Sunshine and Saltwater

I'm finally back in the US of A after my 3 month trip to Costa Rica, and I have to say the whole experience was refreshing. It's so nice to step outside of your 'reality' and be able to look at it from an outsider's perspective. You learn to recognize what's important and what's not...what you can live with and what you can live without.

For three months, Adam and I lived in the tiny beach town of Santa Teresa on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. Just imagine dirt roads, surf shops, tiny grocery stores and lots of stray dogs...that was about it. Every day, we woke up early with the sun, went for a surf (yes! I can surf now), biked all over the peninsula, cooked meals in our bungalow, did lots of laundry by hand, played cards with friends and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets.

The first month was a bit of an adjustment. It was strange to be in a town and not know anyone. Locals assumed we were transient tourists and because we rented a house, we didn't get the opportunity to socialize with people like we would if we stayed at a hostel or hotel. It also rained a lot in September, so we spent lots of time on the porch reading and working on our Spanish.

It wasn't until October that things started to fall into place. We started to make friends with some of the locals who owned restaurants and shops, and we met a few other people who were visiting long-term. We became friends with a couple from London named Harry and Jen (who both quit their jobs in Environmental Law and Project Management to be able to travel). Then they introduced us to a professional poker player from Florida named Kevin. We quickly became the best of friends and spent lots of time together. Ironically, I inadvertently picked up a British accent in a Spanish-speaking country. :)

October flew by...we had a total of 5 groups of friends visit us, including Adam's parents. We went ziplining, hiked in the rainforest, took a fishing boat out into the ocean with one of the local fishermen and went to a wildlife refugee where I got to hold the baby howler monkeys. It's amazing to be that up close and personal to nature.

By the time November rolled around, I had traded in my beginner board (7'2") for a more advanced board (6'6"). Adam and I went surfing every day and tried to keep up with Harry and Jen (who surf regularly in England). Our trip flew by and by the time it was all said and done, I had very mixed emotions about leaving. It was bittersweet. On one hand I missed my family and friends (and embarrassingly enough, trips to Target)...but on the other hand, I had really grown to appreciate a simple and healthy way of life. I was getting so much sunshine, exercise, fresh food and amazing experiences.

Being in Costa Rica taught me to take life as it comes, to not let the daily stresses of life consume me, to realize that I don't need all the things that our consumer society teaches us to 'need' and to appreciate the people that God places in your path to help and encourage you (no matter where you are in the world). I am grateful to many of the kind-hearted people in Santa Teresa who helped us along the way.

Now that I am back, I have been looking for a new apartment in New York (since my previous lease ended and everything went into storage). I am hoping to finalize my living arrangements on my return from Atlanta for Thanksgiving. NYC is the complete opposite of laid-back Santa Teresa...but I will try my best to adjust, while still keeping the 'pura vida' mentality within. I am looking forward to being back in the city and starting things fresh.

So, keep me in your prayers (as I have lots of cold weather to adjust to in the next few weeks), and remember to keep things simple and stress-free this holiday season. And if you don't know how to do that, I'd recommend hopping a flight to Central America. You'll understand what I mean.

Happy Holidays! Miss and love you all!

Lauren

Musings from the Penthouse

Wow...it's been almost a year since I've written and a lot has transpired. I'm beginning to realize that I have no intention of slowing down or staying put anytime soon. I need change. I crave change. And I'm proud to say that I embrace change with open arms.

Last time I wrote, I had just returned from my European backpacking adventure. I was 'slightly' tan (which is quite the feat in MY world), slightly more cultured and ten million times more well-fed. I had tried mussels for the first time and it was love at first bite. I had tasted the real-deal Italian pizza on a hillside in Italy. And I had sipped the finest French wine in a tiny village overlooking the mountains. OH...and I met a few cool people along the way. Life was good.

Then of course reality hit, and that nasty little black cloud found its way atop my head. I came back to the United States to the news that my neurology conferences were post-poned indefinitely due to the uncertainty of the healthcare reform situation in our country. This was of course very disappointing and very scary news, considering I felt comfortable enough to quit my Wall St. job to pursue this neurology thing full-time.

