I'm the girl, Gracie. Here at GML you can follow my journey of dreaming, working, eating, loving, and blogging my way through life in NYC.
|
About nine out of ten of the emails I receive from readers ask me about life in New York – the pros, cons, and how I’ve balanced the two. Up until recently, I viewed NYC with rose-colored glasses through and through. There was next to nothing about this city that I wasn’t head over heels in love with.
…but as always, the honeymoon ends. Don’t get me wrong – I still love living in New York and will continue doing so until God leads me elsewhere. This city still surprises me, romances me, and excites me. But in the city that never sleeps, it’s inevitable that you eventually have to take the good with the bad.
So to end things on a good note, let’s start with the cons, shall we?
5 worst things about living in new york.
1. It’s expensive.
No surprise there. It’s nothing a good plan and budget can’t deal with while you’re here, but you’re typically still stretching your wallet at all times.
2. It’s lonely.
It may be one of the most populated cities in the world, but living in New York and being one person in a sea of millions can actually make you feel more alone than ever.
3. It’s exhausting.
With public transportation, places being open until 4am, and everyone here suffering from at least some level of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), relaxation is not an easy thing to come by here.
4. It’s intimidating.
For the most part, people move to New York for a specific reason…and that reason is typically career-related. That leaves you with a city full of extremely determined (and sometimes cutthroat) people. Sometimes the intimidation can be a great motivator, but it does get a little old after a while.
5. Not having a car.
This actually used to be one of my favorite things about living in New York, but now it’s sort of annoying. Gone are the days of simply walking out the door and hopping into a shiny pearl white Ford Escape. It’s still a relief to grab a cab after a late night, but having to walk to and from the subway when the weather isn’t cooperating is pretty dreadful.
And now…the good stuff.
5 best things about living in new york.
1. It’s convenient.
Pretty much anything you can possibly need can be found within walking distance or – even better – delivered right to your doorstep.
2. It really does feel like a movie.
I still regularly have “New York City moments”…those moments where I look around and still can’t believe I live here. It can be the simplest of things: looking at the skyline, riding my bike through the Village, making eye contact with a stranger, or just walking down the street with friends. Those moments make the rough parts entirely worth it.
3. Ample opportunity.
Pretty much whatever industry you’re in, there’s an opportunity for you here in New York. And the saying really is true – if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!
4. It’s fun!
Restaurants, shows, clubs, festivals, shopping, outdoor activities, sports, Christmas time, close to the beach…the list goes on, and on, and on. Bottom line – It’s nearly impossible to get bored in New York.
5. It builds character.
For me, this is probably the #1 thing about New York. I can honestly say that living here has forced me to grow into the woman I’m supposed to be. The hardships here are actually blessings because they’ve taught me so much about myself, other people, more of what I hope my future will look like, and most importantly my relationship with God.
{image sources: 1, 2, 3}
So for that, I’m beyond grateful for this roller coaster of a ride called New York City.
About this time last year, I got a new tattoo.
The reason I didn’t share it here is because I hadn’t told my parents yet (hi, mom and dad!). They’re old and set in their ways so I didn’t want to unnecessarily upset them 
Joy unspeakable is from one of my favorite Bible verses, 1 Peter 1:8:
“Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
Being a person who has joy and brings joy to others is something that I’ve always felt has been placed on my life. And trust me – it’s not something that comes entirely easy to me. I live out of my heart (sometimes too much) so the littlest things can steal my joy. I’m working on that.
But the thing about having joy is that it’s a choice.
A state of being.
Not something based on circumstances.
The other thing about joy is that it doesn’t come from within ourselves or from other people. Joy comes from a source…from God. You might think that that I’m crazy for saying that or that we’re responsible for our own joy/happiness. And maybe you’re right. But for me, it’s actually a lot more freeing to know that my joy comes from God and God alone. I’m too weak and easily swayed to try to search for joy on a daily basis. That’s why I’m so thankful that it’s freely given to us, and we can choose whether or not to claim it as our own.
