Hitchhiking Around the Galaxy

It’s been a lonnnnnnnggggg while since I wrote a blog. I could make excuses but they would all be bad, so we’ll skip that and I’ll cut straight to this post.

The topic of this post: why I can’t finish the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books.

First, some background information. I lived in Orlando for around a year from the end of 2016 into 2017. During that time I met some wonderful people. Every person was special and had some role in shaping me into the woman I am today, right now, as I write this for you to read. Yet, the most influential, the most important, the one who I’m so happy I even got the pleasure of meeting was my friend, J.S.

On our first date I mentioned to him that the movie we were watching reminded me of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. To this he agreed and responded with the question, “Have you ever read the books?” I replied, “no.” He urged me to read them because they were better than the movie version, as most books are. I said I would and we dropped the subject. We kept talking after that and had our second date a week or so after our initial meeting. As I was getting ready to head home from on that night he stopped me and said he had something for me. Now I’m not one who likes surprises, this is probably because I want to know anything and everything that’s going on in order to be prepared. He goes into his office and comes out with a book. The complete Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. All five books in one LARGE paperback. Of course, as soon as I saw it I chucked and asked him if he was lending it to me. To that question he responded by saying, “No, I bought you this because you need to read it. I told you how great the books were.”

I was a little awestruck, but gladly accepted the book. Now, I say awestruck because although the gesture was small, it’s not often that someone does that…at least from what I’ve encountered. I felt grateful that this person was thoughtful enough to have gifted me with something that we had spoken about just a week before, after only knowing one another for a week.

I immediately dove into the book. I became engrossed in the words, the pages, the story. After that second date we continued seeing one another and I continued reading the book, taking it everywhere that I went. The book continued to draw me into its pages, into its story. Simultaneously, I feel that was happening with J.S as well. I found myself wanting more of his time. I knew he was special.

We met through a dating app (it’s modern romance okay stop judging me!!). He was amazing. Great listener, could make ANYONE laugh, an amazing friend, and he had a heart bigger than the world itself. Many people can attest to this. He meant many things to a lot of people. Unfortunately, good things or people can’t last forever…as much as we want them to. The date was April 1st, 2017 when we lost a great soul.

“Lost,” what a weird concept…we throw the term around when speaking about people as if we can find them later, as if they were just misplaced for a moment. If only that was the case.

It’s hard to deal with loss, at any kind of level. But that’s life. We live it, we go through things, we learn, and we repeat.

The news was unbearable to say the least. I was midway through the 3rd book of the series around the time I got the news. Despite my many attempts, I have not been able to pick back up where I left off. The book has transformed into a connection, something that binds us, although he may not be here physically. I know I will never forget him. You cannot forget the people in your life who have shaped you into the person you are today, whether you hate them, love them, admire them, and so on. Yet, I have this awful thought that runs through my head. I want to stow it away in a compartment of my brain that forgets. But this is not possible. I think that if I finish reading this book series, he will stop being a part of my life. In my eyes, we will lose the connection we have because this is the only tangible thing that we have to connect one another.

For now it sits in the corner of my room, always visible, but never handled. One day I will pick it back up and begin to read again. But for now, it serves as a reminder to cherish everyone that comes into your life. It echos the laughter and happiness that he was able to give everyone in his life and for that I will always be thankful.

I know you’re hitchhiking your way around the galaxy J.S. Thank you for everything.

Remember to always stay golden-ish.

With love,
Jazmin

From a Hobby to an Internship

Have you ever had a passion that you didn’t know how to pursue?

Maybe you’re afraid because you don’t have much experience in it?

Writing embodies exactly those two things for me. It wasn’t until I finally took the leap and started this blog that I was able to really indulge in this hobby of mine.

Writing for my blog, coupled with the Parent & Community Engagement Coordinator position I have on my team, got me interested in exploring a social media/ marketing career.

I was definitely skeptical to apply to any internships because of my lack of experience in social media/marketing/writing. But I figured, why not just apply. The worst that can happen is rejection and long as you don’t take that to heart, you’ll have a good foundation for your future endeavors. That goes for most things in life too, not just job hunting.

My search began about a month ago. I tailored my resume, edited tons of cover letters, and got specific with my searches. I needed something part-time (as I’m already working 60 hours a week), with little experience required, preferably remote and paid.

This is what I looked like trying to search online for something that fit all my requirements:

To aid in my search I used the websites internships.com and indeed.com . I highly recommend these two sites for anyone looking for a job or internship.

Believe it or not, I actually found few internships that met the criteria. Yet, I only received a call back from one.

