Snow in New York City

This winter has been a harsh one for the Northeast. It's cold, then warm-ish, then cold, then snows and repeat. We've had more spouts of snow this year than in others (or at least that I can remember). Last night we got another dump (almost a foot). Despite it being unbelievably cold, it was beautiful. On my way home, the city was hushed by the soft snow falling. No trucks, no cabs, just a few people walking around, hurrying home to get warm.

I decided to set my alarm this morning and wake up before sunrise to snap photos in Central Park. I layered in my warmest clothes and packed a couple hand warmers (thanks, Dad) and headed to the park. About a block later, I couldn't feel my face and my legs felt like two blocks of ice. Never-the-less, I walked to the reservoir and around the Great Lawn and took a few photos of "my backyard"

Looks like more snow this weekend...

Hercules

Last night the winter storm Hercules hit the North East and damn it's cold. Right now it feels like zero...zero.

No snowday/stay-at-home day for me though. I made the trek to Times Square this morning and it's still so quiet. I love how snow quiets the city.

Someone even had time to make a quick snowman...

What's it like where y'all are?

A Little Advice

Now, I'm technically just a few days into my 30's, but that's got me thinking about what I've learned. You know, because I'm so older and wiser now. ;)

I've made many many mistakes so far, and plan to make many more. As cliche as it sounds, they've all gotten me to where I am today. Good or bad.

So here are a few things I've learned along the way. (Don't worry, I won't list 30 because who has time to read that many?)

Embrace Change. I've never been good at this but I have learned that most change is refreshing, welcoming and gets you to the next phase of wherever you are. If you aren't changing, you aren't evolving and that's the main point of life, right?

Celebrate Your Hard Work. Get a promotion? A raise? A "good job"? Just happy where you are? Celebrate it. There are so many people doing awesome things, it's easy to get wrapped up in the "they are doing something cooler than me" syndrome. No matter what you do, do it well and celebrate it. As long as you are proud and do the best job you know how, that's all that really matters. Don't let others' jobs and "my life is awesome" social media posts (I hate Facebook btw), get you down. If you work hard celebrate it.

Be Nice and smile. Because you just should be and a smile will get you further than a frown.

Go to Bed. In most cases, a good night sleep (and hot shower I should add) can cure anything. Whether it be a hangover, a fight, a headache or a bad mood - getting a good night's sleep is key. For most of my 20's I fought this because I didn't want to "miss out", but now I realize that I didn't really miss out on anything and if I'm awake and alert, I can deal with things better. Also, as I've said before, nothing good happens after 2 a.m. Ever.

Enjoy Your Friends & Family. Sure, family can be annoying at times but they love you. They are legally yours and love you no matter what you say and do. No one can show you unconditional love like that, except for maybe a dog. Also, let friends into your heart. Be cautious but welcoming. I've found that as the older I get, the harder it is to meet friends. But, as my mom says, "make a new friend everyday." My friends (from college and NYC) are my rocks and my loves.

Don't sweat the small stuff. When I set out doing this #30onthe30 Challenge, I knew there was a good chance that I actually wouldn't write all 30 posts. And, shocker, I didn't. But, you know what? I got damn close and I'm proud of that.

Exercise More. Yeah, I don't do this at all. Just making myself type it. HA!

Try something new. The older I get, the easier it is to fall into a routine. This year, I'm making myself try new things. I'm going to push myself and if I fail, so be it. I'll share along the way though!

Thanks for the birthday love this week and for reading my almost 30 posts. Turning 30 hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be.