Alright everyone, EGL HAS KICKED OFF!!! I'm writing this from my beautiful Brooklyn apartment, and it fucking rocks. And it is heated.. and stocked with groceries.. i'm in love. These first few days have been a whirlwind of freezing, drinking, and losing phones. Awesome.
In other news, while my apartment may be nice and cozy it is frickin' cold outside. And yes, I know that I was not here during the blizzard season, but my thin California skin has a hard time adjusting to East Coast weather. It's rough.
But wow, I really love being back in New York. The atmosphere, the crazies, the FOOD, the culture... there's really nothing like it anywhere else. It is like this giant melting pot of everything good and bad about other cultures, and that hodge-podge is what makes it fantastic.
My first night in I stayed with my wonderful friend Stefanie Miller, and we went out to a board-game bar (it's exactly what it sounds like) with my friends Annie and David. It was so refreshing to be able to just walk out in the middle of the night into an ALIVE atmosphere. No driving necessary, and no low-energy people. Brilliant. The last couple of days (including today) have been devoted to getting settled. I've hit up target, trader joe's, and my new gym planet fitness! I decided to freeze my 24hr account since there is only one i can go too and it is in the bronx.. no thanks. Additionally, tomorrow I am heading to Steps to take my first dance classes! I'm stoked.
As for the lost phone.. it's a to be continued. I'm a little sleepy/hungry right now and I gotta keep this thing suspenseful :)
Love to all folks.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
72 Hour Countdown
Holy crap in 72 hours I will be on a plane to New York. This trip is happening.
There's a part of me that can't really believe that I will be a bum for the next 90 days. I'm so used to doing some form of work, whether it's Old Navy, performing, school, or one of the many other random jobs I've had over the past few years. I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing with all of this free time, but I am CERTAINLY going to enjoy it!
Yesterday was my last day at work, and my manager proposed the idea of me working a 4 hour shift in Hawaii to ensure that I do not get dropped from the system. While I do not love the idea of having to work while on vacation (the two ideas seem to clash...) I might be interested to see what working in Hawaii is like. Who knows.. maybe if I like it I'll put this whole " im gonna be a performer" thing on the backburner again and become a surfer bum.
Then again, I probably don't need any more sun damage. My SPF 4 has probably not treated me well.
ANYWAYS, now I'm in full laundry/planning/packing mode, and it is a bitch! Suitcases should probably hold more stuff.. it would help me out a LOT. As I type this, I have a webpage loading regarding "how to military roll clothing." Hopefully it helps, as I need all the frickin help I can get to make sure I actually depart!
But seriously.. I'm fucking EXCITED. I. CAN'T. WAIT.
There's a part of me that can't really believe that I will be a bum for the next 90 days. I'm so used to doing some form of work, whether it's Old Navy, performing, school, or one of the many other random jobs I've had over the past few years. I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing with all of this free time, but I am CERTAINLY going to enjoy it!
Yesterday was my last day at work, and my manager proposed the idea of me working a 4 hour shift in Hawaii to ensure that I do not get dropped from the system. While I do not love the idea of having to work while on vacation (the two ideas seem to clash...) I might be interested to see what working in Hawaii is like. Who knows.. maybe if I like it I'll put this whole " im gonna be a performer" thing on the backburner again and become a surfer bum.
Then again, I probably don't need any more sun damage. My SPF 4 has probably not treated me well.
ANYWAYS, now I'm in full laundry/planning/packing mode, and it is a bitch! Suitcases should probably hold more stuff.. it would help me out a LOT. As I type this, I have a webpage loading regarding "how to military roll clothing." Hopefully it helps, as I need all the frickin help I can get to make sure I actually depart!
But seriously.. I'm fucking EXCITED. I. CAN'T. WAIT.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Cardboard Box No Longer Necessary
GOOD NEWS: I HAVE A SUBLET!!!
It's been a few weeks since I've updated, but that was because I really didn't have much too report other than "Hey everyone, so another sublet possibility responded to me today and it was YET ANOTHER SCAM..."
So... let me elaborate on the process of finding this sublet.
After sending out countless emails and continuously getting responses from people whose name started with the letter "J," who all happened to be taking a vacation with their families to the UK in march (which makes sense considering the variety of jobs that were inserted into this automated response.. they all could have paid for a vacation), and who all wanted me to "drive by the location so that I can properly assess it and respond with how I feel about it," I finally started to get some REAL responses. And this was pretty encouraging, except that the places either came with no pictures (red flag #1) or were described as "cozy" (aka size of my NY apartments back in 2009).
All in all, it was a bit discouraging... UNTIL I got a response from Casey Milbrand. The gay fairy godmother was watching out for me because lo and behold this hilarious 'mo came to my rescue with an awesome apartment that I will now be staying in for the month of march! It is located in Brooklyn, and if I knew how to post pictures I would put them up on here because they are gorgeous.
Additionally, all of my tickets have now been purchased save for the very last one from Hawaii, AND I bought myself a fancy new camera... which MAY not be the best idea for me given my track record with electronics, but I love it!
Now with my trip just under 3 weeks away, I am steadily trying to make a list of stuff to pack and get everything organized. It's a big task, but I'm up for it!
