Spring day in NYC

Yesterday I got to head into the city with my friend Cynthia (who is quickly becoming my go-to model for my photo seshs) and it was a beautiful spring day. We walked around Washington Square Park which is located right next to NYU, and there were tons of people hanging out there. Trees are finally growing their leaves again, flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining (occasionally...) All this combined made for the perfect spring photo shoot!

Has our generation gone too far with the drinking lifestyle?

I’ve been experiencing some serious writer’s block. It’s not that I don’t have any ideas, because I have enough ideas to fill up my entire spring and summer post schedule. The problem is I’m having trouble just sitting down and actually writing it all. My ideas bounce around in my head like jumping jelly beans and then it’s hard to put everything into words. I also get stressed out knowing that I should be writing but I’m not. I almost feel like I’m back in school, dreading that paper I have to write but continuously procrastinating until the very last second. Except now, there’s technically no due date. I’m all about being organized and setting goals for myself, with tight run schedules and all. Then, it all just flops. I’m trying to work on this, but sometimes you find yourself in a funk that is just tremendously difficult to get out of.

One thing I do want to share with you all is my experience at the Taking Back Sunday concert I went to on Wednesday night. There were three other bands playing before them, so it was a really long wait (after an already exhausting day at work.) Taking Back Sunday has been my favorite band since I was about 12/13 years old and it is literally written on my bucket list “go to a Taking Back Sunday concert.” Ten years a fan and I had never been to one.

Now, I do not consider myself a “concert-goer” in the least bit. I’m not a fan of large crowds, so I stay away from things like that. I also don’t like spending a bunch of money on nosebleed seats. Just don’t see the point. But, this time was different. I was super pumped.

To say it in the politest way possible, it sucked. Not because of the music or the bands. It was the people, the crowd. I was expecting a crowd of older people or people somewhat my age, those who grew up listening to these bands and just felt like being nostalgic, etc. Instead, the crowd was a mix of overly obnoxious and rude drunk teenagers. Or maybe they were older than that, but I really couldn’t tell by the way they were acting. Everywhere I turned I saw girl drama and fights. People were doing drugs left and right. Everyone was wasted. I did not get to enjoy myself and it was truly disappointing. 

I don’t blame people for wanting to have fun and letting loose for a night, but after my night it really made me think: 

Must we rely on alcohol or drugs to have a good time, all the time?

I think drinking every once in a while is perfectly fine, especially if you know your limits and can contain yourself. However, I see it all around me, all the time. People don’t know how to have fun unless it involves intoxicating yourself in some way. They rather go to bars every weekend than try out new activities or just plan a nice night in with your friends.

College pretty much has a drinking culture of its own, and that’s really never going to change. I’ll admit that I, too, indulged in this type of lifestyle. At what point does it get old, though? For me, this idea of drinking all the time or overindulging in this lifestyle started getting old by the time I became a senior in college. Now whenever I see people my age still acting in such ways or having this mentality, it’s just disappointing. 

I wish it was easier for people to have a good time without having to drink or go out and rage. I understand that it’s fun to let loose, go wild and just have a good time with friends. But, you have to remember a few things:

1. Know your limits. At a certain age, you should know how much you should be consuming. You should know not to get so drunk that you become a problem for others or even for your own self. 

2. There are other things to do besides drinking. Like, an infinity amount of things to do. Finding new activities or hobbies with your friends could open so many doors. Or even simple things, such as going to the movies or cooking a new dish at home with friends, or ordering chinese food and watching Netflix all night. 

3. If the reason you’re going out to bars every weekend is to meet your dream sweetie, think again. Is this really the type of environment you want to meet someone special like that? Sure, a lot of people find their boyfriends/girlfriends at bars, but more likely than not you’re not going to find what you’re looking for. 

4. Alcohol is not good for your body. MAYBE the occasional glass of red wine, as studies have proven, or whatever. But to be binge-drinking all the time causes some serious issues. We all know hangovers suck. You feel that way for a reason. You just threw your body into a spinning hell ride of torture. Also, as we get older, our bodies can’t handle as much alcohol as we used to, so sometimes taking it down a notch is actually literally necessary in order for you to survive the next day.

5. If you rely on alcohol to be less shy, forget about your problems, etc. there are underlying issues that need to be resolved. Alcohol is not the solution. In fact, bringing alcohol into the mix of these pre-existing issues will probably only make things worse in the long run. Deal with life in a different way, a healthier way.

So there you have it. End of rant. Some of you may agree with me, some of you may not, but this is just the way I see things and how I feel. Sometimes it seems that our generation is so involved in the drinking culture and I think it can result in so many problems for our futures and our well-being in general. 

My Top 5 Hangover Cures

Honestly, just thinking about this post is giving me flashbacks to last weekend after my birthday party and my head starts pounding. But, I figured I'd help you guys out and let you in on a few tips to beating those nasty hangovers.

1. Coconut Water - They might as well call this unicorn piss, because it's that magical. First of all, it tastes pretty good (to me, at least.) It's also super hydrating which is exactly what you need after a night of drinking. It's full of electrolytes, similar to sports drinks, but it contains less sugar than those types of drinks so it's better for you (and your hangover.) Coconut water contains an abundance of nutrients (especially potassium, whatever that does for you) and we all know your poor weak self could use just about all the healthiness it can swallow at this point.

2. B Vitamins - You lose a lot of vitamins and nutrients when you drink, especially vitamin B. Vitamin B is good for your metabolism and also boosts your energy. Taking a good B complex vitamin can help boost your energy and mood after a night out.