I spent many months penny-pinching. Also, I should note that my roommate stole my credit card and tried to use it to purchase $1400 worth of clothing and accessories at Louis Vuitton in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace. Needless to say, myself and the remaining innocent roommate moved out ASAP, leaving the guilty party with two new subleasers (lucky subleasers). What a mess. BUT, on the bright side, I moved to Brooklyn, and now looking back, it was the right move for me. I ABSOLUTELY love Brooklyn, and now I am closer to Adam (who I am still dating - it will be two years in October, by the way).

But like I always seem to do (much to my own surprise every time), I quickly bounced back. I got my real estate license in New York, and started working as an agent, focusing mainly on residential and commercial rentals. I was the top-earner in my office the first month, and I have to tell you, I might have patted myself on the back a few times. Since then, the firm I am working for has proved itself to be very unprofessional and cut-throat (obviously, this IS real estate, after all) and I am weighing my options as to whether I will continue on with them. In addition to the firm, I've also started working with a property management company called Campus Apartments. I lease out student housing in Brooklyn and Manhattan. My office is in the penthouse lounge on the 25th floor of a high-rise in Brooklyn Heights, overlooking the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. A girl couldn't ask for more really. I enjoy the girls I work with, and I get to do promotions throughout the city. Last week, I went to Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series and saw P. Diddy perform. Not my favorite artist in the world, but nonetheless, much better than staring at a computer in the office all day.

So other than the sweltering days of a summer spent in the city, I have to say that I am fairly content with where I've ended up. I am in a healthy relationship with a wonderful guy, I have a beautiful apartment one block away from Prospect Park, I have a new cat named Walter who loves to cuddle with me and I am proud to say that I am close to the 2 year mark of life in the city. How times flies...

Oh...and I plan on starting a new blog soon to chronicle all my travel adventures! So stay tuned...

Love you all,

LAUREN

Wanderlust

Get ready...this is gonna be one LONG blog. The last time I wrote, I had quit my job on Wall St., dove straight into a new gig, and packed my bags for Europe. Now, I am barely back from Europe and have done more in 2.5 weeks than is humanly possible OR healthy. Here are the lengthy details... you may want to grab a drink or snack because you might miss a meal reading this.

Adam and I flew into Dublin, Ireland the morning of May 10. It was the smoothest flight of my life. Upon arrival, we navigated our way to a friend of Adam's to stay the night (I say 'friend' very casually because in reality, he had only met Juanita once time a year ago at a work party). But she contacted him saying we could stay after seeing on Facebook that we were going to be in Dublin. When we arrived, because it was early in the day, she had her friend Annet meet us at the flat to make sure we got in. Then much to our surprise, Annet took the hospitality one step further and drove us into town, pointed out the perfect Irish pub for a mid-morning pint, and waved us goodbye. So although there is a fine line between controlled social drinking and full fledged alcoholism, we decided 2 pints of Guinness at 11 am was totally acceptable while on vacation, especially in Ireland. Then it was off for the first dish of our 'European Food Tour'...Bangers & Mash. After literally diving head first into my Bangers & mash (jetlag was beginning to rear its ugly head), we quickly paid the bill and found the nearest park...an hour long nap in the grass ensued. I'm sure we looked homeless, but I have to say, it made the biggest difference. Afterwards, we weaved our way to the Guinness Museum, where we both learned how to pull the 'perfect pint' and then enjoyed our pints over a panoramic view of Dublin. That night, our beautiful hostess and her husband treated us to a Thai dinner in Dalfry, a high end area of Dublin near the beach. In the morning, Juanita drove us to the ferry that took us across the Irish Sea to Holyhead in Wales.

From there, we experienced the most scenic train ride across the U.K. ...rolling hills, fields of marigold, herds of sheep, sleepy cows, etc. It was gorgeous and made the long ride much more bearable. We landed in London, England mid-afternoon just in time to navigate the Tube during rush hour. I was literally sandwiched between Adam and my huge backpack. (SIDE NOTE: Instead of a suitcase, I toted all my things across Europe in a huge backpack. My shoulders are now ripped and dare I say, I could give Cale a run for his money in a boxing match.) But back to London, we made our way to the flat of a friend of mine from high school, Chris Hopkins. He lives in London now and said that we could hang out with him that night and sleep at his friend Ricky's (who had a futon). They took us out for Indian food and then we all had drinks on Ricky's rooftop before Adam and I went out to a neighborhood bar. There, we sparked up a conversation with a couple our age and they ended up buying all our drinks. We woke up very late the next day...I'm sure I needn't say more.

