Cheers to 2014!

So 2014 is here, and everyone's making their own resolutions. I make a lot of resolutions every year, but I'll be honest in saying I always have a hard time following them. This year, I've made more realistic goals and better ways of keeping up with them. Some of these are bigger life changes, others are smaller goals that will make my life easier. I'll be checking in at the end of March, July, October and December with my progress on each of these (mainly, the ones that involve losing weight). 

I have spent most of December reflecting on 2013, and through the support of my family and friends and some professionals, I've come to accept the year's gifts as well as its lessons, and I've decided to spend more time thinking of the future than ruminating on the past.

So, without further ado, here are my goals, in no particular order:

- Lose weight. The ultimate amount of weight I want to lose is somewhere in the ballpark of 70 pounds. This is such a daunting number, that I thought it would be better to divide these up into smaller goals: (1) lose 10 pounds by my trip to Argentina in February, (2) lose 30 pounds by the time I visit Dartmouth again in May for Green Key (3) lose 50 pounds by homecoming 2014 (and the KD Housewarming!) (4) lose 70 pounds by the end of the year (when I go back to Miami for the holidays). I have a fitblr that I use to keep closer track of my progress, as well as a MyFitnessPal account, but I don't think I'll feel comfortable sharing that until I've made more considerable progress.

- Take better care of my hair. I compulsively wash my hair every day, which is so so bad for curly/dry hair. I want to start only washing my hair every other day, using the Living Proof Restore Mask at least once a week, blow-drying my hair before I go to sleep, and generally doing my hair rather than just putting it up in a bun.

- Get my sleeping act together. Aside from the fact that I have sleeping issues in general, I don't have a good sleeping schedule at the moment, which makes it impossible to wake up on time for work. My resolution is to be in bed, lights off, under the covers, at 10 PM, and to actually, physically get out of my bed at 6 AM. I also need a sleep study, but I won't know what I need to do with regards to that until it happens.

 - Organize my spending habits. I don't make a ton of money and living in New York is expensive, so I definitely want to budget my money better. For the sake of privacy, my budget is kept in a private Google Doc, but I'll let you know how well I'm following it throughout the year.

- Organize eating and exercise habits. This is definitely along the lines of the first resolution, but aside from reducing amount of calories consumed, I also want to make sure I'm getting the appropriate nutrients. I also have very specific goals from working out. This resolution will require its own blog post later on.

 - Organize my time after I get home from work. Every work day when I get home, do one hour of daily stuff (eating, dishes, teeth, etc), one hour of something needed (cleaning, going to rite aid, gym, etc) and half an hour organizing work stuff for the next day.

- Plan things to do with other people, and reach out to other people.  I'm going to actively invite other people to do things with me, and I' m going to stop turning down invitations to things. I'm going to reach out to those friends that live far away from me and keep up the friendships that matter to me. Additionally, I'm going to stop getting upset over friends that naturally grow apart. It happens. Life goes on.

- Read more books! At least two a month, for a total of 24.

- Travel. I include this one because I already know it'll be completed. I'm traveling to Buenos Aires in February, and hopefully the rest of the year will bring along many more sights.

- Blog more. I have so many things I want to write about.

Here's to hoping for a fabulous 2014! Cheers!

Travel Bucket List

I've always loved to travel, anywhere and everywhere. I love exploring new places and meeting new people and seeing new sights. While I definitely want to check out many different places in general, there's a few very specific sights I want to see during my 20s. This list will definitely be expanded (and hopefully things will get crossed off!)

Disclaimer: as much as I wish they were, none of these are my own pictures.

1. Cranberry Bogs
Where: random places in New England
This is perhaps the easiest one to get to, given that there are a few of these in Massachusetts and other states near me. The most difficult part of this is to find someone who wants to go with me.

2. Salt Flats
Where: Uyuni, Bolivia
Partly for the forced-perspective pictures, partly because holy shit.

3. Chengdu Panda Base
Where: Chengdu, China
Pandas are my favorite animal, and you can actually hold one at the Chengdu Panda Base. Life-long dream.

4. Camping de la Baie-de-Perce
Where: Perce, Canada
Stemming from a long-standing love affair with French Canada (did I mention I'm going to Quebec City Winter Carnival - again?), and with a new love affair with French-Canadian National Parks thanks to the incredible Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie, this park caught my attention because it's camping on cliffs next to the ocean, things don't get much better than that.

Moving to New York

I officially moved to New York City on Saturday, July 12. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach because I was leaving my family, because I was going to somewhere that wasn't Dartmouth, and because I was nervous about the things that lay ahead - but no matter how nervous I was, I did not expect things to be nearly as difficult and emotional as they were.

Everyone has a horrible "when I first moved to New York story". Here's mine.

I was picked up by my roommate Amanda at LaGuardia and dropped off in Flushing, Queens, where I was staying with an older woman, a friend of my dad's friend from high school (very far removed from my family - this explains what happens later). She wasn't charging me too much money, so I decided to agree. From the beginning, I realized this wasn't a happy living situation. I realized I would be staying on a leather couch with one blanket, and that the walk to the train stop was almost half an hour. On the phone, she said she had wi-fi and air conditioning that she would turn on if the weather got too hot. She avoided all questions regarding the wi-fi, claiming she didn't know the password, forcing me to apartment hunt on my phone and during my lunch break at work. She didn't turn on the air conditioning once, not even during the worst heat wave New York had seen in 10 years. I desperately tried to turn it on once - it wasn't plugged in. I had to sleep on a bare leather couch in 97 degree weather. My commute to work required three trains: the (unairconditioned) 7, the G, and the C. The 7 caught on fire once and stopped running, another time I was delayed for over an hour because a door was broken.

