New York Trip: Chris

Perhaps my favorite part of my trip to New York (which took place a full MONTH ago!) was the opportunity to see my bestie from high school. 

There was a time that Chris and I were inseparable. Joined at the hip. Finished each others' sentences. We've laughed together, cried (tears of laughter) together, and acted together. I've helped him postpone the heat death of the universe and he's raped me.

Wait, did she just say that? What does that mean? How are these people friends? What kind of site IS this? Unfollow, unfollow!

Calm down, people. It was in a play we did together, and my dad even showed him how to do it, so look: Dad approved!

. . . and then I just lost the last few who were hanging on. 

Either way, Chris is incredibly dear to my heart, and I was dying (and a little nervous) to see him after SIX whole years without actually being in each others' presence. 

I tell you, that first hello was awkward.

A stilted hug, figuring out what to do with Chris in a beard, dealing with the fact that we're both working ADULTS (yikes), and wondering why his voice sounds weirdly different. Not to mention that our reunion was happening in the press room at New York Comic Con, which, of course, made things even more awkward.

Also, the first night out was a little tough. Blaring music can make catching up with a long-lost friend difficult for even the most dedicated reminiscer.

But things leveled out, and Saturday evening and Sunday were so great. We argued over who would cover the checks, ate Pad Thai, drank some delicious beverages, hung out with his coworkers and (perhaps) friends, enjoyed the city, and talked about all our favorite subjects: love lives, food, TV and film, people from high school, and the Chiefs.

I finally got to meet his lady, but the first meeting was awkward. I was holding down the floor of their living room, so my first night in the city I bunk down AFTER she's already gone to sleep upstairs. So my first meeting with his pretty girl was uncomfortable. But things finally even out on Saturday evening. She's everything I'd imagine for Chris.

Repping the Chiefs shirt at the Potato Famine Memorial in lower Manhattan. That's how we do.

It will doubtless be awhile before I see my friend again, but hopefully it won't be six years. 

The best part about the weekend? Falling back into the familiar banter which defined our friendship during our time at LSHS. 

Some things never change, and I am so incredibly grateful for it. 

New York Trip: The City

Ah, the city. The City. I love the city.

The first step out of the subway station was an instant onslaught of dirty pavement, rushing crowds, old grease, new grease, honking horns, and so much more. The smell of old asphalt. One hundred different aromas from one hundred different eateries. Barely a sliver of blue in the sky.

Instant. Love.

I found myself telling people that I either need a tiny town or a gigantic city. I've discovered that suburban life does not suit me. I need to feel connected to something.

*Small town: connected to people, community, values, and school.
*Huge city: connected to culture, life, events, the world on a large scale.

*Suburbs: connected to . . . my house, my SUV, and my kids' activities.

You know, part of the reason I do not connect with the suburbs seems to be their focus on material things. Shopping? Acquiring things? Upgrading? Not for me.

Now, you might think this would make someplace like New York City a difficult place to love, for it's a very status-driven place, but honestly, I love it. I felt no pressure to fix my clothing or my status.

I love being able to walk block after block and see every skin color, hear dozens of languages, and find something new on every corner. I love the opportunity to see the newest, most independent films and hear the freshest music in person.

My word, and the food. The food.

My favorite foods in the entire world are not easy to find in Kansas, especially Western Kansas. Sushi and Pad Thai are not easy to find here, and I doubt anyone has even heard of Pho (much less knows how to pronounce it). And all of those can be found on practically every street in the great city of New York. I don't have to drive an hour to get Pad Thai and three to get sushi. And besides sushi, I managed to eat all of my favorite foods while I was in the city.

The Pad Thai was probably my favorite. It was a tiny hole-in-the-wall place with only four tables and the second-best Pad Thai I've ever had (no one can beat Siam in my ICT, what, WHAT?). The Pho was excellent as well (it was duck), but I'm a sucker for Thai noodles.

After leaving the Con around noon on Saturday, I decided to wander around the city. I didn't get too far before noticing a movie theatre. Well, you know me; I can't pass up a movie--especially if it's one I really want to see. And this one was, so I popped into the theatre to watch Buried.

So good. So raw. Terrifying, but not in a horror movie way. It's two hours of one man in a box. Sounds awful. Is actually amazing. And it's Ryan Reynolds. Not looking beautiful, just being an incredible actor.

Besides that, the rest of the time was spent just walking the city. I love walking. My feet became raw from all the walking, but it was more than worth it. Just seeing the skyline, the harbor, Lady Liberty, Ground Zero, and many other things made my trip fabulous.

And now, some pictures!

The city would be tough alone, though, so the next post will concern the last part of my trip: seeing Chris and reviving an old friendship, probably the best part of the entire trip.

Stay tuned!

New York Trip: Comic Con

My trip to New York began well. I flew on my own and with minimal fuss. I discovered that I love to travel by myself. Sometimes I can be a little anti-social, so the ability to move quickly from gate to gate, bury myself in a book on the plane, and not worry about losing my party was great for me. It would have been terrible to die alone, but luckily--no death.

Actually, I'm zombie MB and I'm writing this to you while I'm sitting here eating BRAINS.

Ok, lame. Sorry.

So, made it to the Big Apple. I was a little hesitant when it came to getting from Jersey into Manhattan (because I flew into Newark instead of JFK), but I made it quickly to the city and with relative ease.