Then it was off to France after a plate of fish and chips and pictures outside Buckingham palace. (SIDE NOTE: In the first 5 days of our trip, we saw 5 countries. Quantity over quality, people. We basically did a 'Hit & Run' of Europe.) Because we had nowhere to stay in Calais, France (the port town), we called our French friend Ben (who had grown up in Calais) to see if he mnight be able to suggest a hostel. He did even better and told us his mother would host us AND cook us dinner. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality because she had no notice whatsoever, barely spoke any English, and did not know us from Adam (no pun intended). She picked us up at the port and other than the few awkward silences (when she ran out of English and we ran out of French), we couldn't believe our stroke of luck. When we arrived, we met Ben's 13 year old sister Solene, and because she was studying English, things went a little smoother. Ben's mother cooked us the most fantastic meal, consisting of four courses - a tomato and feta salad (with fresh chives that she plucked from her garden), steak with authentic Dijon mustard and sauteed vegetables, a platter of French cheeses with a baguette, and strawberries dipped in cream and sugar for dessert. Oh...and a bottle of wine...how could I forget? (SIDE NOTE: This may have been one of my favorite nights because we stopped being tourists and instead became guests.) In the morning, she dropped us at the train station, but not before sending us off with sandwiches and water bottles.

We were off to Bruges, Belgium...a tiny town with lots of character. We checked into a hostel there and explored the city. Bruges is divided by tons of canals, has a very medieval feel, and thankfully, most people spoke English. Adam and I enjoyed a dinner of mussels and Belgian beer. Afterwards, I accidentally lit my hair on fire while leaning too far over the candle on the dinner table (In the moment, the only thing I could imagine was my gay hairstylist Ezequiel passing out from distress...I think I will NOT tell him the next time I go in). The next morning, we climbed the Belfry Tower (the town's bell tower), rode bikes along the city's perimeter by the water, and tried Belgian waffles, chocolate, and cheese...OH MY! (Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE cheese?...I'm thinking of moving to Belgium).

Later that day, we were off to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Now, although Amsterdam has a bad rep for it's....how shall I say it?....open-mindedness, it is actually a very charming, canal-strewn city. We stayed at an Asian-run hotel called 'The Flippper', which was...you guessed it! lovingly decorated with dolphin pictures and posters. I almost expected to hear the show's theme song 'They call him Flipper! Flipper! Flipper! Faster than lightning...'. Those Asians really know how to spice things up. After check-in, we had Nepalese food (random I know) and went to check out Amsterdam's claim to fame 'The Red Light District.' I have NEVER in my life seen anything like it. I needed someone to pick my jaw up off the floor more than once. If you have ever been, you know what I mean. If you haven't, I will spare you the details. The next day, we hit a street market and got so caught up spending our money on trinkets that we missed our train...TWICE. Oops. But do not fear, we caught the third train and off we went for Paris, the city of love. (SIDE NOTE: I will need to back up here and explain a few things. Adam and I joined an online network called Couchsurfing.org. It's basically a way to connect fellow globetrotters. People all over the world offer up their couches for free, in the expectation that you will return the favor someday. 'What about serial killers?' you say? Why yes, on first glance, it appears pretty sketchy, but Adam hosted 4 French guys a few weeks back (including Ben that I mentioned earlier) and we are STILL alive.) So once we got to Paris, Ben returned the favor and put us up on his futon. Because he was working, his cousin Marlene and her boyfriend Vincent took us under their wing. They accompanied us to dinner, translated the menu, ordered for us, and spoke just enough English to make it enjoyable. I had the best steak of my life and promptly passed out. The next day, Adam and I walked all over Paris. We saw Notre Dame, The Louvre, the Arch, and even climbed the stairs of the Eiffel Tower (SIDE NOTE: At this point, my calves were catching up with my shoulders. I was now ready to challenge Cale to a kickboxing match). The night ended with Ben, his roommates, and a huge spread of sushi. Our last day in Paris, Marlene and Vincent took us to a beautiful park in the middle of the city. It had rolling hills, waterfalls, and beautiful flowers. It was the perfect way to end our stay in Paris.