Do you have any tattoos? What do they mean to you?
1) Silver Linings Playbook. OMG.
2) Speaking of movies…two days until Great Gatsby! I can’t wait to see it. Also, Carey Mulligan has been a favorite actress of mine for years, so I feel a weird sense of pride for her with this role.
3) I want another tattoo.
4) I’m not usually a huge fan of beauty movements (hello, there are more important things than being beautiful), but I still really found myself loving this.
5) What happened to “exciting things are on the horizon” fortunes? And can someone please interpret this fortune for me? Not that I care or anything…
6) Lately, I’ve found myself literally stopping to smell flowers. Maybe it’s because I live in a concrete jungle now, but there’s just something about flowers that I find so much more beautiful and joyful than ever.
7) I can’t stop thinking about this poem/story my pastor including in his message on Sunday. I posted it on my Tumblr the other day, but wanted to share here too.
8) Pardon the scowl…but like my new hat?
9) While we’re on selfies, I recently stumbled across hundreds of old photos on an old computer. I know it’s a little early for “Throwback Thursday” but…say MySpace!
10) As always, I’ll leave you with some inspiration for this lovely Wednesday.
{image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Who is/are your favorite actor(s) right now?
This is a kind of heavy question but, what do you think about beauty movements?
For a good majority of my life, I never thought of myself as being a creative person. Inspiration was a word that was used when there wasn’t a concrete answer to be had.
I wouldn’t even dare put my name and “art” in the same sentence. Drawing and painting never came natural to me. As a child you couldn’t get me to stop singing and performing, but even it never stuck. I loved acting for a while and was decent enough, but the passion just wasn’t there. I could barely ever find myself getting lost in a fictional book.
The older I got, the more I embraced my non-creative self. I began to appreciate my love for making lists. Non-fiction books. Watching the news. Being good with finances. Being rational.
…But then, I went too far.
In order to find some sense of identity (which, in your early to mid-twenties is quite the dreadful interesting experience), I found myself put in a self-imposed box that wasn’t really me at all. I started to not only identify with this structured, Left Brain self, but I began to actually look down on all things creative and inspirational. I convinced myself it was silly to get your head lost in the clouds like that. Adults don’t do that.
When I graduated from college, I found myself living back at home, working for my dad’s company with little to no social life, and no hobbies or passions. I started this blog, but I didn’t have even a fraction of a life worth showing for. Needless to say, I had what I guess I’d say was a quarter life crisis. This structured life I had chosen wasn’t getting me anywhere…except stuck in a boring, passionless, uninspired life.
Something had to change.
To make a long story short, that’s when I decided to up and move to New York City. I had a logistical plan – finances, housing, job, etc. – but I had absolutely no idea where the move was going to lead me in life. That’s exactly what I hoped it would be, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be.
I think that’s why I have such a deep love for this city. Whether I live here for another year or another 10 years, there will always be a special place in my heart for the city that allowed me to become inspired. To reconnect with God on a whole new level. To meet the best friends I didn’t even know could exist. To experience things I never imagined I would.
And then of course…there’s this little old blog. As I’ve mentioned before, I couldn’t tell you what even inspired me to start GML. But I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because of how much it forced me to learn about my likes, dislikes, purpose, and that it’s actually okay to allow myself to be inspired by life.
I may not be an artist, poet, singer, or designer.
But I can get lost for hours looking at images of people and places.
One quote can literally change my day.
I get way too deeply attached to certain songs.
Give me a good meal and I literally cannot shut up about it.
Movies. Just…movies.
My vivid imagination and memory sometimes drives me crazy. In a good way.
My heart explodes at the sight or sound of romance.
I worship and belong to a God who created the heavens and the earth, but who also knows my heart’s deepest desires, the number of hairs on my head, my darkest secrets, and loves me anyway.
