The Accidental Olympian

MY LITTLE DIVA

2010-03-11T17:27:45-08:00

A WRAP UP, FOR NO ONE

2010-03-10T17:29:54-08:00

I returned from my trip East late Monday night, and since then it has seemed like I've been trying to play catch up with life. Two days back into the workforce and I still feel like there is something I've forgotten, something I should unpack, and someone I've left behind.

Let's call this Vacation Brain shall we?

Since my return I've tried valiantly to wrap my trip up, both in my head, and on this site. People continue to ask how it went and I never really know how to answer. "Umm great?!?!" seems to be doing the trick so far. My question is, would an answer like, "I had the best time. NYC was surprisingly normal, and turns out Yale is just another college town, but filled with more snobs and a free shuttle," just make people uncomfortable?

Hmmm, I think it just might.

As I ponder things to fill my dear readers in on pertaining to my trip, my impulse is to write about how it is impossible not to get goose-bumps getting off your airport shuttle and seeing Grand Central Station looming before you. Maybe this would also be the time to share a picture I took as I was filled with the very awe I am trying desperately to articulate.

But is my picture really all that impressive? Probably not, and I find myself thinking that Grand Central is something that must be seen in person.

I could tell you how shocked I was at the sheer grime of New York City. Maybe about how after riding the subway I couldn't help but feel that I needed a shower or a moist towelette sponge bath. Talk about how I've ridden the subway systems in London and Athens, Greece, and how even getting lost in the Athens subway I never once thought to myself, "Shit. I just touched a wall, and now I'll probably die of some undiagnosed subway disease."

But then I think to myself, Why talk about that, it's just grime.

Maybe I should I talk about how amazed I was at the stereotypical Yale Students. About how shocked I was that everywhere we went, and everywhere we loitered someone next to us was talking about their grant proposal, or reading the worlds largest text book, or lecturing their little sister on how when it came to colleges it was, "Ivy leagues or death." Shit. You. Not.

But then again, I probably should leave that part out. Instead I'll show you a pretty picture of Yale.

See, now we all feel better.

Should I mention how hilariously old womanly it was that LP and I couldn't stop talking about the 'good-o'l-days' all weekend? Possibly fill you in on how we spoke about these seemingly far off events as if we've suddenly changed drastically from the binge drinking, chaos causing, theme party participating, freak shows we were back in college. Would it really be smart to tell you about the two hours we spent in the hookah bar taking GLAMOR SHOTS?

No, I definitely don't want to do that. THAT would be embarrassing.

What about sharing with you a tale of a 2am trip to the drugstore for essentials after we'd closed down the Yale Graduate Student Bar? Would that be a good idea? Does sharing a picture like that scream MATURE ADULT?

Nope. Not all all my friends.

From the looks of it, the only thing this picture really screams is STONED. But alas, there was no weed for this little lady. Turns out all you need to feel stoned is some hookah (but I will admit it seemed to be seriously strong hookah at that), and a vodka soda, or twelve, to give you those stoner hankerings that leave you reaching for a 2 lb container of cheese puffs, a snickers ice cream bar and some Dibs.

So I guess when it's all said and done the only thing I can really tell you about my vacation as a whole is that it seems that we've gotten older for sure, but we definitely haven't changed.

Ashley, the Might Still Be In College Accidental Olympian

TOUR GUIDE

2010-03-07T16:32:32-08:00

I am a self proclaimed college loving fool. I loved nothing more than being a college student at the University of Washington, and I know that when I take the plunge and finally attend grad school I am going to show up for my first day a bundle of excited nerves.

Therefore, seeing as I have spent all weekend in New Haven, CT visiting my best friend who is finishing up her final year of her graduate school program at YALE (OMG she hates when I get all excited about the fact that she's at Yale this year), I was really excited about the prospect of being around a college campus once again.

Here's how our conversations about Yale life have gone,

ME: "Wow, that's gorgeous. What is that building?"

LP: "Umm, I have no idea."

ME: "Are those dorms? I would have KILLED to live in dorms like that! That looks like something out of Harry Potter."

LP: "Yeah, I think those are dorms, but I don't know."

ME: "Is that a church? Or a classroom?"

LP: "There is a distinct possibility that is both. But honestly I have no idea."

ME: "Are the student cafeteria's nice?"

LP: "I've never even stepped inside one."

ME: "That building across the street from your house looks like a fucking castle. Is that a Yale building or someone's house?"

LP: "I got nothing."

ME: "Have you been to a Yale Rep show? Read the Yale Daily News? Bought anything at the bookstore? Eaten at X, Y, Z restaurant?"

LP: "No. No. No. and No."