Now that we had breezed through Northern Europe faster than a fat kid breezes through an all-you-can-eat buffet, we got to the 'good' part of the trip....the 'relaxing' part. We took a train to Avignon, a small town in the south of France. Another one of the French guys, named Noe, was hosting us there. We finally reached warm weather and the whole feel of our trip changed from crazy sightseeing marathon to relaxed summer vacation. Noe and his roommate Laurence picked us up with a bottle of wine in tow and drove us to a tiny village overlook high in the mountains of Avignon. We shared a bottle of wine and watched the sun set. It was perfection. Then Noe cooked us dinner and we enjoyed the company of our hosts. The next morning, we explored Avignon, which was the original city of the Popes, before Rome. We toured the Palace of the Popes (along with a group of rowdy French preschoolers) and then unwinded at an outdoor lunch in a local courtyard. My dish was a cross between fish and mashed potatoes, followed by a lemon tart. I took a picture of it. It was THAT good.

Then it was on to Cannes, France, where the 2009 Film Festival was in full gear. A friend of mine from college (Anna Beaver) was leading the UGA Study Abroad program there and put us up for 3 nights in her apartment one block from the beaches of the Mediterranean. (SIDE NOTE: I'm pretty sure I will be naming my first born 'Anna' as an expression of gratitude). Cannes was FANTASTIC! We laid out at the beach every afternoon (among throngs of topless women over 60), had great seafood (I am now officially addicted to mussels), and even got a glimpse of the Film Festival. Quinton Tarantino's new movie 'Inglorious Bastards' premiered one of the nights we were there, so we assumed the roles of screaming pre-pubescent girls and hit the red carpet. We saw Quinton, Sharon Stone, Mike Myers, 'Ryan' from The Office, and most importantly Brad and Angelina! Afterwards, we viewed the Italian opera 'Don Giovanni' on a huge projector screen over the water. We sat in huge beach chairs and drank wine on the beach with 2 American guys that we had met earlier in the day, one of whom was headed back to Iraq the next day to finish up his service.

Slightly less pale and much more relaxed, we left Cannes and headed to Cinque Terre, Italy, which I will fondly refer to as 'my idea of HEAVEN.' Cinque Terre, which in Italian means 'Five Lands', is a string of 5 villages along the northwestern coast of Italy. Each village is connected by ground path, and lies on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. It is breathtaking. Being the savvy traveler that he is, Adam found a campsite in the neighboring village of Moneglia where we could pitch the tent we'd been hauling around on our backs. The unique thing about this campsite was that our tent was on a platform out above the Mediterranean. We woke up each day to the warm sunshine and gentle lap of the waves against the rocks. (SIDE NOTE: We spent three nights there and I am now considering a permanent move). Each day, we got up early, took a train into Cinque Terre and hiked from village to village (and by 'hike', I mean 'climbed'...or even 'scaled'). This was straight up the side of the mountain. Adam joked that instead of the 'Stairway to Heaven', it was more like the 'Stairway to Hell'. The way my whole body ached the next day was enough indication to support his theory. But the hike led us through vineyards and flower gardens, all the while overlooking the sea and down onto the villages. When we finally made it to Corneglia (the middle village), we climbed over huge rocks and flung our dehydrated, overheated bodies into the Mediterranean. The water was amazingly clear and salty. The next day, we went back Vernazza (the 4th village) and rented kayaks. We took off to teh open sea and as the waves started to crash against my kayak, I quickly realized that my body was utterly exhausted from the day before. We aimed for the first beach in site to rest and just as luck would have it, the closest beach was a NUDE beach! (I'm not even kidding...MORE old Italian women and a few young exhibitionists roaming the beach in their birthday suits). Just our luck. Ha.

