Throwback

As I was looking through my facebook the other day, I came across a post I wrote back in May 2008 titled "Top Ten Reasons Ramapo Rocks." Those of you who went to Ramapo might appreciate reading this again (or I guess for the first time if you've never seen this before), so I'll post it below. Enjoy?

Someone asked me the other day how college had been so far, and I responded by saying “good.” Apparently my response wasn’t entirely convincing because they figured I was being sarcastic and wasn’t thrilled with Ramapo at all (which isn’t the case). This got me thinking about how, when it comes to Ramapo, you usually just hear people bitching about the college. People usually complain that it’s either too quiet or that everyone leaves on the weekends. But the truth is… Ramapo College kicks ass. Not just because it’s a college experience and awesome people go there, but for a variety of other reasons. Out of sheer boredom, I’ve made a list of the top ten reasons why Ramapo College doesn’t suck. So without further adieu…

10. Personal Feel: Ramapo College is a public college that often feels like a private one. After all, the campus isn’t necessarily huge, and the number of enrolled students is less than 6,000. It’s because of this that everyone seems to know each other and the student to teacher ratio is so low. Thank God our classes aren’t in giant lecture halls.

9. Parties: Hey, at least they exist at Ramapo College. Be thankful that we’ve got it better than some other schools, such as Villanova (source: FM Stringer). If you want to go to a party, and you look hard enough, you could probably find one. Likewise, if security wants to bust a party, and they look hard enough, they could probably find the same one you’re at. Fuck.

8. Academic Quality: I guess this should be higher on the list, since people usually go to college to get an education and all. Oh well, I’m not moving it. Anyway, I think it’s safe to say that Ramapo strives for academic excellence, since such a large amount of professors have doctorate degrees. Plus, we get 4-credits per class… regardless of the fact that the experiential component is basically a joke!

7. Events and Clubs: Keeping in mind the scale of the college, Ramapo does a decent job with its involvement of clubs and events and all. SGA and Student Activities always seem to have something up their sleeves, and how many other schools offer any regular student the opportunity to have their own radio show or TV show? Maybe some clubs are more of a “joke” than others (uh yeah… RASCALS Comedy Club totally has more than 5 members at each meeting… haha), but even the smallest of clubs are still awesome and have their perks. More events like that "Assassins" game would be nice (I'd like to play next time). If we can get a campus-wide “wow, our school actually has school spirit” event like Octoberfest to happen again next year, then I’ll be thrilled. Keep the events coming!

6. The Campus: I don’t know how everyone else feels about Ramapo’s campus, but I think it’s amazing. Maybe it’s because I’m from Monmouth County, where there are only plains, but I love how the mountains act as a backdrop on Ramapo’s campus. And although the campus does have its share of state-of-the-art buildings and such, there’s still plenty of nature (and geese, which really isn’t a good thing) to go around. In addition to being scenically pleasing, the campus also has a rape trail. And nothing beats that.

5. The Pavilion: When you think about it, the food at Ramapo really isn’t that bad. Okay, so maybe the Birch is commonly pretty awful, but the Pavilion, my friends, is the place to go for a meal (or the Atrium, if you have a shit load of flex). The variety of food may not be the best, but the quality is usually superb. Nate makes some mean dishes, and the Pavilion also has that awesome guy who was a professional boxer in his home country. Plus, you gotta love the Pavilion’s atmosphere! There are some days that the Pavilion’s food selection is a little weak, but you can still get a solid meal. I must admit, however, that the Pavilion would be ranked higher on my list if it weren’t for that stupid, slow chicken guy (can he move any fucking slower?).

4. The Reservation: Conveniently right down the street from the college is the huge Ramapo Reservation, a natural wonderland of trails, lakes, and Indians (allegedly). From the entrance of the reservation, there’s a wide-open area that’s ideal for picnicking or loitering, right along Scarlet Oak Pond (if you want people’s attention, walk across the pond in the winter when it’s frozen). Not too far into the reservation is Hawk Rock, which is an amazing sight to see. From that scenic view, you can see the entire college. It’s great for taking pictures or if you just need somewhere to go to clear your head. And let’s not forget the waterfall! If you’ve never seen the waterfall, you should probably be ashamed of yourself for not exploring Ramapo’s own backyard. It’s pretty awesome to sit at or climb up (or fall in, if that’s your thing). A short walk beyond the waterfall will suddenly reveal a popular spot in the reservation, the lake. Dogs are usually running around in this lake, and it’s even got a little island thing to sit on. Off to the side of the lake is a great place to swim (illegally) and go tubing in (can we please?). And if you’re really hardcore, you can hike an hour and a half beyond this lake to one of a few scenic views that are fucking unbelievable (try doing the 3-hour hike when there’s snow on the ground… it’s fun). Think Hawk Rock, but more breathtaking and without any other people around. The reservation is massive and leaves so much to be explored.

