afternoon, so naturally we decided that her first stop would be Times Square! We knew we wanted to see a Broadway show that night, but we didn't really know which to see out of The Addams Family, In the Heights and Promises, Promises. We made a little visit to the TKTS booth and saw that tickets for Promises, Promises were discounted, so we ultimately decided that would be our entertainment for the evening. Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth (who I interviewed last week and is a complete doll!) star in the show. It was incredibly FUNNY and the singing and acting was perfect. I totally forgot that Sean hosted the Tony's, and now I can understand why. He certainly has a natch for performing!



Thursday sure was a hot one! We decided to follow in my footsteps from when I first got here and rented bikes and biked around Central Park (no tour guide needed this time, though :)) A few stops on this tour was the Alice in Wonderland statue, Jackie O reservoir and the Great Lawn!

After our tiring workout, we made our way to the Flatiron District for some delicious burgers and shakes at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. And, as expected, it was DELICIOUS! And we definitely had to make sure we walked home after that meal!

After going home and getting ready, we made our way by Long Island Railroad to Garden City, NY for a book signing and cocktail party put on by the author of the Hungry Girl books. My sis and I had a little run-in with trying to figure out how to get to Garden City (and bought the wrong tickets), but a woman we met on the train helped us out a lot and ended up giving us a ride from the train station to the party. I know, I know, it sounds kind of sketch and really, really weird, but the woman herself was extremely nice (we all had been talking the whole train ride) and trustworthy, so we decided why not? We were already in the wrong place, so it was nice having someone looking out for us and making sure we got to our destination safely.

So, the party: Free healthy food and (nonalcoholic) drinks all night long in one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen! Definitely worth the trip out there and all of the hassle!

Friday
Friday was a day of exploration and, my favorite part, SHOPPING! We for sure wanted to do some bargain hunting, so we made a very special visit to Filene's Basement in Union Square (a place very well-known to "What Not to Wear" fans). After scouring through the megastore, and making a few great, cheap purchases, we made our way through Greenwich Village towards the West Village. Jamie wanted to see Washington Sqaure Park/Arch and shop on Bleecker, and I made no objections! We got some great finds that day (especially from our trusty, secret Marc Jacobs outlet store) and headed back after a long and tiring day.

Jamie's friends from work made suggestions on where to go for some din. We got all dolled up and headed to Alfredo's of Rome near Rockefeller Plaza. This place self-promotes themselves to be the original makers of fettucini alfredo. Of course, I obliged and had some. BIG LETDOWN let me tell you. I think they were a total crock. So, after a disappointing (and pricey) dinner, we wandered around a moonlit Rockefeller Plaza and snapped some much-needed pics.

For our night adventure, we met up with Amanda and her roommate Melissa at Down the Hatch in the West Village. Funny thing about the name is that this place really is DOWN THE HATCH, in the basement of some apartments. It was a cool atmosphere, but we wanted to go to a place a little more fun so we headed to our trusty bar Fiddlesticks! And let me tell you what an oh-so-good choice that was! We met some fun and interesting people from Jersey who definitely made it a night to remember! I think my sis had a great time!

Saturday
After Friday night, we had a late start Saturday morning. The USA vs. Ghana match started in the afternoon, so we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and make our way to the Brooklyn flea market that is underneath the bridge. Well, after a very long and exhausting walk, we finally get to Brooklyn and come to find out that the Brooklyn flea happens on Sunday and not Saturday. Whomp, whomp. But we found a cute little bar on the water and watched part of the match there. Now I'll admit that I am not the biggest soccer fan, but I do like to watch sports. But soccer is just so, so unentertaining to me. I know I might sound like a typical American, but I really did try to engage myself. It just wasn't happening. And add to the fact that we were down 1-0 for the entire first half and then went into extra time...

Saturday night my sis and I were exhausted. We ended up making it a chill night and saw Grown-Ups with Adam Sandler. It was pretty funny, but not the best Adam Sandler movie. His glory days was most definitely Billy Madison. I don't think he has had a solid funny movie since Big Daddy. But that is left up to interpretation!



Sunday
My sister is a huge fan of TLC's "Cake Boss," so, along with Haleigh, we made the trek to Hoboken, NJ (via PATH) to visit the famous Carlo's Bakery. We got thee and the line to get in winded down the street! It was insane considering it was only 11 a.m. After standing in line for about 30-45 minutes, we were finally granted access into heaven. All homemade goodness packed in this little room! We all got some different treats (my favorite was the cannoli!) and enjoyed our half-day in Hoboken!