The next morning, we hated to even leave. Cinque Terre was by far the best part of the trip, but we had plans to go to Rome. Looking back, we should have stayed. Things took a very ridiculous turn for the worst in Rome. It all started when we went to get gelato. As the man was scooping my gelato, he asked me in broken English if I would like it 'special', to which I replied 'no.' Apparently, he decided to make both our cones 'special' anyways. We tried to object...but it was finished. So we said 'oh well' and went to pay...much to our chagrine, the register totaled to 30 EUROS!!!!??!?!?? And the mean-looking, cat-eyed woman behind the counter wouldn't listen to our argument, looked like she might chop off our hands if we didn't pay, and demanded the money. UGH. For those of you who don't know the current conversion rates, that's about $20 an icecream cone. Enough to send 5 kids to college....or at least get 5 American kids icecream from the icecream truck. To make matters worse, the second we walked outside, I watched as my icecream plunged to its demise in a bush. The man had given me a cracked cone. Enough to make a girl cry.

Rome was less than impressive...so we took the train to Naples to fly out the next day. Things just kept getting better and better, people. We bought Metro tickets and got on a train to our hostel. When we tried to leave the Metro station, there was an attendant checking tickets. We showed her ours confidently, having paid like everyone else...but ALAS, we had not validated our tickets. (SIDE NOTE: Apparently, you have to swipe them in this machine that's hidden on the wall, to which no one goes to swipe their cards). The attendant spoke NOT A WORD of English and basically told us we could not leave the station until we paid her the fine of 37 EUROS (about $60 bucks). Keep in mind that these tickets were paid for and only cost us 1 EURO a person. So...at that point, I burst into tears...having reached utmost exhaustion and ran outside the station to have a pity party while Adam paid for our release.

When we got to our hostel, we checked in and paid the nice gentleman behind the counter. Literally two minutes later, we checked our email and received an email notification saying that 'There have been MAJOR CHANGES to your flight. Instead of May 28....you will now be flying out May 30.' To which, I began to cry again. After an hour sorting out the problem on the phone, Adam tells me that the airline has shut down indefinitely. Thankfully, I found another flight on Expedia and was able to get us both back fairly inexpensively. We checked right out of the hostel we had already paid for (with no refund of course), and took a train back to Rome....then took a train to the airport....then flew to Frankfurt, Germany. We spent 12 hours overnight sleeping on the airport benches, huddled together for warmth before flying 9 hours back to New York on 'Air India.' It was one of the those experiences that you'd rather forget. Maybe one day I will be able to look back on this and laugh. But in the moment, I was not a happy camper.

So....just to clarify, the last part of the trip did NOT, in any way, spoil the essence of our trip to Europe. It just made it slightly more interesting. Adam and I had a wonderful time... saw some very beautiful things... and expanded our life experiences that much more. I came back with a tan (the first tan of my life), some souvenirs, a deeper respect and love for Adam, a greater appreciation for what I have in the United States, and some funny stories to share.

I am now 2 conferences down for work, and I am in the process of planning the next few months. Looks like I may be travelling to New Mexico, Southern California, and Philedelphia this summer, and there is a possibility for international travel as well.

Life is good. I feel very blessed. Someone is watching out for me up there.

Hope you are all doing well! I love you and missed you dearly while away!

LAUREN

Um...Yeah...We're Gonna Need You To Come In On Saturday...

'Office Space' may be one of my favorite movies of all time, and after working in an office for the last six months, I'm beginning to appreciate it even more. I falsely assumed I 'got it' before, but now I'm convinced the movie is a thousand times better because I've 'been there and done that.' Office life is mundane and boring to say the least, but if you need a good laugh, the office knows how to pull through in the clutch...

Take this quote from the movie for example, which is particularly applicable for me this week...

PETER GIBBONS: I uh, I don't like my job, and, uh, I don't think I'm gonna go anymore.

JOANNA: You're just not gonna go?

PETER GIBBONS: Yeah.

JOANNA: Won't you get fired?

PETER GIBBONS: I don't know, but I really don't like it, and, uh, I'm not gonna go.

JOANNA: So you're gonna quit?

PETER GIBBONS: Nuh-uh. Not really. Uh... I'm just gonna stop going.

JOANNA: When did you decide all that?

PETER GIBBONS: About an hour ago.

JOANNA: Oh, really? About an hour ago... so you're gonna get another job?

PETER GIBBONS: I don't think I'd like another job.

JOANNA: Well, what are you going to do about money and bills and...

PETER GIBBONS: You know, I've never really liked paying bills. I don't think I'm gonna do that, either.

