My Family Takes Manhattan: Day 1 (Airport Fun, Writer Friends and Lincoln Center)

Lincoln CenterOoooh, friends!!! As I’ve been fond of saying lately, “That was a time!!!” And nowhere is that phrase more appropriate than when talking about our amazing trip to the Big Apple!!! As you can probably imagine (and especially if you were following my adventures in real time on Twitter!), our time in NYC was pure magic and better than anything in my wildest dreams!! Allow me to recount all the tales all this week because this trip of a lifetime deserves more than one post! First up: Day one includes airport fun and Lincoln Center…

We were up bright on early on that first day! If you know my sleep schedule, you know that getting up at 7 a.m. is practically the middle of the night for me. But, we were about to jet set to the big metropolis, so this was no time for snoozing! We made it to the airport and, of course, had plenty of time to spare! Ms. Bear believes in getting to the gate VERY early, which is fine by me because…

Lincoln CenterLook…our gate was right across from the CNN newsstand!! It’s fate!!! I must admit that I felt a surge of pride when I saw the newsstand — I thought, “I’m so proud to be a regular contributor for CNN.”

Two and a half hours later, following a complimentary Diet Coke and trying to read a celebrity weekly without getting nauseous (no success there!)…

Lincoln CenterPost-flight hair, don’t care because…WELCOME TO NEW YORK. “I can’t believe I’m actually here,” I thought as I rolled off the plane and took in the sights and bustle of LaGuardia Airport!! I could feel the pulse of the city already and it was my first time in Queens! My heart started to race at the mere thought of all the excitement that awaited us!

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center Lincoln CenterWhew! Just our first HALF day in NYC had lots and lots of fun firsts. First time taking an Uber. First time at Lincoln Center…complete with a pretty water show!!

But my absolute favorite part of our first day?? Getting to meet a dear writer friend in person for the first time!! Laura and I became fast friends two years ago after she edited my essay in Good Housekeeping, and I’ve admired her ever since!! It was such an honor to go out to dinner (we went to indie food and wine, a really interesting restaurant close to Lincoln Center!

and talk about everything from writing to our fathers — so grateful to know this exceptional writer and kind soul.

I also want to mention just what going on this trip means and how important it is: All three of us are really proud of ourselves for getting to the Big Apple! Special thanks to my mom and Janelle for helping me so much and my cousin Mona for being a wonderful host/tour guide!!

Be sure to check back on Wednesday and Friday for more photo fun from our adventures, including my ABC television debut, my first Broadway show and the thrill of meeting a true beauty guru!! Like I said, friends, IT WAS A TIME… xoxo

Umm, It’s My 38th Birthday!

38th BirthdayUmm, wow!! My 38th birthday, friends!!! Wow is such a simple word, but, really, that’s the only way I can describe it right now!!

Do you ever try to put your age in context? It can be a VERY eye-opening exercise, believe me!! For example, it just hit me recently that I’m now older than the characters on Thirtysomething. Remember that show? It followed a group of — you guessed it! — thirtysomethings as they navigated work, relationships and raising children in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Basically, they were the OGs when it came to work-life balance — that much-analyzed, abstract, does-it-even-exist? concept that people will probably still be struggling with in a thousand years.

But, anyway, back to my age and my birthday. How on Earth did that ever happen? How have I surpassed the age of those fictional characters? I mean, I used to watch that show with my mom, who actually was a thirtysomething at the time, and I remember thinking, “Whoa! Those people are such ‘adults’ and they’ve got their lives all figured out!”

38th BirthdayI also often wondered what my life would look like during that exciting decade. Would I have everything figured out too? Would I face the same problems and struggles as Hope and company? My young mind seemed to think that everyone’s life followed the same trajectory and that we all experience the same things on the same timetable. Looking back, that now seems incredibly naive, doesn’t it? But it’s still something I find myself struggling with sometimes. As much as I hate to admit it, I still get caught up in the comparison game, where I look at my thirtysomething peers and wonder why I’m “not like them“; never mind the fact that I can’t even define what “not like” even means. So maybe it’s more like a feeling? A feeling that I’m somehow behind everyone else on this life journey and I’m just forever trying to catch up, you know?