After leaving Penn station, I decided that I would explore that side of town (middle West side) and ended up on the edge of the island about an hour later. I still hadn't found the convention center, however, which worried me. My phone was low on battery and my backpack was starting to get awfully heavy.

I decided to give it one last go, so I hopped onto the next street headed East and lo and behold, there it was. The conference center. Finally.

After waiting in line for about fifteen minutes, I finally had my press pass. Turns out that a press pass only gives you permission to enter everything; it does not give you a guaranteed seat to any event. Luckily I didn't have my sights set on any event that would be too difficult to enter.

Panels and Workshops


1. Justifying using graphic novels in the classroom

This was a great workshop, and I am so glad that I made it into the Con in time to attend. The presenters were regular educators and librarians (who probably felt a little out of place among all the costumes and booths) who had used graphic novels in their classroom successfully. Their students had really enjoyed the entire process and learned much more about literature throughout than most people might assume. I took an entire page of notes and cannot wait to get them typed up and put together. I don't think I'll be able to incorporate anything until next year for my regular English classes, but I can't wait to try some things with my Creative Writing kids. I think they'll enjoy it!

2. Trailers

I wandered into a screening of the latest trailers from some major studios. It wasn't necessarily what I would have chosen to attend, but I was actually waiting for the next panel (see event 3!). I saw a great trailer for Battle: Los Angeles, and the newest Harry Potter trailer. I also saw the trailer for Sucker Punch, which looks like it's going to be just that, but I'd already seen the trailer this summer. Once that was done it was finally time for the event I'd originally come to see.

3. Hanna panel

This panel was for a new movie coming out next March called Hanna. It's directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist) and stars Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) and Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down, Troy, Time Traveler's Wife). I will admit that I went to go see Bana in person, and he was even more handsome in person--even if he did have short hair (I prefer longer hair). What I wasn't expecting, however, was how good Hanna looks. I think it'll be a very interesting movie, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it since I've enjoyed everything wright has done so far.

4. The Floor

The Floor. Capital "f." Seriously, it was just one big maze of gaming and company setups, booths, shops, and other exhibitions (like a crazy section for the re-release of the Alien movies on Blu-Ray). To be honest, I found this the least interesting part of the Con for me. I wasn't really there to shop or to meet any artists, so I basically wandered around looking at everything. I did stop by Her Universe though, a shop I've loved for awhile now. I finally got my Empire Strikes Back thermal hoodie, my new favorite piece of clothing.

5. Sherlock screening

By far my favorite part of the Con. As soon as I saw the it was screening I made sure to have my butt outside and in line a full hour-and-a-half early. Since it's written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis (two people behind Doctor Who) I was quite excited for the quality of the writing. BBC America approached me to do an interview (I think the guy chose me because he thought my shoes were cool), and I even signed a release, but the doors opened early. I decided to forgo the interview so that I could get a good seat. The show started, and I was in heaven. I've never watched a movie with such a responsive and fun audience before! These people knew when to laugh, appreciated all the inside jokes, and clapped at all the right times.

That screening made me so excited I decided to invite my students over for the American premiere on PBS tomorrow night. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did, but if not, at least I tried.

Here are some pictures from the convention for you all:

I enjoyed my time there very much, but I realized that I'm positively mild compared to other fans. It helped put my geekiness in perspective. I spent my day there on Friday and half of my day on Saturday. That was plenty for me, and I feel like I got to see all that I wanted to see. All in all, I'd say it was a success.

Next post: 

The city

Wherein I make a list of my day

A few notes from the day:

1. I only spent a few hours in my classroom today, but I did get my Star Wars poster up. Now it feels like home.

2. I suddenly felt nervous about teaching Creative Writing, even though it'll probably be my best class. At this very moment I can't even remember why I was nervous. I just remember a tight feeling in my jaw, thinking I was way in over my head, and then leaving. Quickly. Hence, the reason for #1.

3. I'm excited about Forensics now. I'll just stick with Speech (per my coach) and get the kids ready for that. Also, please do not forget that we're going to play improv games in this class. Especially these games. That I like to watch. As a pick-me-up, because . . .

4.  . . . well, I'll leave #4 blank. Not because nothing happened, but because I don't need to get into it. Suffice to say, it prompted my need for the previous post and for retreating into my head, which . . .

5. Should I be worried that my coping mechanism is a flourishing dream world where I imagine myself as a successful comic and writer in NY being discovered by chance and landing a coveted staff writing position at a very popular sketch comedy show? Because that makes me feel better. And I'd rather daydream about an imaginary relationship than start a real one since I've decided that the whole solo career thing is what I want to do for the next couple of years.

6. And a man who is my age said these exact words today: "Hey, I wanted to tell you, you should wear your hair like that [which, for your information, is me drying my bangs out of the shower and letting it do what it wants] every day. You look really pretty."

Why thank you cute guy. You made my day.

Oh, and the new Arcade Fire album is out and as soon as the motha' flippin' bank gives me my motha' flippin' debit card, I'm going to hit that, yo.

Again, I say things like this only to emphasize my whiteness.

I want to go to there

I'm falling more and more in love with New York each day.

Three years (I think that's what it'll end up being) feel like an awfully long time.