This is the part where I actually confess (insert slap on the wrist here) that I'm just not going into work tomorrow...and for no good reason. Why, you ask? Well...... because I just don't want to. I know for a fact that my company doesn't look at the time sheets that they ask us to fill out, nor do they notice when someone is not around (unless they're looking for you so you can 'run interference' and answer a call they're scared to face themselves). It's actually quite mind-boggling! After layoffs, we are down to about 7 people in the whole office, and I guarantee that although they may notice I'm not here tomorrow, they won't even bother to question me on Monday as to my whereabouts. Maybe that's the beauty of being in sales (ie. "sales meetings" off-site) OR maybe it's just bad management. My guess is it's the latter.

I feel the need to 'throw them under the bus' via blog so that I can explain to you why my last day will be April 30. Being a fairly infant 'New Yorker', I can only blame my bad judgment in taking this job on the stately columns and bright shiny marble exterior of Wall St. It seemed legit to me...actually, it seemed 'too legit to quit.'

Apparently, my company (DI) did very well for 30+ years. The partners made millions and lived like rockstars. But as I well know (and I hope you do as well), what goes around comes around. They lied, cheated, and slept their way to millions...and at some point, 'karma' caught up with them. That was right about the time I signed on. Lucky me.

To make a long story short, I have spent the last six months watching them run the company into the ground, all the while, taking innocent people down with them. I just can't do it anymore. To be honest, I'm ashamed I haven't removed myself from the situation before April, but New York is um.... how do you say it? ....LE' EXPENSIVE.

So my last day is April 30... and in my mind, life begins on that day.

The tentative plan is to go abroad in May for 3.5 weeks to backpack and couchsurf my way through Europe. I've spent the last 6 months saving up, and I FINALLY have the funds to hop on a plane and fly as far away from Wall St. as possible! It will be joyous! I may even crack a smile or bust out one of my signature dance moves as I fly past the Statue of Liberty! So this blog entry serves as a notification that no one (and I mean NO ONE) is allowed to call my cell phone starting May 11. If you do, you will be receiving a phone bill in the mail.

As they say in America, 'Don't call me. I'll call you.' (See! It can be used in situations other than the dreaded 'break up.')

And what will I be doing when I get back to reality? Am I seriously quitting my job during one of the worst economic times in the history of the United States? Do I not realize that people would give anything to have a job right now?

Yes, I get it. I understand I am 'privileged.' But why be privileged and miserable? The two just don't go together. Plus I always have a few business deals up my sleeve (I am Johnny's daughter, after all). Like I mentioned before, I'll be coordinating educational conferences for neurology residents throughout the country with a company called Callosal Connection. I am a sort of independent contractor, which allows me to work remotely and travel quite frequently. It's my dream job....and it couldn't have happened at a better time. The hard work and prayer is starting to pay off! Plus, I'm convinced my mother has a direct line to God, so she probably had something to do with this. I'll have to add that to my questions to ask God when I have the pleasure of meeting him in person (see below)...

ME: Hey, God. Pleasure to meet you.

GOD: (Hopefully) Nice to see you, Lauren.

ME: So... God... Ol' buddy... Ol' pal... Was my mother up to something?

GOD: (Chuckling) Oh boy, I thought you'd never figure it out.

ME: I knew it!!! Man, she's good. So God.... Why is it that all the good tasting foods are bad for you, and the bad tasting foods are good for you? I'd just like to know...

GOD: I'm quite the comedian.

...Anyways, you get the picture.

So wish me luck on my next adventure...no more TPS Reports for me!

LOVE,

Lauren

P.S. 'Um...yeah...I won't be in tomorrow.'

March Madness

I keep meaning to write, and my schedule just seems to get in the way. I guess there is some truth to the saying that New York is 'the city that never sleeps.' I have been running 90 miles a minute since I moved here...and I'm just now starting to feel like things are falling into place the way I had hoped. So let me share the latest...

As you know, I took a job with an IT consulting firm called Data Industries. The way I got my job was a pure God-thing... and exactly what I needed at the time, considering I moved here with no plan. I have enjoyed (most) of my co-workers and made a few good friends, but the work is definitely not what I see myself doing for the rest of my life. So in the hours before work and after work, I have been working hard to build my own ventures into something that can eventually sustain me full-time.

