Three Weeks in and 2017 You are Going at Warp Speed!

“If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~ Dale Carnegie

Oy Vey! I am two weeks back in the city, we are three weeks into 2017, and already I am slacking with life. (I apologize in advance for spamming everyone’s blogs yesterday, but I had to catch up!) In my defense, I had a really good friend come visit for a week. Let’s just say we caused some crazy shenanigans that left no time to write, and as for sleeping, forget about it!

One thing I have noticed happens most when people come to visit, is that we eat. A lot! Which is good because we also tend to walk. A lot!

I mean I generally walk a lot anyway (Seven miles is a conservative daily average.) but I really walk, and REALLY eat when people come to visit.

My friend ended up staying in Chelsea and given her locale, we kept meeting at Bryant Park, which as you know, I have only written about here, and here, and here, and oh yeah here too. I really don’t like Bryant Park. At all.

I kid. Yes, it is one of my favorite places and I was incredibly happy to keep going back there. In fact I even got her to go skating. It really is one of those cliche things if you visit New York in the Winter -or are just a skater girl like I am- you have to do.

We explored everywhere, from Brooklyn, to Fini, showing her where I live, roof top bars and we even took in a movie, we were on the go constantly. Her one request while here (aside from ice skating, I swear she honestly wanted to go!) was to go to Pazza Notte, which was no hardship as it is one of my favorite restaurants.

My friend is such a super sweet person, bubbly and genuinely confidant person. Her personality is genuinely infectious. We were making friends right and left. It was such a great week to spend time with her, catch up and just enjoy the city. She is amazing for the soul.

Because she was staying in Chelsea, I for the first time, got to take the Second Avenue Subway.

Please bear with me while I gush over a subway.

I know what you are thinking. It is a subway line. A New York one at that. Ewww.

But the thing about this Subway line is it is brand spanking new. Literally it opened January 1. It smells clean it looks clean. I even saw people washing the kiosks to get metro cards. (Washing them!) It was not just a glorious sight, but it was a bed of roses for my nose. If you have lived in New York, or even visited, you will have noticed all that construction on Second Ave. For what was literally decades! Well no more! It is finished and the Upper East Side is connected to the rest of Manhattan.

Seriously. It use to be we had to take the overcrowded Six, five, or four trains and then transfer (yes transferring is a dirty word in this case) to another station. It was a pain in the derriere. But no more. Seriously the first time I rode it I felt like angels were singing.

They probably were when it opened.

Okay gushing is over.

When my friend left it was sadly back to the usual grind; work, writing, salivating over my new subway line, and preparing for classes to start. Eeeek!

Okay it isn’t really sad. My type A personality loves the daily grind. It means I have a schedule which also hopefully means more time to catch up with all you beautiful readers!

Some bonus scoop:

I finished editing my novel and finally shipped it off WITH a title. (Yay!) Seriously titles are the worst part for me. I am now writing the second book in the series and that too, has a title. (Double Yay!) Does anyone else have such a problem with titles? Even when it comes to naming blog posts?

Despite the crazy week, I also finished several essays before the deadlines. Phew!

Despite the cold weather, I braved the elements and have been running, which is great for my sanity, but also makes me cry for warmer weather.

This week is Nationals and I am so flipping excited for all of my friends who are competing. It hasn’t been an easy road for any of them, but they have fought through the worst of it and made it to the National stage and I couldn’t be prouder. Regardless of what happens: Go Team USA!

I haven’t sunk to badly into depression, and with friends coming to visit and trips being planned hopefully it won’t be to bad. I know I have touched on it, but it is something that I really struggle with this time of year, and any accomplishment (even getting out of bed and showering) is huge.

How has your 2017 been so far?