It’s funny that from one month to the next, your plans can change entirely. I began my summer hoping to attend Bonnaroo and to take a trip down to New Orleans, I ended up with a few alternate plans. One of those took place last weekend. I spent four days in New York City for a bit of a break from the monotony of the library and the slow paced Ohio July. It was my first time in the nation’s fastest city, and it made Columbus feel like a farm-town. We arrived the day after a large steam pipe burst in Midtown Manhattan and actually stayed with a friend just a few blocks from the blast. The city was a little shaken up, but we managed to get around, to see a large portion of: Central Park, Brooklyn, MOMA (free on Friday evenings) and a Yankees game in the Bronx, all the while eating delicious food and torturing my lazy feet. I’d say it was a largely successful trip. I was exhausted by the time we returned home.

All in all, my favorite part of the city were all of the little neighborhoods that have flourished and developed their own characters over the years. We ate a delicious Malaysian meal in China town. We visited a quaint hasidic Jewish deli in Brooklyn. The night life was amazing in the East Village. All of these experiences had a unique and distinctive feel and I was greatful that I recieved such a diversified experience for only staying 4 nights.

I took a few shots, although as the designated camera girl, the subjects mainly consisted of crowded streets and my goofy friends.

By Day and by night

I recommend any Ohio State student to visit New York City. Only about an eight hour drive, or a $150.00 flight, (Airtran offers great cheap flights out of Akron) NYC is a true gem of the East Coast.

Posted by PeaceLoveMusic at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While many college students spend their summers outside life-guarding, babysitting, landscaping, or studying abroad, I spend my afternoons at the OSU Ackerman Rd. library 4-5 days a week working with books....inside. I have been employed at the library for almost two years and the routine is killing me, although I keep telling myself that I should be looking at this summer as a “break”, because once fall quarter sets in, it will be non-stop business.
To keep myself happy (and sane) I have done the following:

-Listened to books on my iPod.
This has actually been a very rewarding experience. Listening to books makes time go faster and leaves room for multi-tasking and productivity. Life of Pi was excellent and a totally light hearted and appropriate read for a long day at the library. Although enlightening and thought-provoking, I would recommend saving Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for a visual reading experience, as it was extremely hard to follow when I ran into any break in my work routine.

-Listened to tons of music.
The soundtrack of my life this summer has consisted of the following bands/artists: Andrew Bird, Apostle of Hustle*, Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, M. Ward, Modest Mouse*, My Morning Jacket*, Regina Spektor*, The White Stripes. The starred artists are those that I will be seeing in the month of August at Lollapalooza and other venues.

-Daydreamed about upcoming trips, constantly creating lists containing points of interest to research (and occasionally engaging in said research on the job). My next blog entry will highlight a recent trip to New York City (as soon as I can upload some pictures) which has been the highlight of my July 2007.

Posted by PeaceLoveMusic at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)