There's my art, of course. It's always been my love and my passion, and I have built it into a nice side business. People commission me to do canvases, and it forces me to stretch my imagination and better my skills. I also have a small wedding-baby-collegiate gift line that is now in 3 Atlanta Stores (Dabberdoo in the Virginia Highlands, Signatures in Marietta, and Fiore at Perimeter Mall), 1 store in Huntsville, Alabama (Zazzy's), and on 1 website out of Los Angeles (Advantage Bridal). It's growing rapidly, and I'm excited to see what it turns into!

Then there's a side project I'm working on with a neurologist in Atlanta. I run a job-search site, and coordinate educational conferences for neurology residents. The conference aspect of the job is just now getting off the ground and will allow me to travel to different cities almost every weekend. I am hoping this will one day be my full-time job, and with a little prayer and hard work, maybe it will!

So as you can see, I've been quite the busy bee.

But enough with the work stuff, there's lots more fun stuff going on!
*I just got back from Indiana with Adam. We went to visit his family for the weekend, and it was nice to get away and enjoy some warm weather for a change (New York has been brutal the last few months).
*Adam and I are going to see the Allman Brothers at the famous Beacon Theatre on Thursday night! They do a residency there every year for a few weeks at a time, and I'm excited to see them for the second time.
*I may make it home to Atlanta in 2 weeks for a short visit...I'm flying stand-by, so wish me luck!
*Oh...and Adam signed up for Couch Surfer online, which is a networking site for globe-hoppers. The general idea is that you allow people to stay on your couch when they're visiting your country in hopes that they return the favor when you visit theirs. So we have 4 French guys coming to sleep on his couch (ie. his floor) at the end of this month. They barely speak any English...and they are celebrating a birthday. Should be fun! (Plus they promised to shower us with French wine and other authentic French 'munchies').
*I'm planning to buy a bicycle on Craigslist so I can roll around the city in style when it warms up. Adam already found his...so I'm scrambling to find mine before the temperature hits 70 degrees and I'm stuck in the sweltering hot subway waiting on a train.

So there's your much needed update! I'm feeling refreshed and excited about what spring and summer have in store...and I'm extremely grateful for the way things are working out! It's definitely a result of all your prayers...encouragement...and support.

I love you all...

LAUREN

And then I get a Croissant...

It's easy to get into a routine. Take me, for example. I get up almost every morning at 5 am, go for a quick 30-minute run, take a shower, go back to sleep for an hour and a half while trying not to mess up my freshly styled hair (don't ask), get up at 8:00 am, scarf down a bowl of oatmeal (slightly under-microwaved like I like it), leave the house at 8:20 am, squeeze onto the subway at 8:30 am, and arrive at work at 8:50 am (just in time to get a croissant to supplement my boring breakfast). Monotonous, eh? But there's something nice and comforting about a routine. You know what to expect and how to tackle the challenges ahead...because you've been there before....many, many times.

So this weekend, Adam and I went to see 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.' If you haven't seen it yet, I won't ruin it for you, but it tells the story of a man (Brad Pitt) who is born old and slowly grows younger across the course of the movie. If you're a woman and prone to crying for no reason at all, throw a box of Kleenex in your purse. It's heartwarming...and clever...and makes you think... 'What would I have done differently had I begun life with the wisdom of old age and been able to apply it to my youth?". Thought provoking stuff.

But in the movie, Brad Pitt says something I'd like to share...

"For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit... start whenever you want... you can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."

It's nice to be reminded that it's never too late to change your circumstances. Some things are obviously out of our control, but more often than not, our circumstances are dependent on how we choose to respond to them. If you're not pleased with where you're heading, don't be afraid to do a 180 and go the other way.

Just a thought....

Love you all,

LAUREN

P.S. I pulled this picture from the archives... one of my favorite nights with some of my favorite girlfriends...

Who Needs A Psychiatrist?

I've always wanted to write a book... not a self help book (because clearly, I'm the last person to offer sound advice, Exhibit A: I moved to one of the most expensive cities in the US with no job and no place to live)... not a work of fiction (because I hate the way authors take 10 pages to say what could have easily fit onto 1 page...and I doubt I could bring myself to elaborate like that)... but rather, a book about my life. Now before you go and label me narcissistic, let me argue my case.