The position was for a remote social media/ marking internship for a baby company based out of San Francisco. The owner gave me a call and asked me to submit a proposal for my first blog post I would write for them.

Naturally, I was freaking out about it and this was just a second part of the process. I did some research, asked my family for help and finally came up with an idea to submit.

Next, came the waiting. I had to suffer through a whole week of constantly refreshing my email and jumping to my phone whenever I’d receive a call.

The week finally passed and I got an email from the owner saying she loved my proposal and wanted to offer me the internship! To say I was ecstatic is an understatement. Of course, I accepted the position and am happy to say I have officially taken one small step towards a career path I see myself falling in love with.

Me in real life when I found out I got the inernship:

Moral of the story is, don’t be discouraged! If you feel an itch, scratch it!!! In this case my itch was writing and putting myself out there helped me “scratch it” (oh man, that was a weird comparison but I hope you catch my drift).

You never know when one of your hobbies will turn into something you could make money off of! I’m really excited to see where this will take me.

I’ll definitely keep you updated regardless of the outcome! I’m glad I was able to share this news with you! If you’re interested about the company that I’m working for you can find more information at their website: bayareasitters.com !

Thanks for reading through! If you have any tips or questions for me feel free to reach out! Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

Sappy Movies and Missing your Mom

Let me preface this post by stating that this past week I saw Lady Bird for the first time ever.

I’m a little (okay a lot) late in the game for watching it. Alas, I finally saw it, and of course I cried about three or four times.

That may seem a bit excessive, but I’m also 1000000% a crybaby in almost all films. Just ask my mom. I couldn’t even get through the latest “Planet of the Apes” because of the water works. It’s bad.

Back to the matter at hand, this sappy movie and how/why it made me miss my mom.

In my personal opinion, the movie was great.

I found that interactions and struggles between Lady Bird and her mother seemed real and believable. They were able to show that it can be hard to show affection or communicate gratitude to someone even if they’re extremely important in your life and you love them immensely.

That’s something I can completely relate to. So I left the theater with damp eyes, a leaky nose and a feeling of need.

A need to see my mom, give her the biggest hug (we don’t usually hug so it would be a big deal), and tell her how much I love her. Those things might not seem like a huge deal but, my mom and I aren’t the most affectionate people. We’re more the type to have an unspoken understanding of all the lovey dovey things.

My Mother and I in Philly this past December.

I’m always grateful for all the things my mother has done and continues to do for me. Though, sometimes it takes a sappy movie to be a catalyst for me to try and put into words the gratitude I have for my mother.

So I got my phone out and sent my mom an “I miss you/love you/etc.” text. It was simple. It was loving. It was me.

Honestly, I wish I told her these things more often.

I’m sure most of us could agree that even with all the words in the world, it would never be enough to express how you feel.

Moral of the story is, we shouldn’t wait for something to make us feel like we need to express gratitude. Do it on your own! Even if you spend 5 minutes a day coming up with different things and people that you’re grateful for you’re going to find yourself being much happier.

If you don’t believe me you can read the article linked below about it!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/randy-kamen-gredinger/the-transformative-power-_2_b_6982152.html

On another note, I’m going to visit home in a little less than two weeks so I get to see my mom & family!!! As always thank you for reading. Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

Dos & Don’ts 2018 Resolutions

Did you already cheat on your resolution for this year? If the answer is yes, that’s okay I’m sure most other people did too. If your answer is no, keep going strong!

Don’t be discourage if you have skewed from your resolution or foresee it not lasting as long as expected!

In this post I’ll line out some of my own “Dos and Don’ts” when it comes to any goal setting situation. I’ll also share with you some of my resolutions for the year!

I say “any goal setting” because I am a firm believer in the idea that if you want to do something why not start now. There’s no need for waiting until a new year or a new month comes around. Usually the only barrier between you and whatever your goal is, is yourself. If you’re not the only barrier, you may still be the biggest one to overcome.

So let’s all quick making excuses and take our first step towards a better tomorrow!

Dos:

1. Set clear goals / expectations for the resolution and yourself 

One of the first mistakes that can be done is when you’re setting the goal/expectations themselves! Be clear, concise and follow through.

When you set clear boundaries you know what you can and can’t do in order to achieve your goal.

2. Be realistic.

This may sound a negative, but it’s not at all. One should be realistic with their goals so that they can be attainable. Chances are if you set a goal that’s too far-fetched you’ll end up being more discouraged than empowered.

But if you decide to choose a really big goal the next “do” is really important!

