The Official End of My Spring Break

I've been on an extended spring break since quitting my job and returning from Africa. The cool thing is, spring break has been way better than when I was actually in college. Here's why...

1. I'm of legal drinking age, no need to worry that my id won't be accepted or even worse, I'll get arrested (again...)

2. I was in Africa for two months, that beats Cancun and Fort Lauderdale any time

3. When I came back from Africa, I was in New York, again, much better place to have fun than Cancun and Fort Lauderdale

4. I can handle my booze better than I did in college. And there is this little thing that I have now called tolerance

5. No crowds, annoying drunk sorority girls, or MTV present (there may have been some fraternity boys...)

6. It's been 4 months, not just one week

As I spend my last day of freedom before re-entering the working world, I am sad to leave my late nights out until 4am, weekday brunches, the O.C., and the luxury of working out in the middle of the day, everyday, behind. Time to pack away the good memories, put my brain back into my head, and get back out into the world.

The Modern Day Mix Tape

Remember the days when the mix tape was popular? I used to make tons of them, but never did I have one made for me. Sad! That is until now.

There is this guy I have seen a few time over the past month. He's sweet and seems totally enamored with me. As he came over last night, he looked into his bag, letting me know he has something for me. Out comes his Ipod and a playlist named Molly... I squeal - Oh my God! You made me a mix tape! He looks at me with a crooked, confused look. Did I mention he is a bit younger (probably too young for knowledge of cassette tapes).

Either way, it's a fabulous mix. Kept me smiling throughout the night, as he explained why he put each song on the list, and promised me a CD of the playlist.

Swoon! Simple pleasures in the new year!

It's been a year...

As The Unsinkable Molly Brown turns 1 year old, I want to thank those of you who have followed my adventures, lived vicariously through me, or added to my stories and my life.

Stay tuned this new year for fun times out, the occasionally poor decision making, and endless adventures!

Looking back...

As the year comes to an end, I have taken some time to look back on this past year. I don't do resolutions, knowing that no one, myself included, ever seems to follow through. What I did instead was set goals for myself, and for the first time, I actually achieved the goals that I set.

I started the year by starting a blog, this blog, and two others followed throughout the year. It's been therapeutic for sure, fun as hell, and helped me to see how much I like writing, expressing myself within this medium. Not to mention, highly entertaining to see my adventures and misadventures all in one spot!

I got out of a job that no longer made me happy. I wasn't being the best version of myself. As usual, I was scared of making a change and making something happen in my life. I changed that. I got my license (after too many tries) and quit my job. I took the opportunity to find out what I want to do with myself professionally and am taking positive steps to achieve these goals.

I made the goal to challenge myself this year, which was brought to life through my trip to Africa. It was more than I could have ever imagined, and I loved every minute of it. I can not believe what I got myself into, what I did, and how I never thought twice. I planned this trip on my own, joining another culture for two months, rode an ostrich, hiked mountains, went boarding on sand dunes, jumped out of a plane, camped for two weeks while driving through the African bush, and rafted on world class rapid at Victoria Falls. The trip taught me that I was stronger than I give myself credit for and lit something inside of me that has been lost for too long! I said I was living my life in black in white, and realize now the beauty and color I have in my life and I'm going to make sure that I maintain it.

While in Africa, a line from the movie Finding Nemo, kept running through my head - Just keep swimming. I know the strength and passion that I possess, and am going to keep swimming through my life, exploring, taking chances, kicking fear's ass, and keep moving forward. I am grateful for the changes I have made and the incredible year I have just had, I am so looking forward to what the new year has in store!

Weather Challenges

After 20" of snow in New York City, how's a girl supposed to look cute on a date? It's bad enough that two dates have been postponed as a result of this crazy blizzard. But now that the dates are set, the conflict continues.

Can I wear wellies on a date? Or do I sacrifice safety (the streets are slippery) and warmth (baby, it's cold outside) and go with the tall heeled boots.

Last year, the question was can I wear Uggs on a date. You know, it gets real cold here in New York and unlike many other cities, we're not driving around all the time, unless after paying exorbitant amount on rent you can afford car service or cabs to take you everywhere, clearly, I can't afford that. But I digress...

I polled friends before leaving for my date last night. One told me I had to wear the tall boots, after all, it was a first date, and I wanted to make a good impression. My two other friends were far more practical, instructing me to wear the wellies. After all, said one of my friends, "it's a disaster outside!" She continued to remind me that if a guy was going to judge me because I wear wellies a few days after a major storm, screw him!

As I trekked to my date, clear crosstown, jumping through puddles with a big smile on, I get to the restaurant where I meet my date. One of the first things he mentioned to me was how cute my boots were...

A new level of humiliation...

As I spent an evening with my pregnant friend and her husband, I got insight into the lives of a happily married couple who are expecting their first child any day now. It was cute to see him put together their second swing, arguing why baby needs two swings. It was funny to see her fight for a small sip of beer, exclaiming that baby was cooked, and what would a little beer do to baby now. Special note - don't mess with a full term pregnant lady...

Then the conversation turned to me and who I'm dating these days. My friend's husband gets into this, he wants to make sure that I date someone that is useful to him, still upset that I broke it off with guy who works for ESPN. For a couple that has been together for at least 10 years, they were curious as to how to even meet a guy these days. I know what that is like. After dating the same person for over six years, it is a daunting thing to think of how to date again, so I understood their curiosity.

I told them about my Internet dating adventure. They became intrigued, asking to see my profile, unsure of how the whole thing worked. And so started a new level of humiliation. They were beyond intrigued by the concept, continuing to quip at how "interesting" and "neat" the whole process was. They continued to remind me that they never needed to do that. Yea, I never thought I would either. But here I am, scoping guys on the Internet with your very pregnant friend and her husband weighing in on either side of the couch. Good times!

Why do we always need a direction?

As the year comes to an end, there always seems to be so much talk on accomplishments and goals for the future. Why do things in life need to be so concrete, so planned? The greatest thing about the adventures I have come back from recently is a lot of what I did was on a whim, without over thinking, without too much planning. I just did it, kept moving forward, with the faith that things would be OK. To be honest, the thought of this "go with the flow" attitude scared the crap out of me, and still does a little bit. But it felt good, I'm not going to lie.

I had high hopes that my trip, this grand adventure, would help me figure out the road ahead of me, where it would take me, what I should do, and who I am. No pressure, right? Instead, it helped me to see that I don't necessarily need to seek these things out, that maybe they will just come to me, so long as I keep pressing forward.

I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself

Thomas Merton Prayer

I don't need direction right now, I'll get there...