PS: To kick off my trip in style, I bought a coloring/activity book for the plane to NY. I'm gonna have the best time ever, and ppl can judge all they want. Coloring fucking rules.
It's been a few weeks since I've updated, but that was because I really didn't have much too report other than "Hey everyone, so another sublet possibility responded to me today and it was YET ANOTHER SCAM..."
So... let me elaborate on the process of finding this sublet.
After sending out countless emails and continuously getting responses from people whose name started with the letter "J," who all happened to be taking a vacation with their families to the UK in march (which makes sense considering the variety of jobs that were inserted into this automated response.. they all could have paid for a vacation), and who all wanted me to "drive by the location so that I can properly assess it and respond with how I feel about it," I finally started to get some REAL responses. And this was pretty encouraging, except that the places either came with no pictures (red flag #1) or were described as "cozy" (aka size of my NY apartments back in 2009).
All in all, it was a bit discouraging... UNTIL I got a response from Casey Milbrand. The gay fairy godmother was watching out for me because lo and behold this hilarious 'mo came to my rescue with an awesome apartment that I will now be staying in for the month of march! It is located in Brooklyn, and if I knew how to post pictures I would put them up on here because they are gorgeous.
Additionally, all of my tickets have now been purchased save for the very last one from Hawaii, AND I bought myself a fancy new camera... which MAY not be the best idea for me given my track record with electronics, but I love it!
Now with my trip just under 3 weeks away, I am steadily trying to make a list of stuff to pack and get everything organized. It's a big task, but I'm up for it!
PS: To kick off my trip in style, I bought a coloring/activity book for the plane to NY. I'm gonna have the best time ever, and ppl can judge all they want. Coloring fucking rules.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Week 3 of Prep Definitely Kicked 1 & 2's Ass
Alrighty everyone, guess who now has a plane ticket to HAWAII! That's right, I now have a one-way ticket booked to Hawaii on May 10th. That tentative date became a done deal now that I have another partner in crime for Hawaii: my friend Kristin! She jumped on the EGL train, and because of it I'll dedicate a chapter to our shenanigans in my book of my journeys... Coming to a Barnes & Noble near you in 2013 (after the world ends).
But Kevin, why a one-way ticket?? Are you coming back from Hawaii??
Answer: You betcha! BUT I need to solidify the living situation/costs in Hawaii before I decide to book my trip back. I don't wanna commit (shocking, I know) to one date and then find that my bank account can't quite support that claim.. I'd prefer to NOT become homeless during this vacay.
You know what my bank account can support? The fact that my ticket to Hawaii only cost me $180 after tax. Fuckin redic y'all.
Additionally, I'm FINALLY hearing back from some of the sublet ads, and not all of them are rejections! Pretty awesome if you ask me.
As for that job hunt, well that's currently been replaced with my quest to conquer eBay. I started selling some stuff that Buffalo Exchange turned their noses up at (biiiittttcchhheesssss) and surprisingly I'm doing pretty well. I don't think I realized how popular that site REALLY was (no comments necessary).
And finally, a shoutout to my awesome friend Emi for currently constructing a couple of tanks for me for Hawaii. They may be douchey, but I'll happily rock the douchieness while sporting my aviators and probably rocking a beanie. That's right, ROCKING a beanie.
Hope y'all are planning your own journey!
But Kevin, why a one-way ticket?? Are you coming back from Hawaii??
Answer: You betcha! BUT I need to solidify the living situation/costs in Hawaii before I decide to book my trip back. I don't wanna commit (shocking, I know) to one date and then find that my bank account can't quite support that claim.. I'd prefer to NOT become homeless during this vacay.
You know what my bank account can support? The fact that my ticket to Hawaii only cost me $180 after tax. Fuckin redic y'all.
Additionally, I'm FINALLY hearing back from some of the sublet ads, and not all of them are rejections! Pretty awesome if you ask me.
As for that job hunt, well that's currently been replaced with my quest to conquer eBay. I started selling some stuff that Buffalo Exchange turned their noses up at (biiiittttcchhheesssss) and surprisingly I'm doing pretty well. I don't think I realized how popular that site REALLY was (no comments necessary).
And finally, a shoutout to my awesome friend Emi for currently constructing a couple of tanks for me for Hawaii. They may be douchey, but I'll happily rock the douchieness while sporting my aviators and probably rocking a beanie. That's right, ROCKING a beanie.
Hope y'all are planning your own journey!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
7 Days Later...
Hey all! Last week I announced my plans for my vacation, and I was so excited about it. However, it is easy to say I'm gonna go on this trip; putting the plan into action is the tricky part, and these first 7 days after my big announcement have certainly been trying.
First, let me say that I DEFINITELY am still going on this trip. In fact, I already booked my one-way ticket to New York on March 1st. Searching for sublets for that period is next to impossible right now since it is so far away still, but I still check every day, and of course during these searches I have now discovered COUNTLESS sublets for Feb-June (my original NY plan). I laugh every time I see them because two weeks ago I would have jumped for joy over seeing it. Now I have a newer, infinitely more exciting plan.