3. Break your bigger goals into smaller ones.  

Doing this is super helpful and motivational. This way you can celebrate the smaller triumphs that help you chip away at the massive ones.

4. Keep a Checklists/Tracker/Schedule 

Do whatever you have to do to make sure you’re staying on track.

I’ve found that writing things down makes me more likely to do them. The same goes for keeping a schedule. Once something has become routine it’s easier to do without even thinking twice about it. This will aid in achieving your goals.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t make a ridiculously unachievable goal (basically the opposite of #2 & #3 of the “Dos”)

Some examples: 1. Lose 30 pounds by next week! 2. Cut out all unhealthy food ever for the rest of your life. 3. Finally pursue your passion in ceramics and quit your day job to do so.

You get the gist. Whatever it may be, don’t do it. Your goals should be something that can actually happen for you.

If you overall goal though is something huge you should still go for it. But do so in moderation!

2. Don’t give up.

Do not under and circumstances give up!!! Even if you fall off the path a little, get back on it!

You owe it to yourself to see everything through. Find motivation in the things and people around you.

Don’t sell yourself short.

3. Don’t compare yourself to others with a similar goal. 

If you compare yourself with others you may start thinking negatively, or on the other hand you can start getting big headed. Either way it’s usually not a good outcome.

It’s best to focus on yourself and no one else.

As for my resolutions I only have a few.  

Per usual the first is to live a healthier lifestyle. I want to eat healthier and exercise more.

Back when I was being active last summer!

Another goal is to secure a new job in New York by early June. I decided I’m going to be staying in NY for at least another year so I’ll be doing a bit of job and apartment searching in the coming months. So if you know anyone who will have an open room in their apartment in NYC let your girl (that’s me) know!

I also want to focus a lot more of my time on this blog and writing in general. Writing makes me happy and I want to engage in more activities that make me happy.

Thanks for reading through another post! I hope your 2018 is off to a great start.

Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

Tips for Traveling Home for the Holidays (or any other time).

1. DO NOT OVER BOOK YOURSELF.

I cannot stress this one enough. Your time is limited when you head home for the holidays or for any time you spend vacationing back in your home town. If you’re like me, you’ll realize that just considering family, you have quite a few people to see, in what is usually a very short amount of time. It is 100% wishful thinking for one to believe you’ll be able to execute EVERY. SINGLE. PLAN. YOU. HAVE. MADE.

There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do so. Now let me tell you, if you manage to somehow clone yourself (like how SpongeBob did when he needed to get out of Pearl’s prom…if you know what I’m referring to kudos to you, if not you have some research to do my friend), then please go right ahead and live your life out to the fullest.

Link to the original Google image here: https://i0.wp.com/go.sky.com/static/SVOD/SKYKIDS/IMAGES/Nickelodeon/S/Spongebob%20Squarepants%20S1/MA_SpongeBobSquarePants_S1_Ep12.jpg

Unfortunately, most of us won’t get that chance so you’ll have to be a little selective. Prioritize your time. Pick and choose wisely. Okay, okay, now I’m just sounding extremely repetitive. That’s only because this is very important!!! It’s okay to say no to hanging out with someone or to doing an activity that wasn’t at the top of your list. Remember, you are the one visiting and your time, just as everyone else’s, is precious.

Christmas day with my family!

For me my family is always at the top of the “To See” list. I usually plan other activities that I want to do around which family members I’m seeing so that I’m able to kill two birds with one stone. For example, I have a favorite breakfast spot right by my house, it’s called Talavera Azul and if you ever find yourself in Chula Vista do yourself a favor and visit. Every time I visit home I make a breakfast date with my grandma or as I call her, Mamita, and any of my uncles or aunts that have that morning off. Planning like this allows you to both spend quality time to catch up, and visit your favorite spots.

Once I have all my family dates planned out I’ll text my closest friends from back home to lay out what days I’ll be home and what times I’m free. This allows my friends to compare their schedules with mine. Sometimes, you can plan all you want and still only have an hour or two slot that matches to meet up with an old friend. If, and when this happens don’t be discouraged by it. Seeing someone important to you for a small amount of time is better than foregoing the entire meetup itself. Plus, you’d be surprised by how much chisme (that’s Spanish for gossip) about your lives you can relay to each other when it’s crunch time.  You may be huffing and puffing for breath towards the end of the conversation, but it’ll be worthwhile.

 

Night Out with Some of My Closest UCSD Friends

2. FIGHT THROUGH YOUR TIREDNESS/LAZINESS

“But Jazmin, it’s vacation I should be sleeping in and relaxing.”

