So so so so so so SO excited!

Because Casey's coming into town tomorrow!!  

Love this photo, because don't we look like we're in high school?  We're not.  

This was two years ago, the last time we hung out in the city.

Lately

As I mentioned, I've been really loving, and taking advantage of the (sometimes rare) nice weather. As I type this I'm sitting in my new favorite spot.

Here's what else I've been up to lately:

Watching Vicky Cristina Barcelona with friends on a pier over the Hudson.

Britt & Krystal

Me & Rustin

Jamar & Candice

If you thought there were no gorgeous sunsets in the city you were wrong.

Then a huge group of us watched Jaws on the USS Intrepid. Rustin told me to act like a helicopter, so I spun with my arms out. Notice how there's no one around me?

With Britt.

Rustin acting tough.

Ed, Britt, Adam, Courtnie, Kristy, Libby

Before the movie started they showed a little informative movie about the ship. It was really interesting.

See that guy at the far right? After my helicopter picture he walked up to me with a stern look on his face and said, I kid you not, "Can you please quit messing around and acting like a fool?? There's people around." Wow. Remember my photo? Remember how there were like two people like twenty yards away?

Darling Haley Roe

Ashley, Ashley, and Colin

Dr. Dan

I'm kind of embarrassed, but oh well

A few weeks ago some friends of mine were at the Barnes and Noble in TriBeCa and Lauren Conrad was doing a book signing.  I really have always wanted to know what kind of eye liner she uses so I met up with them.  But I never got to ask her, because I didn't buy her book and felt like waiting in line for a book signing without her book.  I did snap a few photos though, and watched her as she interacted with her crazy fans, and she seemed really nice.

Look who's all grown up!

What's on your list?

I can't... 

• wiggle my ears
• jog for two miles straight
• understand the appeal of going to bars
• do that index finger snappy thing only guys and my mom can do
• wait for the britney spears concert
• get to work early every day for a week
• believe how fast my nieces & nephew are growing up

I can... 

• juggle
• almost always get a cab
• hang out with just myself all weekend & be totally content
• cook pretty well
• give good advice
• play the drums on medium level for rock band
• drive a stick shift

I won't... 

• watch conan
• walk behind someone smoking
• go more than three weeks without a manicure/pedicure
• remain calm if someone hurts a family member of mine
• pay for others' alcohol when it's time to split the bill
• fly when there's a layover less than hour
• accept a first date invitation via text

I will... 

• work out at least twice a week
• stay within my budget
• write more letters
• try almost anything once
• find my passion in life
• eventually have my blog made into a book
• go to the SaTC2 open casting call

I shouldn't... 

• gossip
• drink soda
• always take cabs to and from the airport
• give so many chances
• watch so much pointless tv
• complain about anything (really, in the grand scheme, what problems do i have?  i see blind people maneuvering the subway.)
• say "freakin" so much

I should... 

• kick bad habits
• continue to trust easily and love hard (i'm convinced one day i'll be grateful)
• throw dinner parties
• dust
• volunteer
• be more friendly at church
• learn to use my mac more efficiently

This almost made me cry

There are roughly three New Yorks. 

There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. 

Second, there is the New York of the commuter--the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. 

Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. 

Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last--the city of final destination, the city that is a goal.  It is this third city that accounts for New York's high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements.  Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion.

-E.B. White

Spotted:

Britt and I were down at my new favorite spot today (Battery Park) and spotted the Countess Luann de Leseppes strolling arm in arm (and later canoodling, and smoking-bleck) with a younger mystery man.  She looked great; tiny, but healthy looking.  You go girl.

Feeling dressy

If someone gave me a gift card to Anthropologie for $622, this is what I'd buy.

On my current wishlist

.helen ficalora R necklace. drill. ladies tool kit. yankees quarter season tickets.

slr camera. gold charm bracelet. costco membership. jeter jersey. black rayban wayfarers. 

Making me happy

• Free wifi at Battery Park
• New friends
• Nutella
• Cruising on sunny days
• My bike basket
• More responsibilities at work
• Yankees moving up to first
• Teaching coworkers about "Mormon Day" this Friday
• Chelse's wedding being less than a month away
• The looks and comments the Pink Panther gets
• Brad, Nad, and Mad's more frequent trips to the city

Australia: Day 6-7, Whitsunday Islands, part II

I realized after making this post that it'll be my favorite post from the trip.  We went to the most beautiful place I've ever been, and did the most fun thing on the trip.  Not to mention, it was Karen's birthday!

Day two on the ship was phenomenal. We woke up around 7am and it was warm enough to eat breakfast on the deck in bikinis. :)

Learning to sail.

With the Skipper, and Eric in the background chillin on the diving board. That board is where I experienced my favorite moments on the boat. One of which isn't documented. On our last day we sailed for probably three+ hours and I layed on it, one foot dangling off, in that first stage of sleep. It was heavenly.

Brooke and me with our London girls. Nadia (on the left) had Michael Jackson tickets for this summer. Bummer.

On the little motor boat headed to Whitsunday Island!

