Catch up first post!

 I have been in new york for two full weeks now. Every minute of it has been packed and amazing!

Me and mom arrived in New York on Friday, August 27th. We left Houston at 6 AM which made a very early start but was worth arriving to New York by lunch. We checked into the New Yorker in a hotel room because I could not check in as a resident until Saturday. We ate at the Tick Toc Diner which is downstairs. We both had burgers and shakes. It is very good but pricey so I have not been back since but it hit the spot.

Then Saturday I moved into my dorm room which is very small and has taken me time to get used to. I have not had to share a room in years so that has been very difficult. I met my roommate Alexis Ochoa right away and she is from California. We soon would realize that our room was going to be problematic. My bed covers up the closet and everything is so packed into this one room that the furniture can not be rearranged. We have since made under our beds the closet space. After we got all of my stuff down to my room from the hotel room (Their is an elevator for the first twenty floors which I take to get to my room 1483 and then another set of elevators for the hotel room floors) I unpacked and figured out what I still needed. Then went to find where my internship, Project Sunshine was and how far of a walk it is which is only four blocks away. By this point we were starving so food was a must and it had to be  close so me and mom went to TGIF which is across the street from my place.  Later that night I had a pizza social to go to where I got to know my neighbor Brianna Sullivan. She is a freshman this year at John Jay and is from Bay Shore, Long Island. After that I met mom back up at her hotel room and went to sleep after our long day.

Sunday we decided to take a Citysights NY tours that showed us around the city in my area. We were able to see things like The Singer building where the first Singer sewing machine was made, Catherine Hepburns house, 5th Ave. where all the shopping is, Ground Zero, Battery Park, where Project Runway is filmed, and Trump Towers. There was alot more but that is just some of the amazing sites we were shown. Then we met up with my neighbor Brianna and ate dinner at Chevys which is a mexican food restaurant that we used to eat at in California that we found in Time Square. The food was really good and helped me get to know my neighbor a little more. After that it was awards time so I went and watched with mom and then I had to go back to my new dorm room to sleep before my bid day at Project Sunshine.

Monday I was officially on my own and started at 7 AM. I did not want to be late for my first day. I also had to watch GMA to start my morning like every morning because I love it! One day I am going to get up early enough to be in the crowd. Work started for me at 10:30. I was given introductions to everyone in the office and then a brief training or run through of the events happening with Project Sunshine by my advisor Caitlin Moses. This is when it hit me that I was at my first real internship/job. This was a great feeling! I was asked to become familiar with the files on my computer for the first part of the day. Then I was given the task of shipping some items to hospitals and learning how to update the documents on Excel that holds the data for things shipped from Project Sunshine. Caitlin and and another firl who works at Project Sunshine, Naomi brought me to eat at a sandwich shop and ice cream afterwards. All on Project Sunnshine for the first and last time. The sandwich was good and the ice cream was amazing!!! I got rasberry ice cream with hot fudge! Once work was over I went on a tour of my neighborhood with one of the EHS RA's and found the best and closest grocery store to me. Me and Brianna ended up going back there after the tour to get as much groceries that we though we may need and that we could carry back to our place.

Tuesday's work day brought more shipping and organizing the storage closet in order for everyone to find items they needed faster. Also so that they can ask me where things are and I can tell them immediately. I am the "storage closet manager" now....Brianna came and met me for lunch. We ate at Bravo Pizza which had the greassiest pizza! I could barely eat it and I love pizza. Then that night we worked out to work off that gross pizza!

Wednesday I went to work at 10 and afterwards went to the lounge on the 9th floor and met some new people. Then ate dinner with my roommate.