My response:

*quick shout out to giphy.com because I have no idea how to make gifs but their supplies are perfect

Do not fall trap to your comfy ass bed that has pink memory foam mattress (everyone owns one right…or is that just me?) and your dog giving you morning cuddles. Wake up early and get out there. That “the early bird gets the worm” saying may sound stupid when you’re in college and never want to wake up for your pointless 8 am lecture, but believe you me (my mom always says this, and I still don’t fully understand how it makes any sense, but it seems appropriate right now) it is true.

The earlier you wake up the more time you have for all the fun things that you have planned! It may even allow you to add in some extra activities.

Coupled with waking up early, don’t be afraid to stay out late. Most times your friends and family work during the days so late weekend nights may be the only time available for them to hang out. You can sleep when you’re dead or on a less dramatic note, just take a couple naps the next day.

3. TRY NEW THINGS.

This is an example of something I should “practice” because I “preach it.” Especially with this last trip home, my time was so limited that I didn’t prioritize exploring new things. Exhibit A of me only sticking to my favorites is pictured below: Micheladas and Camarones from my favorite seafood spot, TJ Oyster Bar.

TJ Oyster Bar Lunch.

Many times, when visiting a familiar place like one’s hometown you may only want to stick to what you know and like. Don’t get me wrong, you should never deprive yourself of your favorite places, foods and things.

On the other hand, I am a big supporter of venturing even in your own hometown. Chances are there’s a few spots on your radar that you may have always wanted to try out but never got a chance to. Take the plunge and check it out. They may move their way up to your favorites list in the future!

Trying out Border X Brewing in Logan Heights

4. HAVE FUN!

This one is also so important! Remember to enjoy yourself. Though your time spent at home may not have been as long as you wished, you were still able to visit. So be grateful and put your best foot forward with every day you’re there. I’ve said this in a previous post, but it’s important so I don’t mind emphasizing, you are in control of your own attitude and actions! Choose happiness. Don’t get too caught up in the minor hiccups that may arise during your trip.

 

5. TAKE SOME TIME TO REFLECT

This is my last tip because it will usually take place during the end of your visit, or while you’re traveling to the place you now call home. Take everything in: home, family, time, travels, emotions, etc.

People change, and you’re no exception to that. They’re shaped by where they came from, where they are now and the journey surrounding that transition.

Maybe you’ll realize that you’ve grown in some respects, like your patience or gratitude.

Maybe a situation arose, and you handled it in a manner that was completely different to how you used to react. Whatever the case may be, it’s always nice to just sit in peace and reflect upon oneself.

Those are the main tips I have. These can be used for any trip home, not just around the holidays. As always, thank you for taking the time to read through. It really does mean the world to me! Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,
Jazmin

 

NYC Itinerary: 24-48 hours in the city

When people are going to visit you it’s a great thing! You’re able to reconnect and make up for lost time. Something that you must also keep in mind is that they are not only visiting you, but your city as well. In turn you become their local tour guide. You may or may not have wanted to sign up for this position but at the end of the day you’re going to have to do it anyways. So you may as well do a good job and do your research if you haven’t had a chance to do much exploring yourself. Another alternative is to ask a local if you haven’t lived in your city for that long. You’ll find a few pictures I snapped while roaming NYC towards the end of this post.

Recently I had some family visit me. So naturally I became their NYC tour guide! I created an itinerary for my family and I, featured below. I’ll share the itinerary with you all. I had the help of some coworkers (who are local New Yorkers) and a roommate (who recently showed someone around the city as well).  I think it’s a great guide to use if you only have 24 to 48 hours in the city and want to hit a lot of photo-ops/ see the main attractions. This list is also created in a way that goes from upper Manhattan to lower Manhattan so that all your moves are efficient, leaving more time for sightseeing and less for getting lost or traveling back and forth.

NYC Itinerary: 

Central Park (it’s a big park, we chose to enter and exit through the West Side )

MET on 83rd & 5th (entrance is by donation, don’t feel bad if you only give them $1, they’ll still let you in)

Saint Pats Cathedral on 51st & 5th

Rockerfeller Center on 49th and 5th

Times Square (it’s a semi big area from 42nd to 47th Streets and between 6th and 8th ave)

Empire State Building on 34th and 5th (it’s pretty pricey to go to the top but if it’s your first time in NY then #whynot )

Bryant Park on 42nd and 5th (depending on the time of year that you visit, there’s ice skating here that’s supposed to be both cheaper and less crowded than in Central Park)

The High Line ( It’s a converted railroad way spanning around 1.5 miles. There are many entrances to the highline but you can use 23rd and 10th as a main point)

Chelsea Market on 14th & 9th (super sweet market with local vendors of different goods and foods)

World Trade Center & 9/11 Memorial

Battery Park

Staten Island Ferry (free ferry that gives you views of the Statue of Liberty)

Brooklyn Bridge (you can either take the subway over to the Brooklyn side entrance and walk back over to Manhattan or enter through the Manhattan side of the bridge and walk into Brooklyn)

A couple of things to note: 

Take this itinerary as a guiding piece, not anything that is set in stone.

