My First NYC "Blizzard"

29 inches. That's it?  Yes, that's how much snow came down in New York City last weekend!   Winter storm Jonas really delivered!!!

This is my first winter in NYC, and I could NOT wait to see what this blizzard was all about!    I had a plan:  Ski gear, check! Friend, check! Go Pro, check!  The snow is here....lets GO!!!

The snow didn't start until 10pm on Friday night.  It was like Christmas Eve, knowing I would wake up Saturday morning to a winter wonderland!  And boy did I!  It actually snowed ALL DAY LONG!  Look how excited we were!!!!

Well let me back up..  the first thing I wanted to do was make my first NYC snow angel!!!  The first beautiful patch of snow I saw, I knew I had to drop down and get my angel on.  YAY!

Now that I got my snow angel out of the way, it was time to EXPLORE!!!!!

We wandered around the city, trekking through the snow in the middle of the streets, taking pictures, I felt like a kid in a candy store!  

To be quite honest, I was surprised that this storm was the second worst snowstorm in NYC history!!!  Growing up in the south, all you hear about is how cold New York is, how much SNOW they get, blah blah blah.  So I thought two feet, aka 24 inches, was a regular thing.  So now 29 inches is a big deal?!  I was quite surprised!  But I get it, it's the clean up, the inconvenience of not having public transportation, people can't get around, potential power outages, etc.

But I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  Not only was it so much fun stomping around in fluffy snow, but it was beautiful!!!!!  

Most New Yorkers are like "bah humbug" when it comes to snow.  I mean C'MON!!!!!  I mean, it's obviously not that bad since they are still living here.  But in life what you experience depends on your attitude.  Snow is going to come down, love it or hate it is up to you!  

I definitely loved it, and I cannot wait for the next one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New York City in Black and White

The vibrancy and color of this city often brings moments of reflection which force peace and calm upon your immediate thoughts. I often find myself visualizing this perspective soaking in as if I was floating 20 feet above my head watching it seep into my body. You can see things happening when you feel it.

New York City in black and white is like an oxy moron, right? It's quite interesting seeing such a high energy place in only black and white. It seems so serene, right? Maybe because it is.

NYC Sunsets

I'm such a sucker for sunsets. I'm extremely lucky to have such an amazing view from my new apartment in Brooklyn. Here are some of the amazing shots I've been able to enjoy, and I want to share them with you. And from what I hear the sunsets only get better during the summer. I can't wait! :-)

One-Way U-Haul to NYC!

So here I go... The day is finally here. My whole life is packed into this 10 foot truck, and I have an 11 hour drive until I start the newest chapter of my life. NYC bay bay! I have my roll dawg kitty with me, JJ. NYC, 11 hours here we come!

JJ was such a trooper!  He only meowed for the first 30 minutes!  LOL.  He calmed down once he got on my lap.  :)

It was actually a very pretty drive! Especially after the three hours of darkness I encountered from 3:30am to 6:30am. The two cold Starbucks drinks couldn't go down fast enough. But oh they went.

Finally, sunrise.

I had no idea how my GPS was taking me, I just knew I had my GPS on and in the charger. Soon enough though I realized I was driving through the Shenandoah Valley! It was so pretty! Large open fields, old farm houses, and light pastel skies hanging over the mountains sure did keep my attention!

Even after 6 hours, I was only halfway there. (sigh)  Thankfully though I'd loaded up on snacks before hand!

But it was the beautiful scenery continuously surprising and impressing me that kept me going! Highway 81 north is long, but at least it's pretty.  I ended up going through Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  I covered some ground!

I was a little anxious anticipating how I would drive this huge U-Haul through NYC, and my nerves were right. It was just as scary as anything I've experienced in any third world country. People everywhere, cars everywhere, loud noises, horns honking, and here I am in the biggest truck on the block almost.

Then I get caught at an intersection and capture this. How eerie this photo is....   It's so timeless, and is worth a thousand words.

I actually arrived at my destination 5 minutes after my scheduled move in time. How could I have timed an 11 hour journey more perfectly. I'm home. I've arrived.

Now it's time to settle in.  Work starts on Monday.

Nature & Dog Walks

The weather this week has been so beautiful! I'm so lucky to have the ability to walk my Mom's dog, Stallone. He is such a sweet being! Having a dog is so awesome, it's such a a great reason to get out and exercise!

Getting outside is good for the soul. Actually being in nature in general is good for the soul. I read an article recently that said being out in nature, and just touching a tree can bring many health benefits. You know the term "tree huggers" exists for a reason. ;)

It works. It really does. Getting out in nature is so easy. All you have to do is go outside and sit on your front porch, actually sit in the grass! Go for a walk. Sit on the sidewalk and strum your fingers through the grass. Who cares if anyone is watching! Every time I walk Stallone I make a point to feel and hug trees and put my fingers on as much nature as I can. 

I just had the most wonderful day outside this week, I got some exercise and I got a little tan! GO NATURE!

When is the last time you've hugged a tree?

Sunsets

It's what I do. I take pictures of beautiful sunsets. From Brooklyn New York to Mooresville NC, here are some recent East Coast of USA sunsets! :)

Siem Reap, Cambodia!

When I first touched down in Cambodia I knew I was in a special place. This calm feeling oozed over me and an uncontrollable smile would not leave my face. Immigration was quick and easy, and the tour guide that met us was friendly. Ahhhh those positive situations were so refreshing. We were quickly set in our tuk tuk and off on our way. How lucky were we to land at sunset. Glaring back at our path was so beautiful, again reinforcing that positivity I was feeling. :)

We only booked two nights in Siem Reap, mainly to visit Angkor Wat, the oldest religious monument in the world. Our plan was to do the sunrise tour the following morning, tour as much as we can, and relax our second and last day in Siem Reap before we flew out to Bali.

Well, our first night we had to try to pizza place that came HIGHLY recommended. I must say, it was just as amazing as we thought it would be!

After dinner we wandered around town. We were surprised, Siem Reap is pretty "happening" and had more western conveniences that we had seen in weeks in Vietnam!!! We were SO happy to find name brand deodorant and bath soap!!!!

Well, you guessed it, we did not make our 4:30am alarm to make the sunrise tour of Angkor Wat. Darn it. When we finally awoke we got our morning coffee and breakfast and were on our way to view the oldest religious monument in the world!!!!!

The tuk tuk drive to the site was impressive....

Angkor Wat itself is over 500 acres! Utterly impressive. Here is a larger map to give you an idea of the vastness of this great beauty and her friends....

SO MUCH history has gone down on this land. I cannot begin to give you a history lesson on this site. It has changed hands multiple times, been through natural disasters, has been left untouched for ages, overgrown and then rediscovered, and of course retouched for preservation.

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. :)

Again, I cannot even describe the majestic vibe of this place.  I am enthralled with the mystery and will always ponder what important and trivial events happened on this land. 

Normally when I visit museums or historic sites I have zero desire to go back and visit again.  Angkor Wat however, is still such a mystery to me.  So much of yet I still haven't seen.  I cannot wait to go back, and it may be sooner rather than later.

We were pretty tired from exploring most of the day, so back to town we go.  Of course it was time to eat....

I think I am over pizza now after eating it for three days straight, but those three days were awesome!!

We walked around more checking out the town.  Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to party hard, knowing we had to check out and travel the next day.  But that was totally OK.  :)

I can honestly say that Siem Reap Cambodia is one of my favorite places I have EVER visited.  As this site is visited by millions of tourists each year, with minimal controls available to preserve this site, I highly recommend bumping this up a notch or 7 on your bucket list.