Creative? Maybe I’m not the most.
But inspired? In this beautiful, confusing, incomprehensible world? Absolutely.
feast.
It’s no surprise that one of my favorite things about living in New York is the amazing restaurants here. At any given point there are whispers of the “best new restaurants,” and I’ve heard a ton about Feast in the East Village. Jessi, Erica, and I went there for dinner last night, and it. was. amazing.
Their greenmarket-driven American fare menu has multi-course and a la carte options. We opted for the Farmer’s Market Feast (which included nine dishes!).
Each dish was better than the last – all of them fresh, flavorful, and so delicious! My favorites were the Market Salad (1), Beet Frites, and Stuffed Eggplant (2).
this article by Jessi – the best dating advice I could ever give.
My best friend Jessi recently posted this article on her Tumblr, and I knew I just had to share it with you. I feel like this is a common issue that way too many girls face when it comes to dating (myself included), so…well, give it a read!
snapchat.
I may be a little late to the game on this one…and I may only have like 3 friends…but Snapchat is just so fun!
the voice.
…and not just because of Adam Levine and his tattoos. I’m loving this season with the new judges and the talent is great. And seriously, how adorable is Shakira??
tumbling.
AKA my new way to vicariously live through the internet. That came out wrong. But check out GML’s more creative little sister.
wordiness.
Because what easier way to make a statement with what you wear than by having it clearly written out?
What TV show(s) are you currently hooked on? What did you think about Jessi’s advice?
For the first time…I was successfully April Fooled.
(Jessi and I clearly have a very loving relationship, ha.)
For the first time…I realized my Seamless habit may not be as glamorous as I once thought. My meals may be delicious (and even healthy), but my bank account hates me.
For the first time…I learned that I may not be allergic to all action/suspense movies like I once thought. Olympus Has Fallen…great/crazy movie.
For the first time…I got a high score on an arcade game (or on anything, for that matter). If you look closely, though, someone is about to enter my winning name as “butt.” Real mature
For the first time…I ate oysters. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to enjoy something oh so good.
For the first time ever…I’m going to LA! I booked my flights last night for a visit later this month. This Northeast girl has never been to California, so I can’t wait 
What’s the last thing you did for the first time?
Seen any good movies lately?
Remember that time I posted about being yourself?
Well, I have a confession to make. Being myself – being fully and unapologetically Gracie – is not something that is entirely natural for me. It’s easy for me to get caught up in what I think my goals, likes, and role in life should look like (especially here in New York). It’s not something I’m proud of, but it’s the truth.
With that being said, though, since writing that post I’ve gotten a lot better at learning how to be true to my (bow loving, television obsessed, sometimes a bit emo) self. But because it’s not something that comes easy to me…and especially because I can so easily get wrapped up in work and my tasks for the day…I have to make an active effort to implement things in my life that remind me to be ME.
So here’s a little list of things that help me to do just that. It’s definitely nothing crazy – just simple activities that help remind me to slow down, be present, and remember to enjoy life.
- Start every day spending prayer and devotional time with God
- Take a 5 minute break from working to stretch and/or just relax
- Cook/bake new recipes
- See my family at least every other month
- Plan dinners out with my girl friends
- Listen to podcasts *
- Treat myself to pedi or massage
- Journal at the start or end of the day
- Keep a running list/plan of vacations I want to take
- Have cozy movie nights at home
- Take at least one day a week (or a few hours a day) to unplug from technology
- Make plans to get together with friends I don’t get to see all the time
- Let myself get lost in Pinterest
* Some of my favorite podcasts are from Joyce Meyer, Tim Keller, Bethel Church, Liberty Church, and Joe Focht.
Last but not least, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about the things you love, embrace those things, and do them as much as possible! It seems like as we get older it becomes easier to push those things to the side and define ourselves based on what we do or what we think our role in life “should be.” While those things definitely are important, I’m learning that being true to myself and the things I love will actually improve my career, relationships, and everything in between…
What simple things do you do on a daily/weekly basis to stay true to yourself?
