Wednesdays with: Erin Kelly

Erin, 25

Brooklyn, New York

Drink: beer, brown ales but sometimes IPAs too. 

Whose writing is inspring you the most right now?: mmm geez. (licking macaroni off her fingers) Cheryl Strayed. 

Follow any style advice:  You have to wear what you look comfortable in, or else you look stupid.

What makes you feel the most badass? This certain picture of me ice climbing. 

Recent lesson learned: Oh god, so many.  It's hard to learn to trust your gut sometimes, and if it's telling you something you don't like you fight it.  But at a certain point you just have to give in, and usually it's for the better. Hopefully it's for the better. 

Role Model/Mentor/Who you want to be in 10 years: Some of the biggest role models I've met were the women were running the micro-finance program I interned for.  They all had come up through the program, had their own businesses, were farmers, had kids, were running this program.  They were all so awesome, lifting up all these other women without a lot of resources. 

Scent: no, but if I did it would be called forgot-to-put-on-deodorant. Or unwashed clothes. 

What's something most people don't know about you? I love best and worst dressed things after award shows. I don't watch award shows, I just get really exciting when they're coming. 

Coffee/Tea: Coffee

Introvert or Extrovert?: My first impulse is extrovert, but I'm probably pretty evenly split between the two. 

Next Destination: Hopefully east Africa, if I can swing it.  

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: Working for a social enterprise that provides job opportunities and education to refugee women and children. 

# of Tattoos: 1

Last Text: "I have bad service, let me try to again in a bit." To Avie. 

Last Meal you ate: Homemade mac and cheese with dijon mustard and hot peppers. 

Go read this book: Wherever you go, there you are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Ask me a question: "When are you going to start QUIP?" When I can figure out what the card I hand out will say, and when I can find it a home (a lot of www.quip.com etcs exist) 

Go listen to this song when you're finished reading, just pick one: How I got over - Aretha Franklin

And go look at this website: http://awkwardblackgirl.com/

 (Gracias Erin! )

Mondays with Scotty

(Picking it back up) A few months later, here's Scotty.

Scotty

Watermill, New York

Drink: Greyhound (Grapefruit juice and vodka)

Whose writing is inspring you the most right now?: Dorothy Parker

Follow any style advice: Less is better. 

What makes you feel the most badass? My Rolodex. 

Recent lesson learned: No guilt.

Role Model/Mentor/Who you want to be in 10 years: Lauren Bacall+ ... another independent beautiful woman who had her own life.

Scent: "First", I've been wearing it since forever. 

What's something most people don't know about you? That I'm always sizing you up for a song.

Coffee/Tea: Coffee

Introvert or Extrovert?: Extrovert 

Next Destination: Capris, Italy

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: An elementary school teacher, if I didn't want to make a living.

# of Tattoos: 0

Last Text: "It's cold and damp in Watermill..."

Last Meal you ate: Sushi 

Go read this book: "50 Shades of Gray", even though I haven't read it yet. 

Ask me a question: "Who would be your role model?" All my moms + Courtney Martin.

Go listen to this song when you're finished reading, just pick one: That's the toughest question in the world. "I believe in Love", Kenny Loggins

And go look at this website: Pinterest

 (Thanks Scotty, xo!)

Wednesdays With: Katherine

Apparently I have many Katherine/Catherine and Kat(y)ies in my life. On that note, Katherine....

Katherine, 21

Granville, OH

Drink: mmhh anything with whiskey. except manhattans. I can't muscle those yet.

Whose writing is inspring you the most right now?: Chuck Palahniuk, specifically Stranger Than Fiction : True Stories.

Follow any style advice: Whatever is comfortable or whatever makes my butt look good. Also, anything my mom wears. Every time I wear an accessory of hers I get 10 compliments.

Role Model/Mentor/Who you want to be in 10 years: Definitely my godparents. I see so much of the person I should be in them. They are two of the most generous and loving people I know and the more I grow up, the more I can see why my parents chose them. My mom's sister has unconditional love for all things and my dad's brother-in-law is generous beyond belief. He also is one of the hardest workers I know. He has a wonderful life now and I know it's because of all of the hard work and sacarifices he and my aunt put into their early life together.

Scent: Flora by Gucci. This is my first new scent since I was 15. Before Christmas I couldn't make a break from "I love love" by Moschino but I'm happy with the change. I feel more like a woman now.

Coffee/Tea: Coffee...always and forever.

Next Destination: In a perfect world my next destination would be to visit Elizabeth Arendt in Morocco....after making a short stop in Freiburg, Germany.

