A Beautiful Day - India. Arie

Life is a journey

Not a destination

There are no mistakes

Just chances we've taken

Lay down your regrets

Cause all we have is now

Wake up in the morning

And get out of bed

Start making a mental

List in my head

Of all of the things

That I am grateful for

Early in the morning

It's the dawn of a new day

New hopes, new dreams, new ways

I open up my eyes and

I open up my mind and

I wonder how life will surprise me today

Early in the morning

It's the dawn of a new day

New hopes, new dreams, new ways

I open up my heart and

I'm gonna do my part and

Make this a positively beautiful day

Na na na na

Na na na na na

It's a beautiful day...

India Arie is so damn inspirational. These are some of her other musical gems:

• Heart of the Matter 
• Wings of Forgiveness
• Long Goodbye
• Video
• Yellow
• Therapy
• Summer

Her songs always put me in such a great mood, but just as importantly, I love that she sings about matters that actually matter. Don't get me wrong: I am a sucker for solid beats accompanied by brainless lyrics. But my favorite artists sing about real things. Her lyrics actually mean something, and it's so damn refreshing. She's so underrated, so go buy, Youtube... or illegally download some of her songs. She will move you.

New York has been a total whirlwind. It's only been two weeks, and it feels like I've been here for a month. During my first week in Brooklyn, I either hung out in my room, living room, or a local coffee shop, fittingly named Sit & Wonder. My daily regiment was: sit in front of my computer writing a million cover letters, search for jobs, and exercise. I got lost a countless number times. I felt so paranoid, while walking home, that I was going to be mistaken for a child and get kidnapped. I felt so small in this big, bustling city. I was trying to get acclimated with Prospect Heights, learn the subway routes, and find the best grocery store.

During my first week in the city, I applied, interviewed, and accepted a job at Madewell in SoHo, working part-time while searching for a big-girl job. I started working two Sundays ago and worked almost forty hours in five days. Going from my first week, where I worked zero hours (although applying for jobs is a job in itself), to working almost forty hours, was like going from zero to sixty in 3.5 (If you caught the Rihanna reference, there's a reason we're friends). There were days where CLIF bars were my only form of sustenance, and nights I spent folding cardigans and spacing hangers. Let me tell you: Madewell SoHo ain't no joke. It gets chaotic on a Monday. But I really like the people that I work with, and I get a serious rush from being inexorably busy. So, Week 2: I met a ton of people, worked too many hours, and started feeling like a real New Yorker.

My friends drove four hours from DC to visit me in Brooklyn last weekend, and we had so much fun exploring Brooklyn and catching up. But when they left on Sunday, I started feeling homesick for the first time since I've moved here. After they left, I called my mom to tell her about my weekend, and that made it worse. I am so happy I took such a bold leap of faith by moving to Brooklyn by myself, but I still miss the comfort, security, and loving company of home, without question. It's exciting to meet new people, explore new places, and create a new "home," but there will never be anything like Great Falls, Virginia. And it doesn't help that I am having serious separation anxiety from being apart from Sadie for this long, and everyone and his mom has a dog in Brooklyn to remind me that my psychotic, energetic priss of a dog isn't here.

Good news! I just got an internship working at a showroom for a clothing company called Sienna Rose. I'm starting next week, working twice a week, and I'll be doing marketing, researching competitors, and promoting the line to buyers from department stores, like Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Macy's. It's unpaid, but I'm really excited to get some exposure and experience in the fashion industry. I'm continuing to apply places and interview with people, so hopefully I'll find something more permanent soon. But for now, my Madewell paychecks will suffice, and my internship is just the beginning of my career in fashion.

Let's end this blog-novel with an amusing story.

So at Crunch Fitness, they offer an African dance class, and I went two Tuesdays ago. I had high hopes but zero expectations, and I honestly have never had so much fun working out in my life. There were three guys sitting at the end of the dance studio, wailing on their djembes, and we would dance across the floor, flail our arms, legs, and head to the beat of the drums, and it was totally liberating. Now, with all that said, I think I had a little too much fun. Holding my head up for the next five days was utterly painful because I flailed my neck so unabatedly during the class and crucially strained it. I always fully commit, especially when it comes to dancing, and I just pushed myself a little too hard. Basically, I'm an idiot, and looked like one for five days straight. I haven't been able to go back since my exhilarating (yet excruciating) dance experience because I worked late last Tuesday, and I'm working late tomorrow. However, I am impatiently anticipating next Tuesday!! Seriously, it was so much fun. Even if you don't dance, you should try it. There is something so cathartic about moving your body to the beat of a drum.

Now go listen to some India.Arie, take an African dance class, and be bold. I am keeping up with my new year's resolution to live unabatedly. I think it's time for you to hop on this one-woman bandwagon.

c.k.