If there are other spots you’d like to visit feel free to add them in or take some of the ones listed away.

I didn’t include any food/bars/nightlife. When it comes to these things New York is so full and vibrant that I would recommend you do your own exploring/ yelping.   I also didn’t include anything in Queens or Brooklyn, except for the Brooklyn Bridge of course. The chances are, you’re going to end up somewhere that you’ll really like, if not love, when you decide to deviate from the itinerary.

NYC always has free or affordable events going on. I recommend checking out thrillist.com or theskint.com for up-to-date events going on around all boroughs.

Remember that you’re in control of your attitude and mood always, so exploring will be fun if you’re happy and open to new things!!!

As always, thank you for taking the time to read through. I hope this helps you or anyone you know out a bit when visiting New York! Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

View from the top of the METTimes Square
Central Park

Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend

Thanksgiving spent Exploring NYC

This year’s Thanksgiving was spent outdoors rather than in a kitchen baking and cooking.  I wasn’t able to make my way to San Diego. Luckily for me, three little pieces of San Diego (aka three of my cousins) made their way over to the Big Apple for the holiday weekend. One word could be used to describe how our day went: touristy. I mean look at this picture…we were definitely THOSE PEOPLE.

My cousins, Linda, Chris and David, had yet to visit NYC. Therefore, we were up early with a full itinerary. I will spare you the details regarding it because that will have its own blog post!

The gist of the day was: we walked a lot (30,000 steps according to my Fitbit tracker) and gained plenty of good pictures and memories.

One of the best parts of this Thanksgiving was that at the end of the day, we busted the biggest mission just to get a takeout Chinese feast. The fried rice served as our stuffing, the orange chicken was our turkey and the greasy I’ll-probably-hate-myself-after-eating-these noodles were our extra sides.  Once we finally got home my cousins, my roommate Emily, and I shared this unconventional Thanksgiving dinner right before we piled on the couch to watch La La Land (if you don’t like this movie you’re lying to yourself).

Friday 24th Bear Mountain 

I spent my “Black Friday” sweating up a storm, not from fighting for deals in overly crowded stores, but from hiking a moderate trail up New York’s Bear Mountain. Linda, Chris, David and I had a late start to the day. We arrived at the base of the trail around 2pm, even though we originally hoped to start the hike at noon. This left us with a lot less hours of daylight than anticipated which meant we were hiking down in the dark with only one working head lamp. It wasn’t too bad though and the views were pretty gorgeous. I definitely recommend going out to Bear Mountain if you ever get a chance. Once we finished we made the drive out to Boston where we spent the rest of the weekend.

Saturday 25th New Hampshire White Mountains Hike (how I almost died) 

FIRST AND FOREMOST DO NOT LET ANYONE TRICK YOU INTO GOING ON A “NICE” SCENIC HIKE UP A SEEMINGLY BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN WHEN IN REALITY THEY CLEARLY HAVE SOME SORT OF HIDDEN AGENDA AND WANNA SEE YOU ALMOST SLIP AND FALL TO YOUR DEATH MULTIPLE TIMES.

Just kidding. I’m being a tad bit dramatic. As you can tell, Saturday we all decided to do another hike. We made the drive to New Hampshire from Boston and hiked to Mount Jackson.

Once again we started the hike later than planned and had to utilize our headlamps part of the way down. This was one of the scariest but most rewarding hikes that I’ve ever done. Going up wasn’t the scary part, it was going down that was. The trail was full of ice, snow, creeks and plenty of ways to slip to your death. None of us had the proper shoe gear needed which made it even more difficult.

I honestly didn’t think I was going to get to the top of the mountain. If it wasn’t for my cousin’s, a friend and another hiker we met on the trail, I wouldn’t have been able to get down without breaking a limb or something.

At the end of the day I’m very glad I went through with it. As you can tell by the pictures, the view was gorgeous. Once we got to the top we noticed a lot of Grey Jays perched around the bushes and we were actually able to feed them! It was such a cool experience. All we did was put some of the snacks we brought (don’t worry they were bird friendly) in our palms and wait for the magic to happen! After the hike we all had dinner and made the trip back to Boston.