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: A job where I get to teach, have time for coaching, and I'm paid enough that it's o.k that I take extended periods of time off to go back to germany and travel other places without a research agenda. (Is that bad? It's awfully selfish but I'm in a selfish stage of my life.)

# of Tattoos: 0

Last Text: "sweet rocks? Yeah, Tommy really appreciates geology? haha" Sent to: Adam Frudden.

Last Meal you ate: A can of tuna with sriracha and two pieces of toast with cheddar melted on them....I need to go grocery shopping.

Go read this book: "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S.C. Gwynne. It's a historical novel about the Comanches and I feel like everyone needs to know how badass they were.

Ask me a question: "Will you send me a signed copy of all of your books for the rest of your career/our lives?"

*I will hand deliverrrr them.

Go listen to this song when you're finished reading:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG897lNXLcg

And go look at this website: http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/ (I die 90% of the time.)

And, last question, any random advice you like to dish out?: What's the worst that can happen? It will get done.

(Thanks Xena bebe!)

Wednesdays with: Katy!

Katy, 22

Cincinnati

Drink: Margarita on the rocks

Whose writing is inspiring you the most right now? : Heather Armstrong's http://dooce.com/.

Follow any style advice? : A pop of color.

Advice or life motto you follow/dish out? : You win some, you lose some.

Role model/ mentor/ who you want to be in x years? : Ellen Degeneres + Mindy Kaling + Eve Bolton.

Scent: Light Blue, Dolce and Gabanna

Something most people don't know about you: I've never had a snickers bar.

Coffee / Tea?: Tea.

Next Destination: My bed.

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: Helping people from all walks of life acheive their potential by giving them tools to help them reach their dreams.

# of Tattoos?: 0

Last text: "You smell like ostrich breath" to Davie Thayer

Shampoo: Patene Pro-V

Last Meal you Ate: Turkey sandwich

Go Read this Book: A Snack Called Lunch by Katy Taylor (yet to be released)

Ask me a question you want to know: "Would you rather have fingers for teeth, or teeth for fingers?"

*Teeth for fingers. But both of those really freak me out.

Go listen to this song after reading this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOXG8wtxx_w

And, go to this website: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/7-minutes-in-heaven-with-mike-obrien-amy-poehler/1346634

(delayed) Wednesdays With: Katie

Katie

24

New Brunswick, NJ

Drink: Bourbon & Ginger Ale

Whose writing is inspiring you the most right now? : recent texts from my mom

Follow any style advice? : Button it down

I feel badass when: I wear my aviators.

Advice or life motto you follow/dish out? : It's about the little things, enjoying patience and what makes you smile.

Role model/ mentor/ who you want to be in x years? : Majora Carter

Scent: Yves St. Laurent, wood spice

Something most people don't know about you: I love girly underwear

Coffee/tea: tea

Next destination: southeast Asia

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: A photojournalist and youth organizer/ instructor.

Extrovert/Introvert: hybrid

# of tattoos: 0

Last text: "On my way" to Courtney

Last meal: Squash and carrot curry with brown rice

Go read this book: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Ask me a question you want to know:

*If you could be an animal, what would you be? : Blue whale

Go listen to this song after reading this: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x65esx_tilly-the-wall-beat-control_music

And, go read this website: http://dapperanddandy.tumblr.com/

wednesdays with : catherine

To commence this Wednesday series, we'll start with one of my two followers, Catherine.

Catherine

20

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Drink: 'nati lite. just kidding, I've been drinking a lot of pinot grigio lately.

Whose writing is inspiring you the most right now? : Jezebel

Follow any style advice? : Mix it up.

Advice or life motto you follow/dish out? : Write your grocery list with your coupons in your hand. And, do you.

Role model/ mentor/ who you want to be in x years? : Tina Fey + my professor Victoria Johnson + Katniss Everdeen

Scent: "Happy", Clinique

Something most people don't know about you: I don't follow any TV shows.

Coffee/tea: Lately, coffee.

Next destination: Chicago

Ideal job in 1-2 sentences: I'd be working for a company/ organization that is in charge of corporate social responsibility with an environmental focus.

# of tattoos: 0

Last text: "w00t w00t" to Kate McGoldrick

Last meal: PB and J sandwich, wheat thins and a banana

Go read this book: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Ask me a question you want to know:

*How many writing utensils do you carry around? : On average, 3

Go listen to this song after reading this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeO1OJGFTlg

And, go read this website: www.good.is

A Case of the Tuesdays? I'm new here.