After getting back to Manhattan, my sis and I headed to the Financial District to Century 21, a massive high-end discount retailer. I've been there before, but I almost forgot about the racks and racks of designer clothes that this place has for half-price! Now I know where these people get these Michael Kors bags and DVF dresses. Century 21 is where it's at!

I was getting pretty broke by the end of Jamie's visit, so we made the ultimate decision to cook a meal that night. What a good decision it was! And it was better than some of the food we had out in the city. Weird how that stuff happens.

Monday
Monday I headed back to work after my "vacation," while Jamie did some more sightseeing. I had to screen M. Night Shyamalan's new 3-D movie The Last Airbender that night in order to attend a press junket the next day. And also, my boss invited me and my sis to go to a launch party for Tribe Hummus at the American Museum of Natural History in the Upper West Side. Again, free food and drinks. I can definitely get used to this lifestyle! So it was a fun last night for Jamie in the city. Tiring, but fun and unforgettable!

Tuesday
Tuesday I said my goodbyes to Jamie and she headed back to STL.

In the afternoon I went to the press junket for The Last Airbender at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue (sight of many movie scenes for all of your Serendipity fans out there!) It was my first time I did a press junket, so I was a little nervous in that sense because I really had no idea what to expect. All of the print interviews were in the afternoon, so the PR folks divided all of the press into four rooms. M. Night Shyamalan, Dev Patel and Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz then made their rounds to each room, and we got 15 minutes to speak to them in a roundtable style, where reporters go in a circle and each ask the celebs their questions. Lucky for me, I was sitting in the chair that was right beside where the stars sat, and that got really fun when we were interviewing Night. He was telling us a story about working with Noah Ringer, the lead of the movie, and how he had to nudge him along sometimes when doing his scenes. Night pretended I was Noah and started nudging me! I know I sound like an obsessed fan, but I almost died right then in there! This world-famous director is touching me! Ahhh! But he and the actors were all very nice and funny. I especially loved talking to Dev Patel, who played Jamal in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. It's funny because now that I have interviewed quite a few celebs, I've realized that they really are just normal folks like you and me.

Wednesday
Nothing too exciting to report on today, but I did help choose the Leonardo DiCaprio picture that will appear on the next cover of Rolling Stone! So be VERY sure to check that out! :)

Uptown Girls

Visitors, visitors and more visitors... 5B6 is always hoppin'!

But let's start with business first.

Tuesday night

Tuesday night was the big "Pay it Fashion Forward" event that I covered for Us. It was held at Lucky Strike Lanes, a massive bowling alley on 42nd and 12th. I arrived right on time and sat in the press area anticipating the arrival of Entourage star Emmanuelle Chriqui (Sloane) and How to Make It in America and One Tree Hill star Bryan Greenberg. They were both emceeing the fashion show. I got to do sit-down interviews with both of them and they both were great to talk to. Bryan is from St. Louis, so I mentioned that I was also from the STL and we hit it off nicely. It's nice to meet other people (albeit, he is a celeb) from the Midwest. It really is a small world.

Wednesday
Wednesday was the big Game 7 of the NBA Finals! We went back to our trusty neighborhood bar Fiddlesticks to watch! I didn't know who to root for (and frankly didn't care, but I'm not a big Kobe fan so I decided the Celtics were my team for the night! However, we lost :( but it was still so fun to hang out with the 9-5 crowd!

Thursday
I've been finding that I love spending time in Central Park, no matter what reason I am there. Case in point: Thursday morning I went for a little workout in the "perk" and went back in the afternoon to lounge, read and lay out. Now I know what you're thinking. 'Jenna! You're in NY! Why aren't you doing something worth your time like going to the museums or shop or explore?' And my answer to that is that I am perfectly content with just hanging out. After living in Europe for five months, once you've seen one museum you've seen them all. And it's nice getting some R&R in...

After my sesh at CP, I got ready and met Amanda for happy hour. The drink specials for happy hour are pretty good, and you honestly can't pass them up after a long day in the office. Although I didn't work that day, I happily accepted the offer to get a few cocktails! We started off at this place called Lucy's right next to Madison Square Garden. It has a rooftop bar, and the day was beautiful so we decided why not? We then took the subway to the Upper West Side and went to a fabulous restaurant that had sidewalk seating and had a few Magic Hats - probably the best beer I've had here! You must try it when/if you get the chance!