This photo (and all other photos of amazing quality) comes courtesy of Karen's awesome camera.

That is, hands down, the largest spider I've ever seen. I definitely didn't compare the two side by side, but I'd guess it was about the size of my hand.

Can't really see the spider in this one, but trust me, it's there! I was so creeped out to even be that close.

The look out point of Whitehaven Beach.

"Team Responsibility"

When we got in the water I was super nervous to get stung! (Thanks Shan.) I kept yelling at everyone to shuffle their feet instead of picking them up when they walked. I think that's what you're supposed to do, right? So you don't startle them? Anyway, we did see one, but he was friendly. :)

Until we came here I thought Lake McKenzie was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen, but now Whitehaven Beach takes the cake.

This is a very common spot pictures are taken for postcards of Whitsunday Island.

Turtle tracks. :) The night before one some of our group cam across some baby turtles headed the wrong way to the water so they rescued them! SO jealous!!

The sand was freaking amazing. The cleanest, most fine sand I've ever touched. It was like flour. It would squeak when we walked. "Squeaky clean."

Warning: there's about a million jumping/jumping attempts photos.

Group jump shots are tough.

Almost, but what happened to our arms?

Finally! (PS, we didn't plan where to put our legs/feet.)

No, I don't take myself that seriously, we were just being nerds. You'll see in a few more photos I really don't take myself seriously...

See? I'm not that vain.

Eric held down the fort while we had our photo shoot.

I really don't know why I'm still single.

Leaving Whitsunday Island. :(

Another party boat.

While we waited our turn to scuba we went snorkeling. Just when you didn't think Karen's camera could get any cooler, it had a contraption that made it water proof! Thanks Karen!

The W is for Whitsunday. Apparently my left hand struggles.

Again, photos don't do justice. The coral seriously was glowing, and the fish colors were SO bright neon!! It was awesome.

I love the reef in this picture.

One of the funniest moments on the trip. We were just sitting in this shallow water while we waiting for Tom to pick us up and take us diving and this weird German man in a banana hammock just came over and started talking to us, asking if we minded the music someone was playing. I couldn't really understand him, and actually wasn't really paying a lot of attention after this photo. I love Jenna's face.

This is the point I'm looking to Karen as if to say, I hope you're getting photos of this. Luckily she was a step ahead of me. The water proof case was still on her camera which explains the smudges, but still, she's pretty stealth!!

If you look closely you can see at this point I can't help but sort of chuckle to myself.

Our diving group minus one! :( Wish you woulda been in the pic Karen! Jenna's in the middle of me and Brooke. She was so cool! She's a Canadian who was doing a semester of university in Australia. How COOL is that??

That look on my face pretty much shows how I felt about this whole trip.

I was SO excited to go diving! It was the thing I was most looking forward to, and in the end, the thing I loved doing the most. It is a MUST do. I'd never been before (and wasn't certified so it was just an entry level dive, but still better than I'd expected.) I definitely want to get certified after this trip though. It was honestly unreal.

I was really worried about my sore ears from the day before, especially because I can't even go six feet in a pool without my ears killing, but as you can see I had no problem equalizing!

So the first time I saw Tom's face while we were under I thought, "What's wrong with his skin??" Then I realized, being under water just is not flattering.

So cool. We got to touch an anenome (Nemo's home.) The second you touch it it immediately suctions your fingers. So cool!

We got back from our dive just in time to experience the "snorkle bong." Well, experience via watching someone else. :)

Jenna took one for the team.

Jenna.

Our scuba group.

Tom and Lee (aka Skipper.) Um, Karen, what's not to love? Tall, dark, handsome, and Aussie? Okay fine, he was a dirty skank, but come on, he's a sailor!

Lee with Ben, one of the other sailors. The other crew member was Lee's girlfriend Jodi who cooked all the food. It was amazing!!

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

Just before everyone (minus Team Responsibility) got trashed. I admit, after being heckled for not drinking it was pretty hilarious watching a 17 year old who didn't know his limits, pass out, and then get taken on a boat (after waking up) and rammed, accidently, into the dock. Oh man, Karen, I don't think I'll ever stop laughing when I think about that.

My other favorite moment on the diving board. Luckily I woke up before the sun came up (or anyone else woke up.) I just went and watched it rise above the hill and it was my favorite moment of the trip. It's what I call my "moment with God." It truly felt as if everyone else in the world was asleep. There was no noise other than the water, some birds, and an occasional fish jumping out of the water.

Sadly we eventually had to get off the sailboat. We had a few hours to kill so we hung out in the public lagoon (so nice!) and took showers in the outdoor showers by the pool. Yes, we soaped up, like homeless people, in our bikinis. Pretty white trash but hey, we were backpackers.

After an overpriced cab ride with a very chatty driver we made it to the Airlie Beach airport. The airport we flew out of was so tiny, the waiting area was outside. We flew to Brisbane that night and stayed another night with Freya and Nathan (world's best hosts) and then in he morning were off to fly again, into an even smaller airport...