OK, that’s about as philosophical as I want to get on my 38th birthday! I took that selfie of myself in Central Park while we were in NYC last week and I noticed that it’s the first time I’ve worn a polo shirt in a loooooong time!! It felt great to wear one of my trademark garments again…remember Polo Shirt Season??

38th BirthdaySpeaking of NYC, I’ll be sharing tons of photos from our trip this week! Each day of vacation gets its own post because this was the first time I’d been on vacation in nearly a decade and the ENTIRE wonderful experience deserves to be documented to the fullest! Here’s to living life on your terms, even if it doesn’t follow the same path as everyone else!! xoxo

P.S. My last TEN birthdays: 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th and 37th!!

New York City, Here We Come…

New York City New York City New York CityYes, friends!! You read that post title correctly!! We are leaving on a jet plane bound for New York City!! The Big Apple! The city that never sleeps! The city so chic that you feel like you’re dripping in diamonds!!

Alright, so I may have made up that last one, but it’s probably an accurate description. I mean, this is the same city that is home to the one and only Carrie Bradshaw, and she’s about as chic and fashionable as they get, so I’m pretty sure New York City is just waiting for me to soak up all the culture, charm and sophistication its five boroughs have to offer.

As you may remember, this isn’t the first time I’ve entered a New York state of mind — pun intended! I’ve been there once before, all the way back in 2002. In fact, it was the last family vacation that we ever took before my father was diagnosed with cancer; that bittersweet notion certainly isn’t lost on me. I wonder if all the memories of that trip will come flooding back as we walk through Central Park or cruise around Times Square.

New York CityHere’s a photo from that trip, when my #1 requirement was paying my respects to the MTV studios!! Even in my early twenties, I was a woman who knew her priorities!

There’s no doubt that it may be a bit emotional, but I’m so excited to see my family! It’s always a wonderful reunion when my mom’s family gets together, and my cousin Mona is the perfect New York City tour guide — she’s got lots of fun stuff planned for us, including taking in a Broadway show! Can you guess which show we’re seeing? Maybe this post will give you a hint!

We’ll be gone all week, but I’ve scheduled some posts for your reading pleasure! And don’t worry, a huge blog post (or maybe several…) is coming up when I get home!! After all, I’m sure I’ll have lots of stories about my adventures and tons of fun photos to share! Can you imagine little old me in the bustling metropolis? Ooooh, this is going to be the trip of a lifetime — I can feel it, and we haven’t even left yet!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Really, let’s just state the obvious right now, shall we?? I’m going to overshare the heck out of this trip!!! New York City, get ready for me!!!!! xoxo

My Date With the DMV: Before and After

DMVI called this post “My Date With the DMV: Before and After” for a very specific reason…

Let’s start at the beginning of the day! There was such promise in that early-morning summer sunshine, and it practically radiated optimism directly from the blue sky. Everything seemed like it was coming together: I was up early (a rarity for me!) and all ready to leave the house by 10:30. Heck, it was a veritable #LetsDoThis hashtag come to life! Oh, yes, I was a woman on a mission!

My destination? The local DMV office! I had to get my state ID renewed because it, umm, expired in 2016. I know, I know — let the record show that I take FULL responsibility for my laziness here.

Now, maybe I was just being naive (story of my life sometimes!), but I thought this whole thing would be a piece of cake. You know, a one-and-done, in-and-out sort of situation. I mean, just look at my happy face in that “before” picture — I’m practically glowing with enthusiasm, don’t you think? I figured that I’d be out of there in 30 minutes at the most and have the rest of my day to enjoy…

Well, I’ve never been more wrong in my ENTIRE LIFE. There is nothing fast, speedy or quick about the DMV; they’re even slower than I am, and that’s saying something!

DMVThe place was packed — you’d think Shawn Mendes was in town for a concert. So I took a number — don’t remember what number it was exactly because, let’s be honest, I blocked out most of the experience! But I do remember that there were probably 40 or 50 people ahead of me!!

I waited. And waited. And waited.