Friday
For some reason unbeknownst to me, this past Friday at Us was "Summer Friday," which basically was a day off for the entire office. So that meant that a few of my fellow interns and I got to enjoy a Friday in the city. And of course, we decided to lay out in CENTRAL PARK! First. I met up with Lucy and Corrisa in Columbus Circle, and Corrisa took us back to her apartment where she is living for the summer. This place was AMAZING! It is actually her friend's great aunt's apartment, but the great aunt was more than happy to let Corrisa stay there for the summer. Let's just say it's in the Upper West Side, 20-something floor and has an incredible view of Central Park! I am so very jealous of Corrisa... comparing that place to 5B6 really made me want to live in an actual neighborhood of NYC and not just a tourist hot-spot!

So after our grand tour, us three headed to Sheep's Meadow in the park for a day of getting tan! The weather was hot and sunny, so perfect! Just really upset with the fact that I have yet to find a pool here, even though there is a public pool somewhere close by, but God knows what is in THAT water!

After I said good-bye to my friends, I had to get ready for Miss Kelsey Swango to make her way here! She arrived around 11 p.m., so we got ready really quick and met up with Bethany and Stef to go to the Upper West Side (once again, this is slowly becoming my next favorite NY spot!) to a cool bar called Gin Mill on Amsterdam. This place was right up my alley! The young crowd packed the small room, and the best part was we made friends and they invited us to hang out with them. So for this wonderful night I was transported back to my glory days at Mizzou (I am acting all sentimental here, aren't I?) and played my favorite games. We were out a little late that night, but I know Kels had a blast.

Saturday
Kelsey has been to NYC a few times before, so she wasn't all about doing all of the sightseeing, which was perfectly fine with me! We decided to have a field day extravaganza and hit up Bloomingdale's and Serendipity (this time for Peanut Butter and Mint Frrrozen Hot Chocolates!) It was divine! And then we headed to the Boathouse in Central Park to rent a rowboat and take a nice little leisurely ride on the lake. We had an hour to pretty much row wherever we wanted, but considering that the lake was packed with other rowers and kayakers, it too a little more time than normal. But we all had our try rowing and had such a blast.



I guess we had too much fun because we had dinner reservations at 6:15 at La Esquina and I didn't even get into the shower until 5:30. It was a mad dash to get ready (I think it was the fastest I've ever showered and gotten ready before in my life!) and the subway was all screwed up (long story), but we made it to the restaurant at 6:30.

This place was INSANELY incredible. It is a secret restaurant in the basement of a diner. It is by reservation only. You walk in, and it looks just like any other diner. But there is a woman in all black sitting near the stairwell, and you tell her about your reservation, and then she radios the hostess downstairs. If your name is on the list, the hostess gives the other woman the all clear and you can head downstairs. Well the hostess said that the "Chelsea Swango" (close enough) party was good to enter, so we headed downstairs, THROUGH THE KITCHEN (no exaggeration. We litterally walked through the restaurant's kitchen to get into the actual restaurant) and got sat at a table in the corner. It really kept its secret theme vibe all throughout, as it was incredibly dark and low-key. But oh so delicious!

After our "secret dinner" we headed to Trader Joe's to get their famous $3 bottles of wine, then headed back to the apt. to figure out our next move. Unfortunately we were having bad luck trying to meet up with some other friends, so we just decided to stay close to the apt. and head to a bar down here. It was very chill, but we welcomed it after a crazy night the night before. And we had to stop in the pizza place next door to make friends (and possibly get some free slices of pie) with Javier (we called him J) and Sammy Hamy (not kidding)! It was definitely a conversation to remember!

Sunday Funday
Today was Swang's last day, and to commemorate her time studying abroad in Florence, we decided to head to Little Italy for some "authentic" Italian! It was good (not as good as Borgo in Florence though :)) and we wandered around down there for a while and then headed back. And I'm not lying, today was probably the hottest day of summer so far here. So it wasn't that enjoyable to walk around, but we managed for the most part. For the final stop of Kelsey's tour, we headed up to my apt.'s top floor to the rooftop terrace to get an aerial view of the entire city. Perfection!



After I saw "Chelsea Swango" off (the bus ran 45 minutes late!) I decided to treat my feet to some relief and get a pedicure. New York is known for having CHEAP deals on nails. A mani/pedi combo was only $23! Insane, if you ask me! And I've never felt better (and I am sure my feet can say the same).

This week my sister Jamie is heading my way! I am soooo excited! And Us gave me Wednesday and Friday off, so I get a week's vacation to play tour guide! More to come, obviously!