Apartment hunting was no better. Amanda and I knew nothing about Brooklyn and so we started our apartment search blindly, walking into some of the most horrible neighborhoods I have ever been to. The first apartment we saw was on a corner where a prostitute was demanding money from her pimp, and the radiators in the place were broken. We saw broken doors, broken windows, gross toilets, horrible walks from the subway. I was getting home every day at 1:00 AM to attempt to fall asleep on the leather couch. Amanda and I finally broke down on Friday, and we both departed from New York City and spent our weekend getting ourselves back together and not being on the subway. I spent the weekend in Morristown with Damaris, so grateful to be there I nearly cried.

We came back and finally found an apartment, and although it's been a bit of a hassle to get everything set up, I was glad I no longer had to spend my time on Craigslist. Meanwhile, things in Queens got worse, as my landlady started treating me worse and worse until things culminated last Sunday after spending the weekend away with Jing. After a gross bathroom issue, I texted Amanda, who found out her friend Sarah had an extra room where I could stay until her future roommate moved in - a/c, a bed, and wi-fi. I left Sunday night, much to the dismay of my landlady, and things have been looking up ever since.

Amanda and I are moving into our apartment tomorrow, and we're going to Ikea on Saturday to pick out awesome new furniture. In other big news, meet the newest member of the Agredo family, Wall-E:

All in all, the tears and pain were worth it for our new apartment and for all the friends I've made while I've been here. The one thing I haven't mentioned, my job, has been so incredible that I almost feel too lucky to have it. Everything else has been worth it so that I can work with the incredible group of people I'm working with. Uncommon Schools is truly a great organization. This whole thing has taught me that I'm thankful for my friends, the unrelenting support of my parents, and my job. I'm not thankful for the housing market in New York City. 

Tl;dr: Subletting sucks, apartment hunting sucks, my job is awesome, my friends are awesome, my parents are awesome, and I'm adopting a maltese. 

Here's to many new adventures in New York!

xoxoxo

Exploring French Canada

I recently went on a post-graduation trip with my family where we drove through the province of Quebec. I absolutely love Quebec, and if you love sightseeing, speaking French, and naturally stunning places, I highly recommend checking out this area of Canada. 

Montreal

I have been to Montreal twice, once in the spring of 2012 and once this past summer. 

(Spring 2012, Old Port of Montreal)

(Summer 2013, Museum of Fine Arts)

Montreal is a city in every sense of the word. Tall buildings, harsh traffic, a bustling downtown area - Montreal is a great metropolitan center. If you like big, bustling cities (yet less bustling than places like New York), Montreal is the place for you. 

Must-Sees in Montreal

1. Biodome

The Biodome de Montreal is the place where you can let your inner child be fascinated by the different climates and animals represented here. From the tropical forest (that actually feels warm) to the ice caps and the penguins, it's fascinating to see how the different climates have been created here. 

2. Old Montreal

Beautiful old buildings, tons of restaurants, perfect to stroll down and take tons of pictures. 

3. Musee de Beaux-Arts

Incredible (free!) museum, connected underground to other areas of the museum. 

4. Olympic Tower

I'm a sucker for views and this provides a panorama view of the whole city - and the ride up is pretty cool too. 

Things I Wish I Had Seen 

Because of rain and time constraints, I was unable to visit the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Notre Dame  Basilica - but I drove by them and they looked absolutely gorgeous! Every travel website also recommended them as must-sees in the city. 

Quebec City

I have also been to Quebec City twice, once during the winter of 2012 and once this past summer. 

(Vieux Quebec, Winter 2012)

(Vieux Quebec, Summer 2013)

Quebec City was once described as to me as the most European place in North America, and it is currently tied with Edinburgh for my favorite place in the entire world, and I have very solid plans to go back in February and in October of 2014. I have visited both when it was cold and when it was warm, and in both climates the city was absolutely breathtaking. In the summer, the colors are bright and beautiful, and if you visit during the right time in the winter you get to experience Quebec City Winter Carnival. 

I'm not going to make a list of must-sees as much as tell you to put on your walking shoes (or boots) and explore the streets of Old Quebec and see where the day takes you. Last time I was there, my family and I randomly came across the Musee de Bon Pasteur (too obscure to even be on Trip Advisor - the receptionist only spoke French), and it turned out to be a really interesting museum tour. 

While you wander around Old Quebec, make sure to walk all the way down to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and take in the views, both of the chateau and the port below, which are breathtaking both in the summer and in the winter.

Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere Malbaie
The last time I went, my family and I wanted one more place to explore before we went back home. I actually found this national park by looking on google maps and randomly clicking on it - and it turned out to be an incredible place.

(Pictures from our boat tour, Summer 2013)

The pictures of this place looked beautiful, so we decided to go ahead and take the leap and go. It's about 2.5 hours north of Quebec City, and from what I understand it's harder to access during the winter as roads may be closed, but it's beautiful over the summer. The park offers a boat tour, hiking trails, river swimming, and even a restaurant. 

My family and I are not very outdoorsy, so we wanted the outdoor experience with a lot of the amenities of hotels. This park offers a really cool option called a Huttopia tent, only used in a few parks in France and Canada. These tents offer a camping experience with full beds, tables, a small kitchenette, heating and shared bathrooms and showers. It's camping without the discomfort of camping - a perfect compromise for my family. 

Warning: even though we went in June, nights in the park were very chilly. Make sure you bring at least a few sweaters and warm bedding, as the tent can really heat up during the day but freeze up at night. 

French Canada is incredible and I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface of what there is to explore. I hope I've provided some good tips! Leave in the comments anything else you would recommend exploring in this beautiful area. 

xoxo.