All weekend I've basically been on a Yale/New Haven tour with the worlds worst tour guide. But I guess it wasn't a total bust. We did spot a nerdy professor type in his natural habitat.

That has to count for something right? I mean odds are he was solving world hunger, or discovering the cure for cancer, or grading the paper of a future great American novelist.

Or drawing pornographic doodles of his young students.

I don't judge.

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian

NEW YORK CITY

2010-03-06T17:12:26-08:00

New York City is one of those places you can't help but be nervous about visiting. How many tv shows are based in New York? Movies? Before you've ever even stepped foot in NYC you think you know what it will be like. I mean, some of the best shopping, restaurants, and companies are based out of New York. It's a world of promise, excitement, speed and fantabulousness. So they say.

I've been to the Big Apple twice before in my life. I've walked up the spiral staircase to the top of the Statue of Liberty, I've peered over the rails of the Empire State Building to the tiny people below, walked through Central Park, stood in Time Square, seen a Broadway musical, navigated the Subway, been on a double decker bus tour, stood on Wall Street, seen the memorial for the Twin Towers, and even stood next to Nick Cannon on the street during a live taping of Mtv's TRL.

Can you tell the last two times I was in NYC I was in my teens?

Stop judging.

This was the first time I've stepped on New York soil as an adult. This time there were no touristy events, no must-sees, no agenda really. This time it was simply two old friends meeting, getting gussied up, and doing what twentysomethings do best, going bar hopping.

And you know what I realized?

The fabulous, amazing, best city in the whole world, is just like any other big city.

Except here you can watch tv while you're in a cab.

I love NYC, and if I could I would totally come back and visit next weekend. We had a truly amazing night out. I still get all flabbergasted standing outside the doors of Random House, walking down the street and looking to my left and spotting Central Park still blows my mind, and flying past the Statue of Liberty is most definitely an out-of-body experience, but as I stood in a random bar catching up with friends, or eating slices at a hole in the wall pizza place at 2am I couldn't help but feel like I was just in any other big city in America.

New York I'll be back again, but just between you and I, you don't scare me anymore.

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian

EASTERN STANDARD TIME

2010-03-04T09:30:00-08:00

I don't know about you, but when I get really really poor, WAIT. That's actually been most all of my adult life. So I guess what I'm actually talking about here is when I get REALLY REALLY poor. Like so poor that you spend over 5 days with only 35 cents in your checking account and eat mac and cheese with hot dogs for dinner three nights in a row kind of poor. That's the sort of poor I'm talking about right now.

The last time I really felt like I was DYING of poor-dom was probably last summer. My six month battle with unemployment had ended, but the, "Once you have a job again it will feel like everyday is CHRISTMAS," thing just hadn't panned out like I'd hoped.

Damn. You. Economy.

So in the middle of this summer of, OMG I AM SO FUCKING POOR HOW AM I STILL FUNCTIONING I realized my way to deal was to simply shut down. Both Adam and I were sort of at a loss with how to cope with the reality that yes we could afford our house, and our bills, but that was about it. I hid from friends as best I could, we used our FREE boat (thank you Dad) on the local FREE lake, ate tuna sandwiches, drank the cheapest beer we could find, watched a fuck load of tv, and told each other over and over that we would make it. Somehow.

And you know what? I learned a lot from that summer. One thing being how to get by with nearly nothing, and refrain from pulling out all my hair.

In the middle of the Summer of Poor I realized that there are certain experiences and moments that are worth fighting extra hard for, and that constantly saying I'd do it/get it/visit it 'next time' was indeed saving me money, but it was also making me a bitter evil bitch. I tried to remind myself that even through my poor-dom I needed to also try to LIVE A LIFE.

*****

And so, in the spirit of life, this morning I leave for a wonderful long weekend visiting my best friend. We'll spend a night in New York City(!!!!!!) and then enjoy the rest of the weekend relaxing and catching up in New Haven Connecticut.

I missed out on visiting this very important person the year she lived in Jolly O'l England because of my sudden lack of funding (aka, unemployment), and I vowed not to let this year slip away without visiting her. So even though my mind was screaming, "MUST HIDE FROM THE WORLD AND SAVE ALL THE PENNIES," I reminded myself of my pledge, and promised her that I would find a way. With the help of a frequent flyer flight, and the fact that I diligently saved pennies from each paycheck for months, I actually have enough cash to eat, drink and be merry without having a panic attack thinking about my bank account.

Oh, and I'm also armed with this,

So you know I'm set.

Here's to living in the moment, and putting in the extra effort required for the things in life that matter. Things like visiting your best friend before she graduates from grad school, and free Taco Bell.

I'll see all you bitches on Eastern Standard Time.

Ashley, the Accidental Olympian