Sooooooo. I may or may not have just spent about 45 minutes compiling a post that included my “25 highlights from my 25th year,” only to have Windows Live Writer suddenly close without asking me whether or not to save the draft. I told myself before re-opening it that if the post was gone, it just wasn’t meant to be.
It was gone. Long gone.
It’s funny, though. As much as I wanted to write that post – mostly to re-live what I learned and the moments I’ll never forget about being 25 – I feel like losing it was symbolic of what I want this next year of my life to look like.
Even though I loved being 25, I’m really looking forward to what God has in store for me this year. I feel like the past 2-3 years have been ones of a lot of transition; moving, career decisions, and even just learning about myself and what I want my life to look like. Although those are all great things to have experienced, there definitely comes a time where the idea of things balancing out…and maybe even slowing down a bit…seems quite appealing.
So here’s to being 26.
Here’s to things falling into place.
Here’s to still learning and moving forward every day…
…but also being content and enjoying the life God has given me right now.
Do you like the season of life you’re in right now?
What was your favorite age so far?
Well here it goes. One of those posts I’m debating hitting “publish” on. In fact, this has been sitting in the drafts folder of my email for about two months…
Okay, maybe I’m overreacting. But the truth is that any posts that come from my heart make me a little bit nervous and…well, vulnerable. But this needs to happen.
I get asked often why it is that I blog. I mean, it is kind of a strange (part of my) profession. Not many people understand it. I’ll be honest – sometimes..well, a lot of times…I don’t really know what the answer is. I wonder why I even started GML.
Was it for fun? For attention? To express myself? I would say all of the above.
But I guess what I think about a lot lately is – is that enough? Are those reasons enough to keep up with something that take up hours of my week that I could be dedicating to other (more meaningful) things?
So yes. I question why it is that I blog all. the. time. I’ve even considered nixing it. But for some reason, I don’t. I can’t. And I’ve never really thought about why that is…until now.
For some reason or another, I’ve ended up with this platform and opportunity to share my story with you, and I want to make that count. I may not be an expert in anything, and I may not even feel comfortable giving specific “advice” to anyone other than my closest friends.
But I have struggled with anxiety.
I’ve been heartbroken.
I’ve felt completely alone.
I’ve made almost every bad decision in the book.
I’ve faced opposition, uncertainty, fear, confusion, and insecurities.
I’m just a girl trying to meet this thing called life.
So…where am I going with this? Well, for the most part, GML will remain mostly an outlet for me to just post “Gracie things” – my daily adventures, reviews, random thoughts, etc. But I don’t want it to be just about that. I want to be relatable and accessible to you, my readers! I understand that that will probably mean more transparency and honesty on my end, but I’m up for the challenge.
So here’s to what I guess I’ll call a new chapter for GML – one where I open up, loosen up, and just keep hitting publish…
The good: while I was in Pennsylvania over the weekend I went through some old pictures and found this one of my childhood pet, Cuddles. Yes I named my cat Cuddles, and no she was not as evil as she looks.
The bad: my eyebrows in junior high. WOOF.
The good: also over the weekend – I was able to put my driving skills to the test, which is a rarity these days.
The bad: I may or may not have become a bit of a slow, slightly-paranoid driver.
The good: speaking of transportation, I’m not the only one who is lazy when it comes to getting around in NYC.
The bad: we enable each other.
The good: I’m still keeping up with trying to be fit and stuff.
The bad: I got this tea because I heard it was healthy, but it tastes like a mix of cough syrup and dirty feet.
The good: I’m late to the game on this one but…LANA. DEL. REY. Especially loving this remix of Summertime Sadness.
The bad: what the heck took me so long??
Any other Lana fans out there?
Tell me one good and/or bad thing that has happened to you recently!
|
|
