nyc – Funk Meets A Lady

Week 1: Sprints, Headgear, & a Gelato Tasting.

Published on August 14, 2016August 14, 2016 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Click here to vote Regina for Fan FavoriteSunday thoughts (August 7th)

This weekend was filled with intense training sessions. Definitely far more than I’ve been doing up until now. 10 – 3 minute rounds (with 30 second rest) was definitely the biggest physical challenge I’ve ever had until the next day with 30/40 minutes of conditioning drills. After each round I kept thinking “Ok, that must be the end… it couldn’t possibly keep going” and yet it did. I couldn’t help, but laugh through most of it (when I wasn’t desperately trying to gasp for air- my breathing could stand some work). I’m not complaining by the way. I’m no huge fan of sprints or anything (a giant understatement), but take my word for it… Sprints will become my favorite activity before this is all over. Continue reading “Week 1: Sprints, Headgear, & a Gelato Tasting.” →

My First Fight | The Countdown Begins

Published on August 6, 2016August 6, 2016 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Ok ok… I’m getting a little dramatic with the title, I know. But c’mon! I’m going to fight someone. Like in a ring and everything. I am so excited to zone out (but totally stay zoned in because that would be bad) and pretend I’m battling some rogue Russian spy in an epic episode of Alias. Continue reading “My First Fight | The Countdown Begins” →

Heat. Goals. Snap Chat.

Published on July 31, 2016July 31, 2016 by Regina PoLeave a comment

This weekend weather has been relentlessly dull. Grey clouds, constant drizzle, and oh so hot. I dragged my sweaty ass out of the apartment, nonetheless and enjoyed myself (gasp). The subway stations in the summer time are arguably the most uncomfortable place in the city. It feels like you’re in a sauna, only the lovely smelling oils are replaced with piss and garbage. Going down into that sewage heat cellar after the gym is by far the worst. All I can think is why nobody around me is sweating. What the fuck kind of pores are these people sporting? I mean, I’m drenched in sweat trying not to touch anything and begging the universe to make my train appear like 5 minutes ago and the people next to me are just chilling on their phones. No sweat. Not even one drop. I don’t get it. It’s not just hot, it’s steaming. By the time I get onto the train I’m one sweat drop away from looking like I just stepped out of the shower. Continue reading “Heat. Goals. Snap Chat.” →

2016: My New Pink Gloves & the Central Park Proposal.

Published on January 11, 2016January 11, 2016 by Regina PoLeave a comment

NewYearMe2

2016 is here. NYE in the city is crazy. Crazy expensive. Crazy drunken. And mainly crazy unattractive. So I stayed away. Instead I spent the evening with one of my lovely roommates and a few friends at a Brooklyn bar. Last year this time I was sick, alone, and in bed. I’d say I made quite an improvement. I wore my very favorite heels and vowed to wear them more often. Because they’re just too damn beautiful to sit all lonely in my closet. Continue reading “2016: My New Pink Gloves & the Central Park Proposal.” →

Alas, we meet again.

Published on December 28, 2015December 28, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

Ok, so I needed a break. Sue me. It took me 13 blogs before I created one that actually stuck; for over a year! Alas, I grew tired of writing about the same old drudgery that became my life in NYC. With the Honeymoon phase over, I needed a real break from constantly admiring my surroundings and give myself time to really hate this place. You know, like a real New Yorker. Not that, by any means, do I consider myself one. Continue reading “Alas, we meet again.” →

My Daily Commute on the NYC Subway: The Investigators.

Published on September 25, 2015September 25, 2015 by Regina Po1 Comment

subway_selfie I’m on the B train on my morning commute to work, it’s somewhere around 9:45am. Normally, I don’t like to sit on the ride to and from work seeing as how I’ll either have the whole day to sit at a desk or I’ve come from a long day of sitting, but this time was different. For the first time in a while, my morning commute involved a crowded train (not having to commute during rush hour is a saving grace). I’m not complaining, piling into a packed train has it’s perks — I often feel a tiny thrill while shuffling into the train with playback flashes of NYC movies romanticizing the shoving and jamming of people into tiny spaces (it pays to be small in this city). On this particular day, the train wasn’t spectacularly packed or anything, but enough folks kept bumping into me that I snagged the first seat I could find . [On a side note, if you’re in NYC please check around before grabbing that sought after seat in case someone else may actually need it first. Yes, I do this. Always.] Continue reading “My Daily Commute on the NYC Subway: The Investigators.” →

New York City Senses

Published on September 7, 2015September 7, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

southern view from central park The photos in this post are not related to the text… just some photos I’ve been taking this week randomly.