You gotta just keep on livin' man, L-I-V-I-N

I have Katy Perry's "California Gurls" stuck in my head right now. It won't get OUT.. not that I'm complaining, I love that song!

Anyway, these past few days have been nothing short of fun, exciting, and pure amazingness.

Thursday
Thursday was the big Havaianans launch at Barney's on Madison. I arrived early, but Penn Badgley didn't get there until about an hour after the event started. Havaianas were launching special edition flip-flops to coincide with the World Cup. Penn was the special guest of honor.

When he arrived, I was completely starstuck. He definitely looks much different in real life than he does on TV (as they all do!) I waited a while, and the PR girls were able to talk to Penn's reps about me interviewing him. There were a few rules and off-limits questions (no Q's about Blake or Chace), but they gave me the go-ahead. And, right before I was able to interview him, Stef, Stephanie, Amanda and Haleigh all arrived to try and get a glimpse and a pic of him. It was nice to have some support with me!

The interview went great. I (hopefully) get better with them each time, and this time I was much more at ease. Questions were flying off left and right and the converstaion flowed beautifully. I'll admit, my hand was a little wobbly holding the tape recorder, but I hope he didn't notice too much! I talked to him about his upcoming movie, the World Cup and other personal questions I could get in.

Now I really would like to get a full-blown picture with me and these celebs sometimes, but I just seem so awkward asking them that I don't! Is that weird? "Oh, hey, thanks for talking with me. Now can I get a picture with you?" And then whip out my camera and look like a crazed fan. I will get the courage one day, just you wait. But for now I will just rely on my friend's pictures of me, like this one Stephanie snapped:



After my event, Amanda (from Belleville! She lives here now! Yay), Stephanie, Stef and I headed down to good ol' Bleecker Street to this restaurant called 1849. It's an ultra-cool lounge/restaurant. We discovered just how fun SoHo is at night and decided that we were to come back the following evening for a proper night out!

Friday
After work on Friday, we had a massive get-together with people from Mizzou: me, Stef, Stephanie, Bethany, Elle and Amanda all went out and headed back to Bleecker. We went to this cool bar called Slane and stayed there throughout the night. Amazing music. Just simply so much fun... we needed it! We met some great groups of guys and tried to make some friends, but apparently we aren't the only tourists in this city :( We need to meet the locals!

Saturday
Saturday was the big WORLD CUP match between USA and England! Stef and I met up with the Laurens and their friends from their work at Fiddlesticks in Greenwich village. It was crazy fun and so heated and exciting! And when I say heated, I mean heated. It was insanely hot inside the pub because of the overabundance of people standing around (and not to mention it was 90 degrees outside) Unfortunately the game was a draw, but we did have a ton of fun.. just watch the video below:



We were so tired from the day's festivities that nightlife for Saturday consisted of Stef, Lauren and I going out and finding this divine place where they make their own cookies and ice cream sandwiches called "Milk and Cookies." We got there just before they closed and I got an amazing thing called "The Grasshopper," which is bascially mint chocolate chip ice cream sanwiched in between two double chocolate chip cookies. OH. MY. GOD. That's all I'm going to say.

Sunday
Sunday was the roomie tourist day. We decided to hit up the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - two very distinctive and important landmarks in NY. It's so simple to get there because a ferry takes you to Liberty Island, and then after you visit there another ferry picks you up and takes you to Ellis Island, and then back to the mainland.



At Ellis Island I found my great-grandfather in their records! Nicola Todoroff came to the US from Bulgaria (via Southampton) in March of 1914 on the Olympic, the sister ship of the Titanic! I already knew most of that information, but it is just so cool seeing it in a place with such historic value. And also getting a taste for how much traveling he did in order to get here!

Monday
Yesterday I covered an event with Kristin Chenoweth of "Glee" at the Broadway Theater, the site of her musical, "Promises, Promises." The event celebrated adopted children, and Kristin sat down and talked with some kids that were still trying to find someone to adopt them. She was so sweet to all of them, and they asked her to sing a song and SHE DID. She sung on stage without warm-up or anything. It was so BEAUTIFUL. I was in awe of her the entire time. Private concert from a Broadway star? CHECK!

I got to interview her after she was done with the kids, and she was also so nice! I talked to her about the Tony Awards that were held the night before and about her steamy kiss with Sean Hayes, her co-star in "Promises, Promises." She was giving me all of these little anecdotes and she was so fun to talk to! Like I said before, practice really does make perfect. I am getting much more confident with myself that I can do these interviews! Soo much better!

Tuesday
Today a few interns from Us were asked to help work a huge Volkswagen launch with Katy Perry. It was in Times Square, so we all had to be there at 8:45 a.m. to get ready for the morning's festivities. We all had to shadow a member of the press and help them get to their spots in order to film/take pictures. We ended up standing front row when Katy Perry came out and sang! She did three songs: "I Kissed a Girl," "Hot N Cold" and "California Gurls." She killed it live! And at the concert the CEO of Volkswagen unveiled the new VW Jetta! It was so cool to see everything live! The mini-concert was a blast and i am glad I got to experience it with my fellow interns!

Tonight I have another event to go to, this time a Forever 21 fashion show in Times Square with special guests Emanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) and Bryan Greenberg (How to Make It in America, One Tree Hill). I am so excited for this one, too! More to come!

Serendipity. Story of my life!

My job is AMAZING. I love it sooo much!

Yesterday I worked my first event! It was a benefit for the American Cancer Society and it was hosted by one of the Real Housewives of NY, Alex McCord and her husband, Simon. It was a beer, wine and food tasting extravaganza in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. They had sectioned off a whole floor of these ultra-modern and gorgeous apartments, and and in every room on the floor they had restaurants, breweries and wineries showcasing their stuff. So not only was it a lot of delicious food, but lots of wine and of course, my favorite, beer! The beer served reminded me a lot of Flat Branch beer, which of course made me really, really happy and made me miss CoMo....

The hosts arrived and I got to do a one-on-one interview with Alex and her hubby. They were extremely nice and very willing to talk with me. We chatted for almost 10 minutes until I got pulled away. We chatted about the show, Bethenny and her weight loss and they also gave me a ton of parenting advice for the magazine. Overall it was a very good first event interview, and it was on Us' Web site all this morning and afternoon!


Thanks Stef for sneaking in a pic... haha!

Tomorrow I'm going to Barney's (I know, hair flip) to attend a Havaiana's launch with very special guest Penn Badgley. SOMEBODY PINCH ME!! I must be dreaming!

Back to touristy me: Tuesday Stef and I went to the Met and saw the "American Woman" fashion exhibit. It was pretty cool, but a little disappointing. From the UES we wandered to Serendipity for a delicious Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. This was DIVINE! It seriously tastes like hot chocolate, but it's a little malted and of course, cold. Stef and I were wondering the whole time we sipped on our drinks how in the world they make this! And I also loved the movie, so it was fun seeing these places where movies are filmed in person. And I just love the word serendipity. Just say it over and over: serendipity, serendipity, serendipity... doesn't it just put you in a happy mood automatically?

Until tomorrow with more reports of my adventures...
<3, j.

A day full of markets

Still a lot of exploring around the city these last few days. And I'm loving every minute of it.

Yesterday Lauren, her friend from work (also named Lauren) and I explored all of the flea markets we could find. We started off in the Meatpacking District on the West Side. We found this really cool vintage market (full of clothes and antiques) scrunched in between some side-streets and alleyways. It was unbelievably hot outside (pretty much like every other day this summer), so most of the time I was looking for a tent to browse through to escape the hot summer sun.

To market, to market

Both of the Laurens were finding things left and right, while I was failing miserably. I've realized just HOW PICKY I am when it comes to shopping. Especially at these markets. Everything I found I talked myself out of buying. I guess that is good for other ventures, but not when you go marketing for eight hours straight and have nothing to show for it!

For lunch we found this really cute place just off Bleeker Street. It was jam-packed with people, so we were obviously very intrigued as to what was so good about this place. We found out right when we sat down. There were unlimited mimosas + your entree for $16.95. GREAT price in my book, especially because NY prices are jacked up so high (especially on alcohol). So we had a nice little break from scouring the markets with all-you-can-drink mimosas. Definitely did me in!

After our lunch break, we continued to find more and more markets. Bleecker Street was having some sort of fair (the only one this summer supposedly) so we were pretty lucky to stumble upon that, We ended up walking east on Bleecker St. to NYU and Washington Square Park. That park is beautiful. I just love the Washington Square Arch, and I think it might be based on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

From the park we walked up 5th Ave. back home. Bethany was wanting to go to a free concert in Central Park, so we decided we might as well try and go to that. Well, by the time we all met up, bought some dinner and wine from a small market next to Central Park, it was dark and the concert had been going on for more than an hour. And, being it was in the biggest park in NY (and the fact that it was pitch black out), we could not find the concert worth the life of us! Everytime we heard music playing we followed it, and everytime it turned out to be a dead end. Finally we just camped at a spot where people were having salsa dancing lessons (well, I think that's what they were doing) and enjoyed sushi and a bottle of wine in the park. What a tiring day... but always ready for more!

