New York, I love you.

Hello there, loyal readers (a.k.a. Val and Neda),

It has been far too long. Let me explain my absence: first, there was that whole finals thing (ew); then, there was Winter Break, the last one of my entire life (pyuck); and now there is the last semester of Law School before graduationreallifeandtheBar (homg gross.) Ergo, I thought my third day of class would be the perfect time to update my blog.

I just got back from New York on Sunday afternoon, and let me just say I did not want to leave. Because explaining how the entire trip made me question every life choice I've made after college (read: whether or not I should have even gone to law school or if I should have moved to NY to make it big as something or other) is extremely cheesy and will make all of you roll your eyes and go "TL;DR" (which, I'm told, means "too long didn't read"), I've decided to update you via the few photos I took on my cellular mobile phone with some short captions.

This does not include the 5 pictures I took on my ACTUAL camera, which will be uploaded and added to this post or another NEW post (exciting!) at some time in the future.

Here we go.

This was a menu from a bar my friend took me to upon my arrival. I forgot to take pictures of the AMAZING tapas place we went to for dinner (or, maybe, I thought it would be weird and not classy to take pictures of a restaurant with 4 tables and lighting that made me need glasses to find my fork.) Just FYI, we got garlic shrimp, potato pie something or other, asparagus with manchego cheese, and a big glass of sangria. Tapas rules.

This bar, called The Redhead, was where we got more wine and ate the cookies we'd bought down the street. I don't know if they appreciated our brown bagging it in their establishment, but, whatever. Having not ever been to DC before, I can only admit my total BS factor when I say that bar seemed "very DC." That may have been only because there was exposed brick on the inside and light fixtures that looked like Paul Revere's lamp.

It was snowy there. Snowy and amazing. And cold. My face nearly froze off, several times. But still...it was gorgeous for a CA-born ladyfriend.

Also, notice the trash bags in the background - it was so weird to walk around and have trash just be chillin there in the snow. Apparently that's how high rises dispose of their materials. Weird.

This is the view from Carey's apartment in Brooklyn - I woke up and it was snowing. Talk about freaking MAGICAL. However, snow is a bit like a vampire. It doesn't want to be (cannot be?) caught on film. So here are some pictures of some brownstones.

The other window.

This is from the inside of Cafe Doma. Freyan is doing work, a.k.a. looking up which restaurant to go to with my USC folk that night. We ended up going to this gourmet pizza place called Motorino's right around the corner from her place in the East Village. I love the East Village. Mostly because when I say the pizza place is right around the corner, it literally was. You walk out her door, turn onto 12th, and you're there. So bomb. 

This cafe was in the West Village, which is a ridiculously cute area that made me feel like I could see myself living in New York someday. If you had asked me that a month ago I would have said it was completely overwhelming, devoid of cute neighborhoods, and that every image of Sarah Jessica Parker in front of her little brownstone walkup apartment must be fake because I've never seen any place like that in the NYC. Well kids, I'm here to say - my bad. This ish is legit.

Let me just paint this little picture for you: Cafe Doma, with its artisan coffee and teas, where indie hipsters abound, is situated on the corner of Perry and something or other. It's at a huge intersection. It has huge windows. When it snows, the snow in the intersection is clearly visible from your seat. It looked. Like. a SNOWGLOBE. I'm pretty sure that was the day I fell in disgusting touristy love with New York.

Then we went to get falafel, and my love increased a thousand fold.

Also right around the corner.

Carey took me to lunch too, and I had my first brisket sandwich. I think it's only appropriate that my introductory brisket experience occurred in New York.

YU- freaking- UM. 

Ok that's all I have for now. I'm all talked out. Peace fools.