3. Location: While some may argue that Ramapo’s location is actually its weakness (no college town… or at least that’s what the old, decaying Bocce Ball-playing people say), I feel that its strategic location is great, assuming you have a car. With Route 17 only a few minutes away, you can easily hit up just about any store or restaurant chain you can think of (the only downside is how some stores are closed on Sundays because everybody is too busy praying). You can easily visit one of the many close train stations and take a trip to New York City. The college is also fairly close to a plethora of malls, as well as a 7-11 and a Moe’s Southwestern Grill (it took me way too long to discover that place… it’s kind of like Surf Taco, just not at the beach). And let’s not forget the infamous Stateline Diner. No matter what day or time you go to the Stateline, you’re bound to run into a handful of Ramapo students. My only complaint with Ramapo’s location: why no Mahwah Wawa?

2. Late Night Dining: If I had to propose one thing that most Ramapo students do, it’s that they go to late night dining. Think about it – it’s what we do. I don’t know of many other schools that offer burgers, pizza, fries, and ice cream on campus until 1 am. Perhaps that’s because other schools care about obesity, and we don’t. Late night dining may not have the best quality food, and the selection rarely varies, but it’s certainly an experience. We’ve got themed late nights from sustainability late night to superhero late night. And if an event or concert is occurring on campus, you can bet your ass that when it’s over, everyone will flock to late night dining, where they’ll be greeted by everyone’s favorite unenthusiastic card-swiper, Charlotte. Whether you’re drunk, in the sci-fi club, or just hungry, there’s something for you at late night dining!

1. Housing and Buildings: If there’s one thing I can always brag about, it’s Ramapo’s quality residence housing and state-of-the-art buildings. The Anisfield School of Business is very sexy, if I do say so myself, as is the Bradley Center, and the rest of the academic building isn’t too bad, either (it’s furnished with tons of high-tech stuff, to say the least). As far as housing goes, The Overlook, The Village, Oak, and Maple are all new, clean, and fairly spacious. Every Village apartment comes with a kitchen with a stove, and you never have to worry about bringing your own microwave or fridge at Ramapo. The CPAs are pretty good, and at least they’re finally starting to look much better on the outside! Even Pine and Linden, compared to a lot of other schools, aren’t bad at all. And of course there’s Laurel, which I’m fucking psyched to live in next year!

Okay, well… that’s it. That’s why I think the ‘Po rawks.

The Slow Wait

Waiting on this apartment is really testing my patience, but hopefully I can keep it together. I'm trying to focus on how nice it will be to finally settle into a new home, and all of the good times that will be had there. But honestly, the fact that I haven't moved yet is starting to drive me insane.

Nightmusic

Following the trend of a previous blog post I wrote regarding concerts I attended in 2009 and 2010 (see "Music Is Happiness"), here's a complete list of the bands I've seen (or will see) over the last two years.

2011:

2/2 - The Radio Dept. (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
3/25 - Gold Panda (103 Harriet, San Francisco, CA)
3/31 - Cut Copy (Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA)
4/5 - Anthony Green (The Rathskeller, Ewing, NJ)
5/31 - Sleigh Bells & Javelin (The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ)
6/8 - Portugal. The Man (Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD)
6/17 - Yeasayer & Smith Westerns (Trocadero Theatre, Philadelphia, PA)
6/18 - The Governor's Ball (Governor's Island, New York, NY)
7/11 - Washed Out & Grimes (Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY)
7/28 - The Flaming Lips & Weezer (PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ)
8/23 - Deerhunter (Webster Hall, New York, NY)
9/10 - Virgin Mobile Freefest (Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD)
9/11 - Xiu Xiu & Hedgehog (Metro Gallery, Baltimore, MD)
10/23 - Portugal. The Man (Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA)
10/28 - M83 (Black Cat, Washington, DC)

2012:

3/2 - Beach Fossils (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
3/4 - Korallreven (Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY)
4/1 - Cloud Nothings (Ottobar, Baltimore, MD)
4/2 - Keep Shelly in Athens (Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, NY)
4/17 - !!! & Shabazz Palaces (Sonar, Baltimore, MD)
5/11 - M83 & I Break Horses (Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA)