Lots of fun stuff coming up this week ;) Details later.

Life at Us

Today was pretty awesome.

I did a phone interview with singer/songwriter/producer Kevin Rudolf. He is most known for his song "Let It Rock":



His new single "I Made It" is out right now (and I am loving it, by the way).



Kevin's new album is coming out this month, so my interview coincided with this new release of his. I got to ask him all sorts of questions on his music, growing up in NY, songwriting, his collaborations with Lil Wayne, Three6 Mafia, Jay Sean, Flo Rida, Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield and more. He couldn't have been more down to earth and nice. He made me feel right at home and calmed my nerves a bit, though he had no idea (well, at least I hope not) that he was my first celeb interview! It was much, much different than interviewing with the Missourian or Vox. It's nice because these people are used to the media and the press, so they know how they need to talk and actually want to talk to you (most of the time). At the Missourian or Vox, sometimes I felt I had to MAKE people talk to me, which wasn't very delightful on either of our parts.

Overall, it was a successful first interview at Us. And I am sure there will be many more to come :)

Next week, I will also be doing my first red carpet event with some ladies from the Real Housewives of NYC. I am just so lucky to be able to do all of this! But more to come on that a little later.

Lots of love,

jt

A red, white and black and blue weekend in D.C.

This weekend was Memorial Day weekend, so I asked myself, what better way to spend it than in the nation's capital?

Friday
The MegaBus left from Penn Station at 8 a.m. I got there at 7:45, and much to my surprise, there was a line down the street! I thought to myself, "How in the world are all of these people going to fit on this bus?" But sure enough, the double-decker MegaBus came strolling down the street (20 minutes late, might I add) and all of us passengers magically got a seat. Thus began the 4 1/2-hour trek south through New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and finally, Washington.

Kelsey picked me up at the bus station (NW quadrant). We took the Metro to her brother's house, where I dropped my bags off and freshened up a little. From there, we headed to Chinatown for some amazing Mexican at Rosa Mexicano (Mexican in Chinatown???).

Oh my goodness, it was probably the best Mexican food I've ever had. And I found out that there are a few locations in NY, which is even better!

Our Mexican fiesta... hi, Kelsey!

After our feast (and a bit of a Mexican food coma) we headed to Capitol Hill for some much-needed photo ops, and then went to the Newseum, which is basically a journalist's heaven. It was a museum filled with all kinds of information/artifacts from the big news stories of decades past. There, we saw the needle that was at the top of one of the World Trade Center towers, the Unabomber's cabin he built himself, Patty Hearst's ransom note, and a gallery of every front page of every major newspaper in America. Too freaking cool.

After the Newseum, we headed back to Kelsey's bro's house, where we met Regan. We got all dolled up and headed out on the town to Sign of the Whale, a really, really fun bar. And the bartender loved us and gave us free drinks and chocolate-covered strawberries (????) and simply had a blast. I want to go back NOW.

Saturday
We woke up at a decent hour and began our touristy day. We were not prepared at ALL to how much we'd be walking (case in point: I wore the most unsupportive sandals that day). We started at Arlington National Cemetery and saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the ceremony for that and visited JFK and Jackie O's graves. And walked up and down the millions of hills in the cemetery.


The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

From there, we walked a good two miles (well, it felt that long) across the Potomac River to the Lincoln Memorial. There were SO MANY people in D.C. this weekend because of Memorial Day, so the Lincoln Memorial and all surrounding areas was packed. We visited the Korean War Memorial and Vietnam Memorial, then took a stroll along the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial and the Washington Monument. By this time, my feet were about to fall off, but we thought we might as well keep walking...

Our next stop was the oh-so-famous residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Is it weird that I thought it was much bigger when I was younger? But it was cool to see all of the Secret Service and police officers guarding the place on the street and on the roof. We walked around to the front for more pictures and ooh's and ahh's. Finally, we headed home after a good few hours of walking. We think we did about eight miles that day.... you be the judge!

Knock, knock.... Obama's? You home?

Saturday night we went to the GORGEOUS and upscale area of Georgetown! Swang went to school there last summer, so she knew the ropes pretty well. We ate dinner at Clyde's, where I had a HUGE and marvelous lobster. When I say lobster, I don't mean lobster tail. I mean an entire lobster served to me intact on my plate. Kind of scary when you first see it, but you get over it pretty quickly.