3. Carbs - My favorite go-to hangover foods are bagels with cream cheese or butter (nothing beats a true Jersey bagel… MMMMM) or an entire box of mac & cheese to my face. Although you probably want to vaporize a greasy plate of hash browns, bacon and eggs- be wary of this. Sometimes too much greasy food will only lead to you feeling worse. Or, you know, that bathroom situation…

4. Alka-Seltzer Extra Strength - This medicine kills two birds with one stone. Alka-seltzer is known for relieving upset stomachs and all that, but they also sell a version that contains pain relievers, so it will help with that killer headache as well. It's better than just taking Advil or Tylenol, because sometimes that headache you have is due to your stomach being all effed up.

5. Sleep - Yep, sometimes all you can do is sleep it off.

Extra tips for the night before!

(wait, my first tip is: don't ever, ever drink this crap ^)

In order to avoid a hangover you should:

1. Drink some water throughout the night. Seriously. It might seem like a pain in the ass or silly, but it does make a difference. Staying hydrated will help you the morning after.
2. Avoid smoking cigarettes. A lot of people become social smokers after a drink or two, but studies have found that smoking can actually increase the intensity of your hangover the next day. (Also, as a general rule, just don't smoke. It's bad news bears.)
3. Don't mix the types of drinks you get. Stick with just one type of alcohol (beer, vodka, whatever.)
4. Avoid diet soda as a mixer or chaser. The fake sugar can make you even more dehydrated.
5. As we get older, our bodies can't handle "binge-drinking" the same way they did when we were 18/19. Be realistic. Not only is binge-drinking unattractive after a certain point, but it's also really bad for your health. So, don't over do it.

P.S. This is what I learned at college.

Staying In Touch With Friends Post-College

With all the people you meet at school, you're bound to make a few life-long friends along the way. Most of the time these friends are people you see every day—whether it's to go to class, get lunch/dinner, study at the library, go out to the bars or maybe you even lived with some of these friends—point is they become an integral part of your life. So what happens after you graduate? It's more than just the summer apart now. A lot of your friends might move back home or get a job somewhere else. Regardless of the circumstances, the majority of you will end up going in different directions (and I mean this location-wise as well as life-wise.) As sad as it may be, many friendships may not make it through this transitional period. It may seem like an inevitable part of life, but I think the problem really lies in lack of effort from both sides of the spectrum. While I've only been out of school for 8 months now (time FLIES) I've already experienced a lot of changes in many of my friendships. I'm one of the lucky ones though and feel that I am still close to most of my friends. Although we may not get to talk every single day or see each other that often, we all still make an effort to stay in touch. It is certainly more difficult now and changes can be a really scary part of life, but it's doable! Here are some of my tips on staying in touch with friends after you graduate and maintaining those close bonds you formed throughout your years together:

• Plan a huge get together. The trick here is making sure you plan it plenty of time in advance (at least a month, but not too in advance that people end up forgetting about it) in order to make sure that people can plan accordingly and actually attend! Also, if your get together involves drinking, it'd be smart to try and get a limo or party bus so no one has to be the designated driver. It's also easier (and so much more fun!) to have everybody travel in one bunch. You also want to try and plan it during  a time when more people are likely to be home (assuming you are all from one area) that way even those who have moved away for work will still be able to attend as well. I recently planned a huge get together for all my friends a couple days after Christmas when most people were not only home for the holidays but also free from work and other responsibilities.

• Use technology! We live in an age where there is really no excuse for not being able to contact someone. Don't let yourself get so busy that you don't have time to send a simple text to see how people are doing. A phone call to catch up every once in awhile is also a great way to stay in touch and keep the friendship alive. Don't let your pride get in the way of being the first to reach out. Also, don't just rely on commenting on their Facebook posts and instagram pictures. While it is a way of keeping in touch, it's not very personable. If you both always seem to be busy, at least try to do private messaging on Facebook. Make use of all the technology our generation is provided with! Try setting up Skype dates with friends. You can even do group chats to make it more of a "get together" feel.


• Make a trip out of visiting them. If they live somewhere else, and you have the means to do so, go visit them! It's a great way to get a change of scenery and some vacay time while also getting to spend time with your friend. In some cases you might end up liking it so much where they now live that you end up moving there, too! It's a great time to travel while we're still young and not plagued with a ton of responsibilities. It can also be the perfect time to travel and see more parts of the country/world because you'll know people who live in these areas. This hopefully means you not only have a place to say but also your own personal tour guide! One of my friends recently moved to Paris and you better believe I'm already planning my trip to visit her. 

• Vacation together. This is slightly similar to the previous tip, but this way you can meet up with a few friends at one designated vacation spot. Agree to get together at least once a year. Obviously a lot of these tips involve both parties being willing to put in the effort, but sometimes it's good to have a certain date planned out way in advance to get people more willing to do so. A weekend getaway once a year is a perfect way of getting together and might not require anyone to take off work. For example, Memorial Day weekend is a perfect time to plan something because it's longer which gives more time for travel and it's also a time most people get off work. These yearly trips can even become some type of tradition which gives you even more of an opportunity to stay in touch.


• Make time for friends. This is my most important piece of advice. Don't let yourself get so wrapped up in your new life, new job, maybe even new friends, that you forget about your old ones and all those people who got you through the last four years and who shared all those awesome college memories with you. It does take time and effort but a life-time friendship takes work and commitment. Trust me though, it's totally worth it. It does take two to tango, and if you feel that you are the only one putting in the effort to maintain a friendship than maybe it just isn't worth it. Don't let your pride get in the way however. It does neither of you any good to be bitter that the other person hasn't texted or called you first. We all have a lot going on in our lives. You have to be understanding of each other. But always remember, even though you might have a super busy schedule, it only takes ten minutes of your day to text or call a friend for a quick chat!