Thursday was one busy day! I actually remembered for the first time to bring lunch with me. I was told Wednesday afternoon that I had to pick up a DVD by 10:45 on 5th avenue. My work is on  6th avenue so it was not far from work but I knew I would get lost so I tried to leave early. It turned out that the guy I was supposed to meet was late to work that day. Once I received the DVD thirtty minutes later I had to go all the way to a company by my place which is on eighth avenue to pick up some more DVD's. I was very  sweaty and gross by the time I got back to work. I was very glad I had on a comfortable dress but not so comfortable shoes. This day is when my lovely blistered feet started! Once I was back to work I was asked to start on some Leadership packets for Jenny who is over all of the college chapters involved in Project Sunshine which I think is really cool and quite a task. Then I did some random tasks like picking up diet cokes for a meeting happening later that day and putting pictures away from a event which Abigail Breslin was in and some football players. Then a actually very confusing task of sending a DVD that I had picked up to Canada. This was confusing because you had to fill out this form I had never seen before but now I know how to send a package to Canada!

Finally Friday!!! Friday was a early leave day because of Labor Day. I attempted to make what felt like a never ending stack of leadership binders for Jenny. Then was asked to buy 25 spiral notebooks from Staples which I have learned is on every corner in this city! I got to the checkout and the lady rung my huge stack of spiralls up handed me the bag and I left. Did you notice I said bag? Yeat, I get back to the Project Sunshine building where me and Naomi realize they did not give me all of my items. So now I had to walk all the way back to get them which was not far but felt far because I was so frustrated. Once Naomi had all of her supplies she had me send them to a hospital for a program called Sunshine Chefs. This program is where kids are taught how to eat healthy and are able to make the items they learn about. Since it was a early leave day I got off at 3 and headed to my place in a hurry. I was headed to meet Brianna so that we could take a train to Long Island for the weekend. A hurricane was supposed to hit Long Island but all we got was a little rain and lots of wind. Once we arrived in Bay Shore we had dinner at a Italian restaurant with Briannas mom and grandfather. We ate pizza and pasta which was all delicious!

Saturday we woke up at about ten. Briannas dad went and got us egg and bacon sandwiches from a bakery that is one of their favorites. Then we got dressed to meet Briannas friend Sarah so that we could head to Fire Island, a beach. The beach was very windy and we were pelted with sand all afternoon but we still had fun. Then we enjoyed a shake from the little grocery store there where I realized that I had forgotten about putting on sunscreen! I got so sunburned and am now starting to peel....That night me and Brianna ate at a place alot like Tokyo's where they cook your food in front of you. Everything tasted amazing and we were stuffed! All that could make the end of the day great was to catch up on our favorite TNT shows Rizolli and Isles and The Closer. ( I could not believe when Brianna told me what shows she liked that I liked all the same shows...so much fun).

Sunday I recieved a tour of Bayshore from Brianna. She showed me her school, favorite places to eat, and where she shops. Then that night we had dinner with Brianna's whold family. They made hamburgers and a whole lot of sides! Brianna wanted to play a game so she brough Apples to Apples home for her family to learn how to play. Being with her family reminded me of being home and was such a blessing. I am so thankful for meeting them when I did.


Wow I have written alot!!!! Well I am not completely caught up! Have one more week to go...

Monday the office was closed for Labor Day so we did not get back from Long Island until 11. Then I decided to go to Bryant Park and read my book "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" for a few hours. I was so amazed with the people around me and the sites that I think I only read a few pages into my book...Alexis was getting back to The New Yorker in the early afternoon so we decided to meet up and go do something. We were told to check out a place called Highline Park. This park is over old railroad tracks and is supposed to stretch one whole side of Manhattan when it is complete I believe. Right now the view is of New Jersey and streets of New York. Then they have a alcove that plays all the bells of new york. Every minute a new bell goes off and they have a list that tells you which one is going off at that minute.

Tuesday it was back to work/internship. I sent some Project Sunshine t shirts to San Marcos, TX for their college chapter which made me smile. Then sent two other packages, finished the leadership binders finally, and finished some craft kits for hospitals I had been working on. That night ALexis had to go to the pharmacy so I went with her and then we ate noodles and sauce in the lounge which is the easiest and one of the only meals to make in that lounge.