There she is....

After dinner, we headed to this cool bar, Old Glory in the heart of Georgetown. It was filled with people our age, so we had a good time striking up conversations (Ex: "Do you know who won the hockey game?" :))

After OG, we came home to find a bona fide karaoke contest in the Swango Residence. And what song did I sing? Taylor Swift's "Love Story," of course....

Sunday
We had only about half a day on Sunday to explore, so Swang and I visited the National Museum of American History, a Smithsonian Museum. My favorite sections were the First Ladies Inaugural Gown display and the Star Spangled Banner display (the original that inspired Francis Scott Key). I was overly excited to go to the Pop Culture section, but it was SUCH a letdown! The only cool things they had there were the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz and Edith and Archie Bunker's chairs from "All in the Family."

"Those were the days...."

After the Smithsonian Swang and I got some ice cream and walked to the Mall and got a great view of the Capitol and Washington Monument. For some reason, there was a massive motorcycle brigade going on throughout the streets of D.C., which made it extremely hard to cross streets.

I said my final goodbyes at 3:45, and the bus headed out at 4. Due to unexpected stops and delays, I didn't get back into the city until 9 p.m. Needless to say, I was incredibly tired.

But it was a perfect weekend. I'll be seeing you again soon, D.C.!

Work, SATC2 and then some

These past few days have been nuts!

Monday was my first day at Us. Did I mention that their office is the SAME office as Rolling Stone? Yep, most definitely have to walk through Rolling Stone to get to my desk. Muahahaha :)

The first day went great! There are a lot of different tasks that the interns do, basically keeping up with other Web sites and blogs and watching celeb appearances and whatnot. It is going to be one heck of a summer with them and possibly get to do some red-carpet events... we'll see :)

After work, I happened to be able to attend the premiere of Sex and the City 2 because it was at Radio City which is right next door to my work. Haleigh was already there and had a place between the gates, but I couldn't get in because everything was roped off. However, when I went to talk to Haleigh, a woman next to me sort of "broke in" through the gates, and I was able to slide in right after her. Jackpot! It was amazing. Sarah Jessica Parker did her rounds with the fans and signing autographs (sadly she was the only castmember who did so), so I was able to get some great pics of her. Other celeb sightings that night: Kristin Davis, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Matthew Broderick, Chris Noth, John Corbett, Jason Lewis, Valentino, Patricia Field, Ashanti, Whitney Port, Amanda Peet, Estelle, and some other people from the movie. What a great beginning to a fabulous summer!

Yesterday I was off, so Haleigh and I did some minor sightseeing. We went to the NY Public Library and got our official library cards, and got to see Bryant Park. Although it was so, so hot outside, we decided to walk down 5th Ave. in the heat and go to Central Park. At the park we layed out on the huge lawn and worked on our tans! And met some new Dutch friends haha.

Last night we went with Stef and her mom to this bar, Blarney Rock, on 33rd between 7th and 8th. It is a cool pub and of course it is all things Ireland. We had a delicious dinner! After that, Haleigh and I headed back to the apartment while Stef and her mom went to a show. While we were walking back, Macy's was having a red carpet event (still have no idea as to why), so we decided to hang out there and see if we could spot any celebrities. Ended up seeing Jodie Foster, but we got bored waiting for other celebs to arrive that we left.

Around 11 p.m., Stef, her mom and I took a ride on the Staten Island Ferry for a look at the city at night., It was beautiful. We also got a great view of the Statue of Liberty at night as the ferry passed the front of her. Overall a great day.

So I decided to make a spur-of-the-moment visit to D.C. this weekend to see Kelsey! She is interning there this summer, and Us is off on Friday (but we have to work on Monday despite Memorial Day), so it made for a good little 3-day weekend. So I'm heading out to D.C. bright and early Friday for more East Coast fun! Can't wait.

Getting comfortable with my new surroundings

Another great few days here in NYC. And it's only the beginning.

Yesterday (Saturday), was the big move-in day! The apartment is great, MUCH more spacious than my London flat (and that is saying a lot), and it is in a good location. We unpacked my two huge suitcases and one carry-on, and I met my new roommate Lauren!