Then, I was called up, which I thought was strange because my number hadn’t been called yet (I’d learn later that the elderly and disabled don’t have to wait), and for a brief moment, I felt another flicker of hope.

This was going to be a breeze!!

No, past Melissa, it’s not going to be a breeze. Not by a long shot!

Turns out, if your ID is expired for more than one year, then you need your birth certificate! Oops! I called Ms. Bear in a panic, and she brought it over — bless her heart, she even skipped Zumba!! Thanks, Mom!!

Think my adventure is over? Think again.

We had my birth certificate, but it was a copy of the certified copy — not acceptable!!

DMVWe left the DMV that day feeling very defeated!! We went home and, thankfully, found the golden ticket that is my actual birth certificate! But we were so exhausted from the day that we waited a day to go back. We thought it best to spread out the DMV fun.

All’s well that ends well, though, because a brand-spanking new, shiny ID is on its way to my house as I type this!

Whew!! That whole experience was certainly a time, wasn’t it?

Needless to say, I’ve learned my lesson about the DMV. The moral of this little stressful story? The DMV is not like a drive-thru fast food restaurant. Better block out an entire day to devote to the experience. Oh, and don’t wait THREE years to renew your state ID… xoxo

[Last photo via Unsplash]

Family Photos: Vacation, All I Ever Wanted…

vacationHELLO, HEY, HOWDY!!! Well, it’s been almost two weeks, but I’m so glad to be back!!! Ooooh, how I’ve missed you, friends!!! We have A LOT to catch up on!! First, though, I thought it would be fitting to share some Family Photos from my time off, which turned out to be the BEST vacation ever!

Do you recognize the title of this post? Go ahead, take a moment to hum the tune to yourself. Well?? You’re humming the song right now, aren’t you?? It’s everyone’s favorite ’80s girl group The Go-Go’s with “Vacation,” their boppy, toe-tapping hit that gave voice to our deep yearnings to just take a break and get away from all the everyday stress. It’s a song that described my own vacation quite perfectly. I may not have left the city limits, but I had the most wonderful, relaxing staycation; as you all know, I’m a huge fan of staying close to home!

Anyway, here are some snapshots of how those lazy, hazy days of summer unfolded for me…

vacation vacation vacationFirst up? Umm, you can probably guess how I spent my first day off! Yes, the day’s agenda included shopping, lunch out and watching a Bob Dylan documentary!!

vacationHow was your Fourth of July?? Ours was VERY hot, which we promptly realized after I coined a new word. I give you the “hotfie” — that photo you take after a walk in the heat when you’re practically sweating!! Trademark forthcoming…

vacationHaha, apparently some things never change, even when you’re NOT working! I must get my bagel fix, even on vacation!! Yes, I’m obsessed, I know!! It’s probably only a matter of time now before I write an entire blog post all about my love of those delicious bagels…

vacationOf course, we played lots of rousing games of Yahtzee! Truth be told, I was doing really well and my scores were high…and then this week, I’ve fallen into a slump and my mom has been winning almost every single game!! Is there any justice in the cutthroat world of Yahtzee, I ask you??

At the end of last week, we took a nice walk around the local park and soaked up lots of Vitamin D. I love summer in the Midwest so much!! Actually, we desperately needed some sunshine after being cooped up at the DMV for two days!!! Yes, there’s a huge story there, so watch for it on the blog tomorrow!!

I was also a bit of a rebel!! Instead of working while I was at the library, what did I do?? Read old issues of Glamour!!! Hello, early ’90s…I can count this as research, right??

By the end of my vacation, I had settled into a nice routine. A nice, LAZY routine, indeed! I felt all chill just like sweet Whitney when she snoozes for hours on my mom’s bed, not a care in the world. It felt nice to rest and relax and, honestly, I can’t believe we’re up to the middle of July already!! Why is the summer always half over just when you start getting into the groove of things?

Yes, that is a question for the ages! Let me know if you have the answer! And let me know how YOUR summer is going? Are you slowing down or speeding up with activity? What fun things have you done so far? Any exciting vacations? xoxo