With all the shit that's being thrown out at us from every shady corner around town, I needed a day dedicated to not taking it. [hello tuesday]. Birth control police, homophobic world leaders, your parents, your new boss and/or measly paycheck, public transit, the stomach flu*, there's just no time for it all and I certainly don't have the patience. So tuesdays will be about sticking it to the haters, external ones or that voice in your head that sneaks its way into making you feel shitty. Geared toward reaching in and locating that inner gumption that gets you through the day, the week, and life while we're at it.

I have been in NJ/NY for officially two weeks. Sitting at home in the Midwest just three or four weeks ago, I daydreamed about the new, scared, chaotic feelings that come parallel with new spaces, people, and ways of life. I craved that chaos though, sitting home in the snoozy comfort of Ohio. And yet, just this morning's mere hours between 7am and 9am have exemplified the overwhelmed reality that comes with it all, the sh*t really.

My list:

- I could not figure out the parking payment system at the train in NJ, while rushed men in business suits tapped their feet behind me.

-Trains to Penn Station were out, so I hopped on a train to Hoboken, having no clue what I was doing but hoping for the best.

-Couldn't figure out how to hold my coffee and read the paper without it taking over me and the man next to me.

-Nobody else has their tickets out? Ugh, was I not supposed to put it on the seat yet?

-Made it to Hoboken, follow the crowds. Miss the first subway.

-Made it to Christopher street, but not before having to stop and pull out my map

-(and just when I think I'm in the clear) I stand at the entrance to the park gate for 5 minutes trying to figure out how to unlatch it.

Does this non-exhaustive list mean I'm inadequate? No. What it means, is that I'm new here. Everything I've been doing these past few weeks has been first time around: driving Bill's car, navigating Summit and Manhattan, understanding the subway, getting a hold of the day to day of this new job, living with Patsy, budgeting for this city, etc. All of it, and the trials and errors that come with the new, can leave one feeling ridiculous and incompetent. But I'm refusing to let myself go down that path of self-critique- I'm not taking that shit. Post-grad life is so ______ (annoying, lonely, weird, tumultuous) that I know I have to take all these new feelings and run with them, optimistically. They're fleeting. We all have our new phases, new cities, new jobs, new relationships. We will slip up, we will fuck up. But laugh at yourself and ask advice from strangers in the process because there are too many people in this city not to say hello.

heyo tuesday, bring it.

(*hope you're feeling less dehumanized Miller.)

Green Gchat Icons: Break-Ups in a Google Era

Routinely, I open my Gmail, and in the months since our break-up, I instantly feel the nausea. She’s there, on the left, a small green video icon next to her name. She’s here. Separately, invisibly, and without one exchange of text, we acknowledge each other. Like walking into a room and she’s there just standing in the corner, casually talking to others and as I walk in she glances up from the conversation to make eye contact. There’s a nod, maybe even a smile. Understandable and respectful distance. We do not say hi, we do not joke, we do not send links that desperately remind us of one another, like earlier days. Rather, we sit idly in the left side bar of our open gmails, each silently ruminating on the other’s virtual presence. Facebook, tabs of articles to read, job applications I should be working on, my Twitter account (incessantly loading up new tweets), my other Gchat conversations, are all blurred by the oxymoronic “Go”-green color of her Gchat icon. I do not go. I sit, numbly overwhelmed by the nature of twenty-first century, twenty-something relationships. Excuse me, break-ups. I can’t even check a fucking email without being reminded of her presence, standing in the virtual room, reminding me of us.

The past year. The beauty of us, the dull sadness. The waking up in the morning, staring at the ceiling. Get up, stop thinking about her, you have to get up. And listlessly, I pull myself out of the very empty bed and hope the first cup of coffee will distract me from the dream that she, once again, played a part in. But those are all the things one might expect from a break-up. The narrative we’re told. The crying, the little heartbreaking reminders found in a song, found in her model of car driving along next to me, found in well, everything. But I didn’t know how to prep for the punch of that little green Gchat icon. That, see, I’m still here. I’m still living my life parallel to yours, on these virtual plains. Every. Single. Day.

I’m reminded and stuck on the way our conversations flowed, the way we could flirtatiously type for hours. At work, during exams, when I should have been sleeping, there was always time. Connected and attracted despite our distances. I stare at my screen, and imagine hers, full and organized in her unique way, scarily similar to my own. And I can picture myself on her own screen, on the left, staring back at her from my own virtual and iconic place. Courtney Baxter (available to chat). And it’s true. I’ll always be available for her conversation, ready to see that box open on the bottom of my window, the thought bubble replacing her green. I will always light up inside, stop breathing for 2 or 47 seconds (I can never really tell) and feel her walking slowly across the room. “_______ is typing....”. I’ll always be green for that, for her.