After unpacking, my parents and I decided to be adventurous and take a bike tour through Central Park. It was PERFECT. We were in a group of about 15 people, all with little green helmets on, and we biked the 6 1/2 mile radius of the park. I never realized just how big it is! We saw all of the places where they film movies, the place where the ice skating rink is located (Serendipity), the Mall (Gossip Girl and Kramer vs. Kramer) and the bridge and the big fountain with the angel (One Fine Day and Home Alone). We also saw the hotel where John Lennon was shot, Strawberry Fields and the hotel where Marilyn Monroe lived. All in all, a very successful and educational tour. I never knew there are boulders in CP that are the original bedrock of the island of Manhattan. You learn something new everyday! :)

After biking, we sort of wandered around for a while, went to Bloomingdale's (hair flip, HA!) and tried to get a table at Serendipity to drink a famous Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate, but the wait was an hour and a half (eh, no thanks). We came back to the apartment and found out my other roommate (and fellow MU-er) Haleigh had arrived. We got dinner at this nice little Italian Restaurant off of Times Square, and then hit up Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and NBC. On the way home, we found one of the three NYC Magnolia Bakery locations, so we had to stop in and get a delicious cupcake (or two, or three). I got the "Carrie Cupcake," the one Carrie Bradshaw ate when her and Miranda visited the Magnolia Bakery in Lower Manhattan on an episode of Sex and the City.

After that, we were all beat. So much walking around, it's not even funny. Bedtime!

Today was a little more relaxed and chill. After grocery shopping, I found the building where I am interning, and guess what, it is RIGHT NEXT DOOR to Radio City Music Hall, where we were at the night before. Pretty much amazing, though. My parents and I also headed out to the Lower East Side and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was huge and beautiful for being more than 100 years old.

Because we do not have a TV in our apartment, I am watching the LOST finale in my parents' hotel room. And I am making them watch it with me. I can't believe it's the last episode! I might cry. Yep, I will. Don't make fun,

Tomorrow is my first day of work. Wish me luck!

First day in the city!

Today has been magical. And a little scary.

My parents and I arrived in NYC at 1:30 this afternoon. A shuttle picked us up from LaGuardia and took us to our hotel. Let me just say, our particular driver was a pedal-to-the-medal kind of guy. We weaved in and out of traffic like hell on wheels, and I kept a firm grip on my seat the entire time. We almost collided with about five taxis and poor bikers more times than I could count! But we made it, thankfully!

After we settled into our room, we ate a late lunch and then went and found my apartment. I am pretty much obsessed already, and I haven't even moved in yet! It is located on 34th and 6th, right across the street from the biggest Macy's in the country (and the site of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade). It's also down the street from the Empire State Building one way, Madison Square Garden the other way, and about 8 blocks from Times Square. And the shopping by it is just perfect! I've arrived :)

After we made a quick visit to the apt. (we can't move in til tomorrow), my parents really wanted to hit up lower Manhattan and see the WTC and Financial District. We navigated our way through the subway (with little problem!) and successfully found our destination. We went to the 9/11 Memorial Site, which basically housed this huge blueprint of the new Freedom Towers and also had a few 9/11 memorials. We then walked around the WTC site for a while and tried to get a peek in, but it was fenced off fairly well because there is so much construction going on. We ended up walking to Wall St. and doing some photo-ops in front of the NY Stock Exchange!

From there, we made the trek to Times Square. It was a perfect day today, just pleasant enough to walk around without getting super exhausted from the heat. We walked around Times Square and found our bearings. I haven't been here since they've closed off sections of TS and made it accessible only for the public. There is open seating under the bright lights, and it allows anyone to just hang out and people watch. I like it so much better because there is less of a worry that you will get hit by a crazy taxi. We had dinner at an extremely overpriced and overrated restaurant just off 48th, then we decided to walk back to our hotel about 15 blocks away. Not too bad of a walk, honestly! I was too busy looking around and taking in my surroundings to notice the blisters on my toes and just how bad my feet had swelled. But I did walk by a tranny, the first (and I'm sure not the last) I've seen here. I about died!

The rest of the day isn't too exciting, just a trip to K-Mart to buy a pillow and blankets for my apartment and some other much-needed things I couldn't fit into my suitcase. Tomorrow is MOVE-IN DAY bright and early, then a trip to Central Park and Serendipity! I am so anxious to see the inside of my new place. Many updates to come in the next coming months. MANY!

Later, ya'll. Love, your new city girl :)

A very brief introduction

I am in the midst of packing up my life (yet again) and moving to the mecca of the media world, NYC. Follow me on my adventures as I step out into the mother-of-all cities and experience what this enticing other world has to offer. I will try my best to serve my blogging duty, so prepare yourself for many unexpected moments in the world of Jenna along the way.

So, ready?

Here. We. Go!