Wesnesday I was supposed to work on making one of those fleece blankets where you cut fringes and tie the knots to make a blanket. But I am left handed and we have no left handed scissors or fabric scissors at Project Sunshine so that project was a dud. Then I was asked by Emily, one of the business managers to look through bank statements and find reciepts so that she could complete that task. Then my day ended with finally getting to send off the craft kits I had worked so hard on.

Thursday I started work knowing that I wanted to do something after preferably a Broadway show. So this got me through the day very quickly.  All I did was random stuff around the office. Then I met Brianna to go see what tickets we could buy for a show. We ended up seeing Mary Poppins which was amazing. I loved the sets so much!

Friday! Work was very low key. I cleaned off a desk that had a event for a girls foster care place items on it. We are doing a spa night and lots of girly fun things for them as the ystarting back school. Then I was asked to find new mint container options because the one's we used have been discontinued. Once I found a few options I was given the task of cleaning out two boxes in the storage room from the gala they had in May. They were filled with gold and silver bags that were given as favors at the event but they had alot left over so I had to empty all of them and seperate all the different items. Then fold up the bags nicely so they would not be messed up and then put away the other items. Since it was a slow day I talked to caitlin about a few things to do in the city and just had a good chat. Then she told me I could leave if I was done with everything. 30 minutes early, YES! My plan was to get back to my place in order to go to Fashion's Night Out with Brianna but she had homework to do. So I went with my new friends Molly, from Lubbocck,TX and she is also here for an internship but with Calvin Klein and Patrick who is here also for fashion. We went all over the city to get a glimpse of the celebs out for Fashion's Night Out. We ended up seeing Alexander Wang, the girl from Aquamarine, Leighton Meester, and Rachel Zoe. We probably walked by some celebs but people were verywhere so who knows...

Saturday I slept in because Fashion's Night Out was a long night. Then I decided to walk from where I live 35th street to 59th street where Central Park is and read some of my book. I basically got there and sat down on a bench and started reading. I read for about two hours and made a little dent in my book. The day was beautiful and a great day to be in the park. Since I was so close to FAO Schwarz I decdided to leave early from the park and go there next. That store is amazing! Toys are everywhere as everyone has heard. I had fun watching all the little kids play on the BIg Piano and remembering watching that movie a few times at home.....Then of course I had to buy something so I headed towards candy! All kinds of candy was there and I definitely went a little bit overboard but it was very good! Plus once I left there I had to walk all those blocks back to my place so I ended up walking it all off...The walk was very nice but I was exhausted when I got back. But I had Sierr and mom group chatting with me and wanting to upload pictures so they could see everything. So i did that as best as I could at the moment. At eight I was meeting with a group in the lounge to play a huge game of UNO it was so much fun! Then we were all hungry so we went to a place that sold $1 Pizza slices so we went their and decided it was late and we were all getting up early the next morning for another event.

Sunday or should I say finally TODAY!!!
The plan was to meet a big group of us to go get seats for the Broadway on Broadway in TIme Square by eight a.m. When we got there we were told the seating was for V.IP. This meant for the next three hours we got to stand in the street surrounded by barricades to keep us where we were. The shows all sounded really great and sang one show from there individual Broadway shows. Some of the shows there were Lion King, Mama Mia, WIcked, Phantom of the Opera, and Stomp. We had a really great time with the rain and all. Cameras and mind games from camp can save any waiting period. After the show we were all starvig so we went to Chipolte shere I had a chicken burrito which was very good! Even though we have those in Texas I had never been. As we were walking back my friend Andrea asked me if I wanted to go to church at Time Square Church instead of heading back with her and so we headed that way. We were both so soaked from rain but it was such a big church that no one really cared. I did have someone stop me on the sidewalk to tell me I was going to get sick but I had to get to my place before I could change so there was nothing I could do about it...Church was very different. It is a non denominational church but I knew all of the songs and the pastors sermon was very good. It was all about what wer are going to do to increase our "garden" or witness and how what we do impacts how we witness to others. I will probably go back next week.

Now we are to Sunday night which is right now! Well Sierra told me I should start a blog so that is what I am doing starting a blog! Sorry for such a HUGE post but now I will keep up with it.

Shannon