5/16 -The Receiving End of Sirens (The Middle East, Cambridge, MA) 

6/24 - Body Language (South Street Seaport, New York, NY)
6/29 - Secret Mountains (Golden West Cafe, Baltimore, MD)
6/30 - Body Language (Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY)
7/14 - Pitchfork Music Festival (Union Park, Chicago, IL)
7/15 - Flying Lotus (Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL)
7/19 - Here We Go Magic (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
9/21 - Gang Gang Dance (Public Assembly, Brooklyn, NY)
9/28 - Twin Shadow (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
10/2 - Tennis (Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ)
10/7 - Flying Lotus (Terminal 5, Brooklyn, NY)
10/18 - DIIV (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
11/7 - Tame Impala (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
11/16 - Dan Deacon (Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY)
12/13 - !!! (Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY)
12/14 - Grizzly Bear (Terminal 5, Brooklyn, NY)

That makes for a total of 34 concerts (granted one of them doesn't really count because the power went out before the headliner) and 3 music festivals that I've attended between 2011 and 2012. Not too shabby.

A Place We Like

I've been working at my new job in New York for the last few weeks now and I've really been enjoying it. The average age at my company is about 28 and the work itself is pretty interesting. I really like everyone on the Finance team, not only because they're extremely helpful and knowledgable but because we also make each other laugh all the time.

As for the apartment hunt, Chris and I found a place to live in Brooklyn but it's being held up because it's a brand new building and is hence still lacking a certificate of occupancy. I'm really looking forward to moving in, whenever that may be.

Next

I'm still in disbelief.

A few days ago, I received a job offer for a Financial Analyst position at Success Academy Charter Schools. I'm really excited about this new position and transitioning to the next chapter of my life in New York City. Now I just need to find a place to live in Brooklyn, and I'll be all set.

This is actually happening!

Good Intent

I'd like to think I'm a responsible young adult. But on second thought, maybe I'm not?

Exercise is something I've always neglected. From time to time, I'll get in a faux-routine in which I'm doing some sit-ups and push-ups for a few days, but then I kind of give up. I've looked into gyms, but they are not conveniently located in Baltimore and are super expensive as well. I've tried going for a run once or twice, but my asthma has made that difficult. I've even downloaded the Insanity workout (which is probably way too much for me), although I haven't really tried it yet. Regardless, I want to designate time to actually do something useful with my body, even if it's just 20 minutes a day. I just need motivation to get started and keep with it.

Partying regularly is one of those things that I don't actually feel guilty about. Honestly, we're all still young, and socializing at bars and getting unreasonably fucked up is a common staple of being a twenty-something. As long as I've shown some effort at responsibility in my professional life, and as long as partying has some moderation, I really don't see an issue with it. It's important to balance work and play.

My eating habits are another area where I could use some improvement. Now, I'm not saying I'm about to go on some healthy food kick; that's just not my style. I prefer to enjoy what I eat, but there's no harm in trying to be more conscious about some of my eating habits. Breakfast is supposedly the most important meal and gives you the energy needed to start the day, but I've skipped it pretty much forever. Considering I don't drink coffee and probably never will, I'm often baffled how I even make it through the day. As for lunch, I'm spending way too much money on ordering out and indulging way too much in processed foods. Hopefully I can go a little easier on my wallet and stomach soon and get into a better routine. Then there's dinner. I moved out of the house quite some time ago, and I'm not sure how much longer I can justify the lack of variety in my lackluster rotation of simple and predictable meals. Are other twenty-somethings going through the same laziness of not trying to cook new things?

Considering I will hopefully move to New York soon, I'm hoping to start this new chapter of my life on the right foot by addressing some of my lifestyle habits. I'm not saying that I'm unhappy with the choices I've made, but I am acknowledging that being a responsible adult means being more proactive in trying to take care of myself.

City Reprise

Well, it's official.

As much as I've loved living with Mike, my wonderful apartment, and the charm city itself, I've decided that it's time for me to move onward to my next adventure. Baltimore was my gateway city. Within the next few months, I'll be looking to relocate to New York City to advance my career and live closer to most of my family and friends, which will hopefully eliminate all of this split-life living I've been doing for almost two years now.

I'm putting a lot on the line for this transition and have lost plenty sleep just thinking about it, but I'm hoping it'll all work out and be worth the risk. Here's to hoping I'm right?

Life's Great

"Chaos already dominates enough of our lives. The universe is an endless raging sea of randomness. Our job isn't to fight it, but to weather it together on the raft of life, a raft held together by those few rare beautiful things that we know to be predictable... us." - Abed

I've been obsessed with Community lately, so I suppose the day has come that I started quoting it in my blog. But I really do hold this particular quote close to my heart (and the particular episode that the quote is from is my favorite).

Life is unpredictable, and you never know what it's going to throw at you. However, I can say with the utmost certainty that we will all make it through the good and the bad, because we are on this journey together. Even when life is seemingly at its worst, it's still so great. It's often very hard to see things from that perspective, but it really is the truth. There are so many things to be thankful for. We are all still here! And we can always reach out to one another and realize that many of us are going through similar experiences. Fight the demons and embrace the love, my friends.

Refer me back to this blog post next time I'm upset.

Dear Can

Ever since we first met, I've been madly in love with you. We've made so many wonderful memories together, and I hope the good times keep on coming.

Of course, that's not to say we haven't had our struggles. There have been periods of time when we're not together that have been difficult, to say the least. I constantly remind myself when I'm away from you that when we are finally reunited, it'll be worth the wait. After all, I can always count on you to make me happy. You put a smile on my face and give me that bubbly feeling that I can't quite explain. You make me feel so energetic and give me such a rush that I can never fall asleep when I'm with you. And let's not forget that you've got good taste.

There are people who say we shouldn't be together. People who think our relationship is unhealthy and that I could do better. They claim I'm wasting my time when I'm with you because I'm not getting anything beneficial from the relationship. But I can genuinely say that I will remain faithful to you. If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I look forward to being with you soon, and will be waiting impatiently for that magical moment when you first touch my lips yet again.

Until we meet again, Coca-Cola.

After The Moment

A few days ago, a record number of friends visited the apartment to hang out for an extended weekend. There was one specific moment from that mini-vacation, however, that really stood out to me.

Everyone was chilling on the deck, completely carefree to any obligations, as the sun set behind the skyline and the leaked Beach House album played through portable speakers and it was at that very moment that we mutually agreed we needed this.

That particular moment echoed a dream I had just a few weeks earlier, in which seemingly everyone I love were all together. I was joyfully running around what seemed to be Baltimore, surrounded by the people who are truly important to me. We all were no longer seperated by distance or past tension or an illusory divide. There was no drama. No mention of troubling or lacking jobs or relationships. No mention of the future at all; we were all just living in the present, together as one. The moment was all that mattered. Towards the end of the dream, I walked up to Tehila and asked, "what is this magical place?" Her response was the last thing I heard before my alarm woke me up.

"This is what's in your heart."

Lazy Day

The top floor of my apartment is flooded with sunlight. Warm and dreamy music is blasting from my bedroom. In the next room over, I'm sitting on my recliner, playing video games, and drinking a coke.

The perfect lazy sunday afternoon.

It truly is wonderful how happy and content one can feel from simple moments like these; moments in which being alone doesn't actually feel lonely in the slightest.

Winter Beats

I wasn't always into music the way I am now. I used to listen to a very limited range of artists and genres, and I didn't have any particular interest in expanding my musical tastes. I didn't listen to music as frequently either, and I never would've considered myself much of a concert-goer. But luckily, times have changed and I can now honestly say that music is one of the most important aspects of my life.

It really is amazing how influential and powerful music can be. No matter how I'm feeling, I can always find a song that compliments my mood or helps me get through a bad one. And sometimes a song can take my mind to this dreamy, trance-like state that I've grown so fond of. I can't really explain it.

I often correlate songs or albums to certain people, events, or periods of time. For instance, hearing Billy Joel's lesser-known album "The Bridge" reminds me of my family; each one of us memorized the words from every song on that album because my mom would exclusively play it in her car over several years. And of course hearing Chris Brown's "Forever" always reminds me of some of my favorite nights of college (apparently I've "ruined" that song for everybody... my bad). And if there's one particular album I associate last winter with, it's The Radio Dept's "Clinging to a Scheme." Listening to it floods me with these visions and memories from those days of living in a new, unknown place with limited exposure to anyone familiar. It felt so surreal then and listening to that album makes it all feel so vivid again.

This winter, however, I've been listening to a lot of Keep Shelly In Athens, I Break Horses, Phantogram, and Korallreven, and I've been getting into quite a few other bands as well. I'm always open to new music. Anyone got any recommendations?