Sunday 26th Boston (Harpoon, clam chowder, Coco, Pinocchio’s) 

Finally a day we get to relax and sight-see aka do what normal people do on vacation!

We started our day at a cute local diner called The Breakfast Club. Pictured below are some of the plates we ordered. The diner itself is 80’s themed. All 80’s everywhere. It’s great. You should go if you’re in the area.

After breakfast we made our way to the Mount Auburn Cemetery. It’s actually the first rural cemetery in the U.S. so it was filled with elaborate tombstones dating back to the 1800’s, maybe even earlier I’m not 100% sure.  The cemetery has a tower built on the grounds that offers a gorgeous view of the city. 10/10 would recommend the view but 0/10 would recommend walking up that tower after two days of hiking.

Next up on our day was a visit to Harpoon Brewery. For $5 a person you’re able to go on a tour that lasts around 45 minutes long and includes about 15 minutes in the tasting room.

Even though it was only 15 minutes and only cost $5 I made sure to get my money’s worth in tastings, trust me. Most people were too shy to keep walking up to the tour guides to ask for additional tasters but hey, that left more for me so I wasn’t complaining.

What’s one of the best things you can do after getting a little boozy? EATING OF COURSE. Naturally we had to walk on over to the fresh seafood spot next door and grab some warm, hearty, clam chowwwdaaaas (don’t quote me on this but I’m pretty sure that’s the Boston way of saying clam chowder).

The day was ended with bawling our eyes out while watching the new Pixar movie, Coco and then grabbing amazing pizza at Pinocchio’s (10/10 go here please). If you’ve seen Coco you know why I cried. If you haven’t seen it, go do so.

Monday 27th Boston/trip home (Samuel Adams, Doyle’s Bar, Oppa Sushi) 

The final day of vacation, DUN DUN DUUUUUUUNNNNNNN. This is how that went: wake up, clean up, Samuel Adams, sushi and trip back home.

The only notable event that I want to expand on is our trip to the Samuel Adams Brewery. First of all, the hour-long tour is FREE. Yes, you read that correctly. COMPLETELY FREE. FREE BOOZE. Need I say more?!? It was a great time. We took a “party bus” from the brewery to a 130 year old pub close by where we were able to drink even more Samuel Adams! It was pretty sweet because people who had gone on the tour were able to get a pint of beer and keep the glass for only $6. If you don’t take advantage of this deal you’re doing yourself a disservice, honestly. After, we made a quick stop for sushi before ending our long weekend and driving back to NY.

So there it is, my long weekend for you. Thanks for reading, skimming, or even just looking at the pictures! Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

Quick Update on Me, Myself & I !

Hey everyone, remember that time I started a blog and then never kept up with it? Yea, well so do I. But the good news is, drummmm rollllllll pleeeaaaassseeee, the dry spell is coming to an end! I have been working on a few different blog posts that will be going up soon. Yet, that is still no excuse for my blogging hiatus which is why I’m writing this quick update to let you all know what’s been going on with me.

Okay so, why the big pause? What have I been doing? Am I being lazy about the blog or just busy? Below are some point topics that are relevant to the update. Happy reading!

By the way, I attached the picture above, that was taken this weekend during a hike in New Hampshire, just in case you forgot what I looked like. It’s been a while, trust me, I know.

WORK: 

Truth is, I work. I don’t just have a normal work week though. I work a lot, a lot, a lot. When I began my service for City Year in August one of the things that was made very clear by the staff and second year members was that the work we do is very taxing and requires an immense amount of time. My Mondays through Fridays are filled with 10-12 hour work days followed by the gym (I finally got back into a habit of going 5-6 times a week and have been doing so for the last month which is great for me!) and whatever little time I have left is for sleeping/ eating/ Netflix. In all honesty though, being tired from work shouldn’t and can’t be a real excuse because if you want something enough you’ll prioritize time for it. At least I am a firm believer in that and therefore I really want to run this blog I’m going to have to really step it up.

What do I actually do at work though? I’ll give you all a rundown of what my day-to-day looks like. Mondays are for learning and development, which means if we’re scheduled the team gets different training sessions. During the rest of the work week I follow a different schedule composed of push-ins and pull-outs. During my push-ins I support two different 7th grade math classrooms.  During pull-outs or interventions I work with small groups of students to assist with their mathematical skills. Along with in-school  service every day our team runs the after-school program. There I provide homework support and co-facilitate enrichment clubs.