For those of you who know my father, you know that he 'lives by the seat of his pants', as my mother often says. You ask Johnny what he's doing this week, you get an answer to the effect of 'ah...i've got some stuff going.' Stuff? Going? What does that mean exactly? You ask Johnny where he's going when he takes off in the Jeep down the driveway, and he yells 'i'll be back.' I've often wondered if even he knows exactly where he's heading... hmmm.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am my father's daughter. I look like him... I walk like him (fast and determined)... I have his entrepreneurial spirit... and I definitely live by the seat of my pants. Although I'd like everyone to think otherwise, I moved to New York with NO plan. I knew that if I didn't find a job in 2 weeks, maybe 3 tops, I would be on a plane back to Atlanta because I only had enough money saved up to last me that long. It was do or die. Thankfully, I 'did' and avoided the 'die' part. Even back in college, I decided to jet off to Australia and Fiji for the summer after my friend Claire mentioned that she was going. My guess is Claire had been thinking about this for awhile and had been sorting through the finances with her parents. I, on the other hand, turned in the application within a week, and began the business of daydreaming about befriending a kangaroo.

I guess you could say my motto is 'seize the day,' or something along the lines of 'you only live once... you might as well give EVERYTHING a try.'

...which is why I've dabbled in a million different (and some slightly odd) things... I've sold Tahitian Noni Juice, been a certified travel agent, pawned Sunsetter Awnings to old folks, been in fine jewelry road sales, trained as a hairstylist, catered weddings and bah mitzvahs, worked as a bank teller, sold children's clothes, traveled the country to manage trade shows, painted my way through college, headed up a neurology job search site, and finally ended up on Wall St (doing something totally random as well).

I have to say that the hair salon was by far, the worst decision of my life. Other than my designated mannequin head, who I fondly christened 'Charmagne' and toted around town in the HOV lane, this was a pretty bleak period in my life. I could never seem to get the hair dye off people's necks without creating 'Niagara Falls' down their back. One lady even screamed at me in front of all the customers. (I'm sorry, but it's hard to wash other people's heads.)

I recommend tipping your shampoo-ist a little more next time you're in the salon. I can tell you, she's probably been through hell already...and if not, she'll be there by the end of the day.

But other than my silly job ventures, I have a few other things I'd like to include in my memoir. Like the time I jumped out of a plane (correction: flung myself from the plane with a fervor you have never seen), or the time I ate a kangaroo (oopsy... i had intended to befriend, but 'ate' instead), or the time I partied with Curtis 'Rampage' Jackson of the UFC, or the multiple times I screwed up petsitting assignments, or the time I slept in a village in the South Pacific beneath a mosquito net, being tormented by angry mosquitos all night long, or the time I hitchhiked in Fiji, or the time I slept on an air mattress for 3 months straight (note: this air mattress had a manual pump and deflated within about five minutes), or the time I stayed at a Red Roof Inn in the heart of winter in Minnesota and had to drive a rental car around on the ice with no working side mirror.

Let's just say... I'm pretty sure my book would not disappoint. I already have a title picked out... 'Because the Fortune Cookie Told Me So: Living by the Seat of My Pants.'

Let me explain... my fortune cookie the other night said 'Do what you love and the necessary resources will follow.' Profound, right? I don't know about you, but me, I usually get ridiculous fortunes ...which I'd like to argue are NOT really fortunes at all... like 'You have a very generous spirit' OR 'A kind word goes a long way.' So to get a fortune cookie that spoke volumes to me really knocked my socks off. (Literally, my socks flew off in a fit of joy.) This is my whole idea about how life should be spent! Doing what you love! Taking chances! Doing things that make you happy!

I had a moment...and it was then that I realized, it would not be unlike me to quit my job, take off to another country, and never look back... just 'Because the Fortune Cookie Told Me So...' What a great reason! Who needs life coaches, mentors, or psychiatrists, when you can order some 'Mongolian Beef' and get a fortune cookie more capable than the whole lot of them?

So... stay tuned... you may just see my name on the 'Best Seller' list before too long...

-LAUREN

P.S. If you have connections with anyone in publishing, tell them I will treat them to 'Mongolian Beef' and fortune cookies...