I also have been searching for a second temp job so that I can make some extra cash, and that has yielded NOTHING. Finding temp work is a bitch y'all. I'm about 3 weeks away from dancing under a street light for money.. and I'm not talking bout some graceful pirouettes. But in all seriousness, I want to make some more money.
So, my solution: SELL SOME STUFF
Navigating ebay and craig's list to do this yields some damn funny results. My favorites so far include people trying to trade items for the stuff i'm selling, or people offering sex instead. No thanks.
Speaking of offering sex, if you have never checked out the "missed connections" part of Craig's List I sincerely encourage you to do so. It has kept me sane seeing that I'm not INSANE like the people who post on that site.
In other news, I have some tentative dates for my actual trip: March 1st-April 14th = New York; April 19th-Early May = San Francisco; May 10th-ish (maybe earlier) to May 26th = Hawaii. One flight is already booked, and I'm thinking train ride for the SF journey. Also, I've been trying to convince friends to take a week off from life and join me for part of the journey. Hopefully, they do because EVERYONE deserves a vacation. So fuckin' take one.
Love.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
EGL: Preparation for an Adventure
Hey Everyone!
Welcome to my first EVER blog. I feel a bit cliche starting one these things, BUT i'm preparing to embark on one of the craziest things I have ever done in my life and I want to keep a record of it. The only way I could think of doing this was to create this blogspot.
"But Kevin, why not take a journal with you like you did when you did the New York Satellite program?"
Welllll... the thing is I only wrote in that thing about five times (sad, I know) because I don't carry pens, pencils, or paper with me. In fact, the only other journal I've ever had in my life was a Scooby Doo journal when I was about 10. It had one entry, and is somewhere in my closet collecting dust.
ANYWAYS, that crazy thing I'm referring to? It is my upcoming trip/vacation that I am taking.. and I'm pretty fucking stoked about it. Kind of like my own "Eat, Pray, Love" but better because I took out the pray (no offense to anyone) and replaced with some big ol' gay! Julia ain't got nothing on me.
So here's my tentative plan. Over the course of 90 days, I will be visiting/living in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Hawaii. I wanna train in New York, eat every type of food, experience life in places that i'm unfamiliar with, learn to surf in the beaches of Hawaii, take cooking class somewhere, and just open my eyes to the world. If I happen to make bank in the next 60 days, I may try to find a way to squeeze in somewhere epic like Japan or London. But don't count on that.
My reasoning behind this? Well, my friends know that I was planning on moving to New York for 6 months to train and experience life there, but finding a sublet for six months is next to impossible, expensive, and seems strangely limiting. I'm entering a new phase of my life, the post-graduate, and it feels bizarre to tie myself down to one place for such a long time. My whole life has been rooted in one place, and I'm ready to see what's out there. What better time than now? I've got money saved up, a trusty credit card, and the love and support of my friends and family. It's time.
Today I told my boss my plan. Suprisingly, she was on board with it and told me she was going to give me 90 days off starting in March, but my ass better be back on day 91. It will be back... one changed dude.
I'll update this periodically as I prepare for the trip, and then regularly on my trip. Hope you all enjoy, and let me know places I need to visit!
-Kevin
Welcome to my first EVER blog. I feel a bit cliche starting one these things, BUT i'm preparing to embark on one of the craziest things I have ever done in my life and I want to keep a record of it. The only way I could think of doing this was to create this blogspot.
"But Kevin, why not take a journal with you like you did when you did the New York Satellite program?"
Welllll... the thing is I only wrote in that thing about five times (sad, I know) because I don't carry pens, pencils, or paper with me. In fact, the only other journal I've ever had in my life was a Scooby Doo journal when I was about 10. It had one entry, and is somewhere in my closet collecting dust.
ANYWAYS, that crazy thing I'm referring to? It is my upcoming trip/vacation that I am taking.. and I'm pretty fucking stoked about it. Kind of like my own "Eat, Pray, Love" but better because I took out the pray (no offense to anyone) and replaced with some big ol' gay! Julia ain't got nothing on me.
So here's my tentative plan. Over the course of 90 days, I will be visiting/living in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Hawaii. I wanna train in New York, eat every type of food, experience life in places that i'm unfamiliar with, learn to surf in the beaches of Hawaii, take cooking class somewhere, and just open my eyes to the world. If I happen to make bank in the next 60 days, I may try to find a way to squeeze in somewhere epic like Japan or London. But don't count on that.
My reasoning behind this? Well, my friends know that I was planning on moving to New York for 6 months to train and experience life there, but finding a sublet for six months is next to impossible, expensive, and seems strangely limiting. I'm entering a new phase of my life, the post-graduate, and it feels bizarre to tie myself down to one place for such a long time. My whole life has been rooted in one place, and I'm ready to see what's out there. What better time than now? I've got money saved up, a trusty credit card, and the love and support of my friends and family. It's time.
Today I told my boss my plan. Suprisingly, she was on board with it and told me she was going to give me 90 days off starting in March, but my ass better be back on day 91. It will be back... one changed dude.
I'll update this periodically as I prepare for the trip, and then regularly on my trip. Hope you all enjoy, and let me know places I need to visit!
-Kevin
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