WEEKENDS: 

The weekends aka what I currently live for. I like to use my weekends to many things such as: explore, go out, hang out with friends, relax and workout. The websites I use to help me come up with most of my weekend plans are thrillist.com and theskint.com. I 100% back these websites to figure out cool cheap or free events that are going on around the city. Honestly, there’s never been a weekend that I’ve had nothing to do. If I do choose to have downtime, which usually happens on Sundays, I use it to prep for the week ahead rather than using it for blogging. That is definitely going to change though!

FRIENDS:

I usually am not one to be very close to my coworkers. At least that’s how I have been with the jobs that I’ve had in the past. But, most of my friends that I’ve made in New York have been through working at City Year. I’m honestly so grateful for my two roommates and my coworkers turned friends. They make the long work days pass by a little quicker and I always have people to do things with on the weekends. I think having a strong friend group is extremely important for me especially because all of my family/ friends from high school and college live in San Diego.

FAMILY: 

They all live across the country 😦 . I do speak to my mother on a daily basis, whether it’s via phone call or text. Honestly half the time I’m doing something and encounter a problem I just go straight to my mother, or as I like to think of her, the answer to all of my questions. I really need to get better at keeping up with my uncles, aunts and grandparents though. I love my family like no other but I am guilty of letting work/life get in the way and not prioritizing time to call everyone once in a while. I’m hoping I get better at this.

Even though I wasn’t able to go home for Thanksgiving, three of my cousins came to visit and we spent some time in both New Hampshire and Boston. I can’t wait to tell you all about it in an upcoming post! I’m also going to be home for about one week in December. I’ve been looking forward to this for the longest time. I’m so excited!!!!

Well, that’s all I have to say about what’s been going on in my life. Thanks for reading! Remember to stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

Sights & Bites pt. 1

Hey there, hi there! I’m back again after a short hiatus with another new and exciting (at least I’m really excited so I’m hoping you, as my reader, will share this excitement equally) blog post! As you may have noticed by the title, this new series will focus on cool food/drink spots that I’ve found through the help of google maps, word of mouth and merely stumbling upon them while exploring. This first post will focus on three different places I visited this past week. Each post has an attatched link to each place in case you want to browse through their own websites. Although I do love being able to share different spots with you, I also highly encourage you to do your own exploring since, of course you’re the person who knows what you like best!

1. Dorado Tacos & Quesadillas

I WAS ROBBED. Okay okay, so I wasn’t robbed in a literal sense but my poor unsuspecting taste buds were robbed of what was supposed to be an amazing experience that reminded me a little of home. This small restaurant claimed to serve authentic Mexican tacos. Guess what? This really shouldn’t come to much of a surprise to anyone reading but, they were 100% WRONG. I know I shouldn’t be so negative, at least they served Jaritos and authentic Mexican Coke in a glass bottle. In all seriousness… I’m going to make a petition to start immediate funding for a “Jazmin needs Mexican food from home so help her buy a plane ticket asap.” Of course I will also be accepting express overnight deliveries of TJ Oyster Bars’ fish tacos or Panchos’ big Cali burritos for anyone who would like to help me and my stomach.

2. Smorgasburg

This wonderful food market was recommended to me by a friend who is from Long Island prior to me having moved to New York. It takes place on Saturdays in Williamsburg and Sundays in Prospect Park. The market is filled with dozens of food and drink tents that offer a range of options, from breakfast foods to hearty lunches, all which are unique in their own flair. Aside from the amount of choice (which can be both a good and bad thing, but that whole topic could be a blog post on its own, which hey, it may be one later who knows), another upside of this market is that it has a pretty decent adult beverage cart that offers both specialty cocktails and craft beer. My roommates and I decided to attend Smorgasburg on a Sunday. The location itself was excellent. There’s nothing like stretching out on a blanket underneath the shade of a big tree and spending time with friends, sharing laughs and food.

When I was finally able to make a somewhat informed decision, and by informed I mean I made my way around the full area once before succumbing to my immense hunger, I settled on a Philly Cheese Steak stand that looked too good to pass up. Lucky for me, and as you can see in the picture it definitely tasted as good as it looked.