I’ve been living in NYC long enough now that I’m starting to take my surroundings for granted. I get annoyed and flustered at the idiocy of others constantly surrounding me and the weather has been crap. Even summertime heat that I was so longing for during the treacherous winter months has worn me out (being completely drenched in sweat before my work day even begins is not great). This all makes me pretty sad. I love this city. I do, I really do. I love it for the exact reasons that are wearing me down. I love the people, the noise, the dirt, the inconvenience of it all. I wanted to do something to make me focus less on my discomfort and more on my surroundings so I started sitting down every chance I get to write about my what I see, smell, and hear. Every now and then my emotions find their way into these exercises too. Continue reading “New York City Senses” →

A Comparison: Life In NYC vs. Orlando

Published on July 26, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

I spent last week soaking up sunshine, reminiscing on good ol’ times, and remembering how much I miss Orlando. Weird. I know. Never in a million years did I think I would miss O-town, but low and behold I do. Very much. The sunshine. The people. And the the overall warmth I feel being here. I also spent a great deal of time thinking of things that NYC hasn’t lived up to, making it very hard to get excited about going back.

Continue reading “A Comparison: Life In NYC vs. Orlando” →

Week 48: I survived my 1st winter. Just Barely.

Published on April 19, 2015April 19, 2015 by Regina Po2 Comments

April 12th – 19th

Holy shit. I had no idea what people meant by weather affecting your mood/state of mind. I was uber freaked out about being cold so I prepared [and prepared some more] for all the physical beatings the weather would bring this winter, but boy did I have it coming! I was so concerned my feet might get wet, that I completely ignored the weather’s ability to make me question things. Like why in the fucking world I chose to do this to myself. Needless to say, all my sweaters and boots could not prepare me for what was to come.

Before I release a dreary tale, I’d like to say that I am now enjoying an afternoon in a coffee shop with the door wide open. I’m wearing a t-shirt. Life is good once more.

Things I learned from the winter:

1. Leave the city (some place with sunshine, and lots of it) in March.

I was doing pretty well in regards to mental capacity all through January and February, but then came March. A time that I normally associate with sunshine, brought one disappointment after another. When the first 40s appeared, I thought I MADE IT! I skipped on the streets, pre-maturely put away wool sweaters, and opened my mind to new (and warm) beginnings. Too bad for me, winter was not even close to being over. Mid-March proved to be my breaking point. A beautiful person had passed away well before her time and the sky literally lost the sunlight. I thought I was doing ok, but by late March I found myself whirling into something I hope to avoid next year. I don’t think it’s entirely due to the weather, but I’m 100% certain that it played a huge role. I found myself dreaming (and daydreaming) of sunlight… I even missed the Florida weather.

I don’t know if I’ll be quite as down next year, but to be certain I’m already planning on leaving for the sunshine in early March.

2. Buy a sun-lamp.

WTF is a sun lamp? I’m not even sure I’m referring to it correctly, but essentially it’s a lamp that produces similar effects as sunlight. I’m getting one for next year’s doom season for my room.

3. Be Prepared. Mentally.

I had no idea what seasons felt like before now. My understanding of how the change would [and could] affect me was non-existent. Now that I’ve been up the mountain and back, I can at the very least understand what’s happening and prepare myself mentally. Meditation and many trips to the sauna will be good practice to keep myself balanced.

There are plenty of folks who will have zero clue what I’m talking about. Even friends here were unaffected by the dreary days and complete lack of sun. I guess it’s a personal thing. I learned something new about myself… that’s a plus.

Spring.

