My Roaring '20s: 2001-2011

There are places I remember, all my life, though some have changed. Some forever not for better. Some have gone and some remain. All these places had their moments, with lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some are dead and some are living. In my life, I've loved them all. 

A few months before my 20th birthday, 9-11 happened.  My sophomore year dorm at NYU was literally ten blocks away. Do you know what it's like to smell burning bodies and debris for four months and having your neighborhood feel like a ghost town? I do. For me, that time in my life was my ground zero. There was no where to go but up.

My twenties, from what i remember, in no particular order:

- graduated from NYU Film, the school i wanted to go to since i was 12

- saw Jake Gyllenhall from five feet away, until i was literally bum-rushed by the famous bum, Radio Man

- studied abroad in London and worked at the BBC headquarters in White City

- interned at New Line Cinema, Miramax, Tribeca Films, MTV, NBC News, ABC News 

- worked at the first-ever Tribeca Film Festival - had to personally greet Susan Sarandon, Jon Stewart, Mat Groening, Amy Heckerling, Jane Campion and the great Lauren Bacall 

- went to happy hour every Thursday with Kim for the first two years after graduation. loved to play with republicans' hearts at all those wall street bars. i'm liberal, haven't you guessed? 

- speaking of, obama was elected! i had a small fundraiser in my apartment that raised $400.

- conceived, planned and organized a demonstration/vigil with the huge help of erin funck and matt farber (www.numberthedead.blogspot.com).  YES! i started a revolution. (not really.) 

- met Travis. all four band members. awesome.

- had my first boyfriend! fell in love for the first time.  had my heart broken for the first time.

- saw coldplay six times (including their first appearance in nyc, before anyone knew them, and in london too)

- was a TA for one my favorite professor's class only because she was my favorite professor

- met some of the best friends of my life!

- hurt by some of the best friends of my life.
- !barcelona! one cool city, one night to remember. cubix: the coolest club ever. EVER. hoot with the owls, soar with the eagles. that's !barcelona! honorable mention: bar near beach with over 200 shots they light on fire. hot.

- met Jimmy Fallon. twice. 

- was in the elevator with both Weinstein brothers and Robert de Niro

- saw the Mets, Yankees (from row 3), Knicks, Liberty, Rangers and NY Giants! 

- met Paul McCartney and got so excited i dropped my camera with film. have no proof of encounter.

- saw Paul McCartney at Citi Field eight years after camera incident

- was in the elevator with Will Arnett, closest I'll get to arrested development. wanna see my chicken dance?

- worked at 30 rock

- partied on the SNL set, 8H, multiple times
- dad's advice on finding someone: all it takes is one date. so simple. so clear. 

- fell in love again 

- took a helicopter ride over NYC. a-mazing. felt like jack bauer.

- got a rush traveling for work for NBC. like NBC. still have my studio tour ticket from when i was 14. 

- saw these bands live: travis, coldplay, radiohead, the fray, james brown, david gray, DMB, OAR, ok go, ben folds, aerosmith, paul mccartney, weezer, black keys, aqualung, badly drawn boy, brian wilson, the wailers, counting crows, dave mason, eric clapton, death cab for cutie, fiona apple, flaming lips, franz ferdinand, gorillaz, jack johnson, hot chip, luxe pop, james blunt, oasis, john mayer, u2, john mayer, stereophonics, kings of leon, keane, flaming lips, beck, phoenix, cat power, scissor sisters, sheryl crow, vampire weekend and more i can't remember!
- also saw stand by by bill maher and joel mchale. heart.

- saw james brown on new years eve at bb kings in times sq in a booth to the left of the stage with unlimited alcohol. counting down with james brown. best new years ever!!!
- got flowers from a boy... finally.

- made a short, thriller film and submitted it to sundance, called  "the neighbor" 

- my cat jazz of 15 years passed away. i still miss that cat. she was one cool cat.

- saw lord of the rings, all three in three years at radio city with a live orchestra for the soundtrack. top five best gifts ever. 

- met Hanson, the band i loved in high school. had a 15 minute convo with taylor hanson at a party about music. still in shock. 

- played kickball. awesome decision. love you guys. goooo honey badgers!
- threw two NYE parties, a cinco de mayo party, a surprise 30th birthday party, a "we're not going back to school party," three halloween parties, a housewarming party and every single one involved jello shots!

- saw the rockefeller tree lighting… from inside 30 rock, 4th floor. 

- went to hawaii. snorkeled at molokini crater island. saw the sun rise from mount haleakala. 

- traveled around europe. loved everywhere. loved everyone. danced the night away. 10p. last call.
- tried absinthe while studying in london. the green fairy!

- rode the subway with mayor bloomberg. pure coincidence.
- got little eva, a little bear of a black cat, who can roll over seven times in a row

- spent new years eve on the rooftop of some apartment in covent garden. saw fireworks off the eye. awesome. 

- visited tintern abbey, walt whitman's "entire life behind things"

- attended and was in my first gay wedding! all thanks to sabrina and courtney! x

- lost 4 pounds on the donut diet in 2005
- ran the Goshen turkey trot twice with my dad - all 6.2 hilly miles. barf.

- watched the wire,  FNL and arrested development. best shows ever. EVER!

- had f**ing amazing parties at my parents' house in CT… with my parents were there! thanks for being the best f***ing parents ever. 

- #7

- bush finally went home! god, what an awful president for my twenties. he didn't know how to complete a sentence. i don't miss you, rummy, condo or cheney. good riddance. 

 - looking through older posts, you'd think robert evans was my hero. he did have some good quotes…

- learned guitar. yes, dan smith can teach you guitar!
- spent seven days on the road documenting the largest tornado chase in history, vortex 2. 

- got my first job right out of college! as a PA on a daily morning show on the hallmark channel. thanks to sandra, steve, todd, greg, emily, tina for my those years count. means more than you know!

- chris, thanks for taking this photo. i never felt pretty. and even though i didn't figure out makeup until after college, i still appreciate this photo: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7503/1325/1600/121-2103_IMG.jpg  that was on the train to elstree aka hells tree. oh, bbc. 

- osama bin laden was killed. you almost made me give my dream since i was 12. 

- i started a blog, this blog. Think Big in 2005. i still think big. i always want to think big. if i ever stop thinking big, i've stopped being me. 

- listening to jesse selwyn and chris ugbode on guitars = fantastic.  

- NYUnite 2010. 

- went to singer island and key west with my mom and dad. we danced, we drank, we saw hemmingway's house. and was saw the sunset of ALL TIME! it was fantastic. this is one of my favorite photos of them of all time… http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7503/1325/1600/IMG_1862.1.jpg

- interviewed and now work for Arianna Huffington doing what i do best and what i love to do
- clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

Yes, it was definitely my roaring twenties. a special shout out to Mary Grace, for inspiring me. My twenties were… a big question mark. Where am I going? Who am I going to be? My thirties… an exclamation point. I know what I what and I'm ready to go and get it!!!