Although, I do have some critiques. The first is that all the spots are cash only and if I’m not mistaken it is 2017 which means almost no one carries actual tangible paper currency. They do provide two ATM machines, which had ridiculous lines, but I didn’t use it so I’m not aware if it had a fee or how much it was. The second and last critique I have was that the prices seemed a bit too high for the amount of food that was given at each spot. Despite my critiques my overall experience at Smorgasburg was delightful. I recommend for anyone with a free weekend and an empty stomach to check it out.

https://www.smorgasburg.com/

3. Dekalb Market

This spot was very cool. It was off of the Q train, a few stops away from Prospect park. I actually stumbled upon this market on accident while trying to find a target on my way home from Smorgasburg. The Deklab Market was basically a stationary food truck market. It also had some bigger stores like Target, and Trader Joes. I honestly can’t make an informed recommendation about the market’s food places, aside from Trader Joes but no one needs a reccomendation for that lol, because I didn’t have a chance to try and of the market’s offerings. I do fully intend on going back and trying a few places out. In the mean time though I thought it was a pretty cool spot and if you’re ever in the area check it out!

http://dekalbmarkethall.com/

4. Hogs Head

Hogs Head in Harlem was an excellent spot that offered great bar food. My two roommates and I stopped by on a Friday after training and they enjoyed it as much as I did. They specialize in pork dishes ranging from tacos to sandwhiches and ribs. One of my roommates tried out the pulled pork tacos which looked prety good. I tried the pulled pork grilled cheese. It was amazing. Perfect amount of cheesy-ness, perfect crispy bacon and yummy pulled pork. We also shared spare ribs as an appetizer and they were fall off the bone, melt in your mouth good. If you’ve ever tried Phil’s BBQ or Cali Comfort in San Diego then I would probably say they’re on about the same level of greatness. I didn’t try any of their alcoholic beverages but that just gives me an excuse to head back soon, as if I really needed another excuse aside from the awesome food and atmosphere.

http://www.hogsheadharlem.com/

5. Top Hops

Top Hops was a pretty sweet ale house that I found after attending a free concert with my friend on the Lower East Side (whatever that means because honestly I’m horrible with directions and still don’t know where any of the parts of town are… if that makes sense?). They have a plethora of bottled beer choices that are categoried by region. With that being said it was nice to see a decent selection of Califonia brewed beers. Most of what they had on tap was local and pretty average in terms of pint prices. I do have to say though, what caught my eye was an advertisment for a cheese and charcuterie platter that was only $20, I kid you not, $20!!! I LOVE, and I swear that’s an understatement, meat and cheese boards so finding a place that serves one for that price is a win win for me. Though, sadly I wasn’t actually hungery at the time I went so I didn’t get to try it but it’s on my radar now. Overall it was a pretty sweet spot that reminded me of Third Ave Ale House backin my stomping grounds of Chula Vista.
If you get a chance to check any of these spots out let me know how you like them. Thanks for reading through part one of Sights & Bites. Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin

1st Day of Basic Training Academy

Today was the first day of Basic Training Academy (BTA) for City Year. I originally wasn’t planning on creating an entire blog post about this day. I felt compelled to write about my experience because of the unexpected emotions that emerged as a result of this day.

Coming into City Year I had already been excited to think that I could simultaneously move to New York and also try to make a difference in the lives of the youth. Yet, it was only after today, that I had a sort of emotional revelation towards the organization as a whole. Throughout the course of the day we, as new corps members, were exposed to videos from different AmeriCorps organizations that focused on the power that service has over not only our communities, but our world as well. We were also introduced to our managerial teams and team leaders. Many of them shared their stories as to why they chose to serve for City Year and how it has affected them to this day.

As I sat there listening to these different videos and stories I felt a new sense of connection and attachment to the organization that I had not felt prior to today. I not only felt that I was someone who could make a difference in the lives of the children who I will be working with, but also with their communities as well and hopefully that positive impact can trickle and affect more people than I can even imagine. In whole, I felt that I have become a small part of an enormous community of game-changers, forward thinkers, mentors, and role models, to say the least, who wish to leave the world a better place than it was when they had gotten here. I felt a sense of pride, hope and belonging, that is somewhat unexplainable for me at this very moment because it wasn’t something that I was expecting to feel as early on as the first day of training.

With this being said, I am now, more than ever, extremely grateful to have been given this opportunity to serve as an AmeriCorps member for City Year New York. I am confident in my decision to have packed my bags and moved away from my usual surroundings of friends and family. I believe this next year will have great challenges, but even greater rewards in my professional, emotional and personal growth.  I have attached the link to City Year’s website below for anyone who is more interested in my role as an AmeriCorps member or would like more information to see if serving may be something you would want to do.

https://www.cityyear.org/

Thank you for taking the time to read along this short and very much unplanned post! Remember to always stay golden-ish!

With love,

Jazmin