Back from a tropical paradise

Well I'm back in good ol' NYC and it's the place to be! I'm getting back into the swing of things here and probably won't be traveling again for a little while, or at least that's the plan. But for now, here are some pictures from the tropical paradise known as St. John that I fell in love with. More are at the gallery: http://gallery.me.com/che1seanothing like a day of fishing...

Mom getting some pointers from our awesome tour-guide Richard Penn.

Donkeys roam wild- they paved the streets from their paths

Trunk Bay: named 1 of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world

crazy colored caterpillars

serious business. although I was too busy taking a pic of the sign to see the tree very well. woops

ultimate get-away

iguanas chillin at the resort.

found a dried up sea urchin on the shore

locals in town

love all the colors!

gorgeous sunset

local artist- loved her style!

me & mom on my last night- great restaurant, Asolare

farewell from the ferry

Help for Haiti

Being that I'm currently in the islands I can't help but feel physically closer to the trauma that has been going on in Haiti and want to do something (I awoke this morning to find out there was another big earthquake yesterday). I'm very appreciative for all I have and think these kinds of events tend to bring about that gratitude as well as a sympathy for others that aren't as fortunate. We can all give something- time, effort, goods, money...

For those of you in the NY area, here's a list of events raising funds for relief and donation centers on my roommate Jen's blog: http://jenniferpainter.blogspot.com/2010/01/httpidealistnyc.html

And for those of you not in the NY area, here's a fashionable way to contribute- a special Lady Gaga tee with all proceeds going to the relief effort that I found on Perez Hilton's blog: http://cocoperez.com/2010-01-19-lady-gaga-gets-haiti-helpful

These are just some of the MANY, MANY ways you can help. Or you can just go to one of the donation sites like Yelle, founded by Wycleaf Jean, or Haiti Relief Fund for ways to help or make a simple donation.

Greetings from St. John

Since last weekend, I've been relaxing in the U.S. Virgin Islands with my mom. It's just the two of us here at the Westin time share she and my step-dad have had for quite a few years now, this being my first year since it's always in the middle of school. While the first couple days made me feel like I was truly submersed in a rain forest from the on-and-off showers, yesterday and today have been nothing but blue skies and sunshine. It's absolutely beautiful here, and I feel like I'm truly away from all the worries of life back in the states (I mean it did take a plane, taxi, and water ferry to get here). It's also one of the first times I've really been to an island that is quite mountainous (St. John was formed from a volcano) and much of it is preserved as a National Park so it remains incredibly green and uninhabited. The locals are all very friendly and laid back, on "island time" as they say, and the little towns are full of souvenir shops and local bars/restaurants.

On our first day, my mom took me for a tour of the island by taxi with our local tour-guide Richard who has lived here most his life and knows so much of the island's history. As I spent most of the ride snapping pictures and taking in all the beauty, my mom turns to me at one point and asks, "So, whatcha think?" and my initial impression of it all was: "I kind of feel like I'm in Jurassic Park." She found this hilarious as the only thing I could manage to articulate but when I thought about it, it really was an accurate assessment! The island is full of greenery and forest, has not too many people, everyone drives Jeeps around the winding roads, it's so mountainous, and full of wildlife. I was ready at any minute for our guide to say through his speakerphone "and on your left you'll see the Stegosaurus..." as we rode around in the open-air taxi. While the closest thing to a dino I've seen here are the iguanas that roam the resort grounds, there are also wild donkeys, roosters, stray cats, and mongoose among others.

Yesterday we went snorkeling at Trunk Bay-named one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, and indeed it is gorgeous. Though most all the beaches here are beautiful so I'm not too hard to please. The snorkeling there was kind of lacking in aquatic life, so tomorrow we're off to one of the many other bays to explore. I can't believe tomorrow's my last day, but I guess that's how vacations go. I'll be posting more pictures when I get back and can upload from my camera. For now, these are from my handy dandy iPhone.

MoMa Moments

My good friend Heather was visiting me in NYC this past week and we had a fun-filled, action-packed few days together. I took her around the city since she hasn't ever really had a chance to see it, and frankly, I haven't had the time to either since I've moved here. Among our adventures included a trip to the MoMa to see the Tim Burton exhibit. While we enjoyed it immensely, and got a glimpse into the twisted mind of Mr. Burton, no photos were allowed in the exhibit so you'll have to just go for yourself. But here are two photos I did snap on my iPhone that were particularly interesting among the contemporary artists (of course the original works by Picasso, Dali, and Warhol were awe-inspiring as well)


The above two works were each done using unique mediums. The top one was a mixed media and the colorful one was actually solely done using the darkroom processing, chemicals, and exposure techniques. Each picture was unique and the artist didn't know how they would come out until they were finished processing. Kind of neat in a world where the darkroom is becoming obsolete...

Out with the old, in with the new.

Happy New Year! Well I can't believe how quickly '09 flew by, and now it's 2010 which is just weird. I took some time to reflect on 2009 as I rang in the new year, but mostly I just want to look to the future and what all the new year has in store! It's thrilling, nerve-wracking, overwhelming, and exciting all at once- the unknown. I have some idea of where things are going, but will leave a lot up in the air and see where things take me...

Resolutions? Yeah, I made a list in my mini moleskin. Among them are: let go of things in the past, live in the moment, experiment and explore new things, see all NYC has to offer, write my book, pursue my Bachelor's degree, make time for my creative ventures, oh, and possibly date Josh Hartnett. hah.

So we're 3 days into 2010... it's a blank slate, a fresh start, full of hope, opportunity, and endless possibilities! I'm ready to jump right in, are you?