Spring. For the past several months the city has felt like a dark and dreary place that was almost always silent. As if permanently on mute. This week someone finally turned up the tunes. I hear laughter coming from outside my window instead of shouting and honking (although that might just be select hearing on my part). Folks are flocking to the streets. Tourists are snapping their photos and staring blankly on google maps – right-in-the-middle-of-the-street. Groups of people are celebrating the blooming flowers with wine and cheese, wine and veggie sticks, wine and fill in the blank on stoops all over my neighborhood. It’s like they’re celebrating the victory of a long and dreadful war. All is well again.

4.11.15- My first celebrity sighting.

I got my hair done today. Zosia Mamet was sitting right next to me the entire time getting her hair did too. I didn’t realize who she was for like the first 20 minutes as I kept staring at her and thinking “Where do know this girl from? Do we have mutual friends or something?” I’m not sure if she noticed, although I don’t think I was hiding it very well. Anyway, it eventually came to me. I was skeptical of my ability to properly identify celebrities so I went to Google for help. Zosia has distinct hand tattoos. That was my confirmation. I didn’t want to intrude on her ‘me’ time, but she seemed nice to her stylist and was reading Agatha Christi part of the time. She also wore a bunch of rings.

I haven’t posted in a while, so here are some photos from the past couple of weeks:

Karaoke in an East Village bar for my birthday. My roommates killed it.

I am so grateful for this lady.

I started lifting weights in order to keep myself sane. In 2 weeks I start Muay Thai. I may be a little obsessed… but I figure this is a good type of addiction.

I went to the met. I was tired and slightly hungover before going inside…I left still tired and hungover, but uber satisfied.

There was that pillow fight in Washington Square Park. I was hoping that it would take over the entire park, but due to what I can only imagine to be safety laws, that was impossible. The whole fight was contained to the center of the park which made for little space to really make a good swing. Nevertheless, it was glorious.

Prospect Park on a lovely 66F day. The place was packed with picnic goers and volleyball players… I practiced yoga. Without having to wear a sweater!

Post yoga walk through the trails.

I am so glad that the winter is finally over, but it was quite the learning experience. Now that it’s over I can definitely appreciate the hardships (first world hardships) that came with snow, sludge, and complete lack of sunlight.

Happy Spring everyone!

Week 44: Hats Off to Turning 25 & Hearing Voices.

Published on March 22, 2015March 24, 2015 by Regina PoLeave a comment

Birthday’s are the time of the year that I like to really take a step back and appreciate all that surrounds me in my life. Sure, I try to be grateful everyday, but the anniversary of my coming to existence is an extraordinarily important time to take a second and dissect. I’m not even remotely close to where I thought I’d be at 25, but for a while now I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no way even my imagination is wild enough to concoct what the combination life + my determination is actually capable of producing. I was trying to figure out what I’m really glad I ‘have’ (other than the obvious family, friends etc.) and concluded it’s all in my head.

I’m the biggest pessimist I’ve ever met. That little voice in my head that is constantly telling me something isn’t realistic or I’m not capable of achieving this or that is my biggest driver. I love putting that voice down. I could give a shit what the rest of the world thinks of my endeavors, I am always fighting to shut myself up first and foremost.

(Please, before you go saying ‘That poor girl!” Don’t.)

I kind of sound a little crazy. Literally. Yes, I hear voices in my head… if you’re thinking you can’t relate, I’d suggest you dig deep. If you’re not a pessimist like me, perhaps it’ll just be a friendly voice to keep you company when everyone else sucks. You might look [and sound] a little nuts walking along the street talking to yourself, but it’s only the boring folks who’ll think anything of it anyway.

I used to take my driving time to reflect and chat with my other half. When I moved to this world of public transit, I used to get slightly red faced as people looked at me funny, but it didn’t take long for me to stop caring. Maybe I’ll be the focus of their conversations when they get back home to Kansas… “Honey, it was so interesting… we saw this strange lady on the train with giant hair (she must not own a hair brush) who kept mouthing words to herself. She must partake in that Obama Cult pastor Harry keeps telling us about. They’re turning all our people kookoo; damn bastards!”

{I never know where my reflections will take me.}

Other than reflecting, my parents came to town to visit! Much fun was had. On my birthday, we went hat shopping… my favorite kind. Naturally a photo shoot followed: