Pictures from TH 1/14/10

MoMA Burton Exhibit--They didn't let us take any pictures of the actual exhibit, although I did get a pic of some of Mr. Burton's drawings on the classified section of a newspaper from like 1991 or something...


Starry Night--its the first famous painting I ever remember learning about :)

Andy Warhol--I don't think it needs any explanation. If you don't know, google him.








Radio City Stage--the stage is actually made of steel, which turns out to be incredibly painful for performers, so they have acupuncturists, massage therapists and spa jacuzzis for the performers.

Radio City bathroom--if you stand the right way it looks like a whole line of Rockettes, but they are all you!! Or as Chandler would say, "its like you're peeing with the Rockettes"

Friday--1/15/10 (Continued)

The Paley Center was cooler than I expected. Like I said, it was a digital library of Radio and T.V. events. I wasn't quite sure what to watch, so I looked through what they had highlighted and found the news coverage of the Challenger explosion--which was incredible (in a bad, but amazing way of course).

I had never seen the footage before and I cannot imagine what it would have been like to watch it first hand. Well, actually, I can imagine since I saw the footage of 9/11 first hand. But what I mean is that, if you have seen the footage, it literally just explodes. There was no warning, no signals--it just bursts and then disintegrates into a ball of billowing smoke. It was breathtaking (again, of course, in a bad way).

The city is one of the best in the world. There is always something to do, always people to meet and, my favorite, always food to eat! The world really is a beautiful amazing place, where every nook and cranny has something to offer. Even within our own country, we have everything-beaches, mountains, deserts, forests, tropics, Alaska.

I think of how much there is to see in this world and I am baffled. I feel like one of the biggest disservices to ourselves that can be committed is to not travel. To stay where you are in your bubble and get too comfortable. There are so many people who are wonderful and different to be met. So many awe-inspiring places to be seen. So much history to be learned from on so much soil.

To not open your mind to this wonderful world, to not venture outside of your comfort zone to learn from others, to not embrace each culture God has grown--that is the ghastliest of crimes.

Friday--1/15/2010

Well, I didn't have an entry for 1/14, but I covered what I did in my 1/15 entry.

1/14 What I Did:
MoMA
Radio City Music Hall Tour
NBC Studios Tour
Paley Center for Radio and T.V.

1/15 What I Did:
Lunch at Benjamin's Steakhouse
Shopping Day (Times Square, Manhattan Mall, Obscura)

I must comment again on how cool the MoMA Tim Burton exhibit was. Because he has made so many successful films based on his art, you could really see the exhibit come to life in connection with his films. Not only did they have doodles and drawings, etc. But they also had sculptures Mr. Burton did as well as pieces actually used in his films (i.e. a cape the headless horseman wore in Sleepy Hollow) I think Tim Burton personifies the artist/filmmaker if this day and age.

Radio City Music Hall was also great. Did you know that they only have about 15-20 events a year because of how much time it takes to put up and take down sets. For some reason, I always believed it was a lot busier than that. Did you also know that everything in the theatre is original? They have never renovated, they have only ever cleaned it. So the walls and carpets, etc. is all what has been there since the beginning. Amazing. I could go on and on about all that I learned, but I won't :)

Seeing the SNL set at NBC studios was really cool too. Especially since we got to see Sigourney Weaver practicing for the upcoming episode she was hosting. Well, we got to see her from above and behind some glass...it was much like being at the zoo.

Wednesday Pictures

Here are some pictures of the activities I did on Wednesday. Blogger only lets me have 5 images for each post and since I have to use those for my journal entries, the pics will have to come separately!

The first is a picture from the top of Rockefeller Center. There's a reflection because there was glass to keep us from plummeting 80 something stories to our deaths. On the left hand side of the picture is Central Park.

Then there is me with Lucy and Alby at the Wax Museum-we had a good time.

Johnny Depp and Leonardo Di Caprio were the first two I saw when I walked in. It was actually pretty jarring, but cool since I have met Johnny Depp in person before. His wax duplicate was spot on.

The last is one of the exhibit tables from the Da Vinci exhibition. Da Vinci was a pretty amazing dude. Like Rockefeller, he had his stuff together!

Wednesday--1/13/10

What I Did:
SoHo
Rockefeller Center
Wax Museum
Da Vinci Exhibit

I realize now that I never actually clarified why the friend was relevant. Well, because he laughed at me when I gasped about the landing. I would have laughed at me too.

I honestly loved the city from the moment I set foot in it. And going to the top of the Rock on the first day only assured me of my love. The view was spectacular. City as far as the eye could see. Now that is definitely not for some people, but its for me. It was like it was all just sitting there waiting for me.

Wednesday--1/13/10 (Continued)

The driver's in NY are crazy, but not bad drivers. It doesn't seem like that is possible, but it is. Here in CA we have some pretty awful drivers. In NY they all seem to know what they're doing-they're just crazy about it. Being in a taxi was like being on a roller-coaster or something.

NYC Journal Entries

While on my trip to Manhattan, I tried my best to keep journal entries and chronicle what I did while traveling. I thought posting the actual entries would be easiest for myself and the most candid for the reader. On a couple of days, I wasn't able to write anything down and occasionally I'll make notes or elaborate on the days I already have an entry for. I also gave a list of what I did each day! (Jan 12th-20th) I'll publish each day as its own entry, so as not to be confusing :) Hope y'all enjoy reading them it!

Love and peace,

Trin

Tuesday--1/12/10

What I Did:
Fly to Chicago
Layover
Fly to New York
Shuttle to Katie’s

Keeping an Open Mind-New York Style.

Another way you can exercise a closed mind is to take a trip. It doesn’t have to be a weeklong trip to a place 3000 miles away, even a day trip can work. I suggest a trip because after spending 7 whole days in New York, I feel as though I have made even more progress in keeping an open mind. Its not as easy as one would think to keep an open mind in an unknown place. In fact, I think it’s harder. When so much is unknown it can be really easy to find things that are familiar to cling to—especially in a city like New York. When you are in an unfamiliar place, the important thing to remember is dive in. Have fun and try new things.

That is exactly what I did when I got to New York. It was by no means easy or comfortable in such a big city, but I still opted to go for it. I explored the city alone when my friend was working and I ate places I normally would never eat. Let me tell you, New York has everything, especially food. And every place is fantastic because if you serve bad food in a big and busy city, you’re done for. I also learned all about the subway systems—and for someone who grew up in a place with virtually no public transportation, I’d like to think of it as an accomplishment!

I won’t go into too much detail about my trip because I’ll be blogging about it soon, but I did want to mention it because I think trips can be vital in keeping our minds open. Trips allow us to escape from the normalcy of our routines and let loose a little—assuming that we break out of our comfort zones when we travel. Each time we travel we are reminded that life exists (and thrives) outside of what we know. Traveling helps us see that our way of doing things is not the only way there is, which can help us develop an understanding for the different.

I would encourage everyone to take a trip. If you don’t have any vacation time coming up, even a weekend trip or a day trip can work. When you go on your trip, make sure to avoid attachments with the familiar. Don’t eat Mexican food if you are always eating Mexican food at home. Look for activities you would never normally do and don’t be afraid loosen the purse strings some. I know most people aren’t doing as well as they could be financially, but spending on vacation can be liberating. Most of us spend our time at home looking for great deals or only treating ourselves to something on special occasions. So, if you can, spend a little money on yourself—and enjoy it!!

Happy travels!

Peace and Love,

Trin

New York, NY

Well, I am finally home from my trip to NYC. It was absolutely fabulous and I really want to give details. However, I am seriously sleep deprived as of right now and, as it turns out, it is extremely hard to type with the jitters.

After I catch up on sleep, I will update everyone on how the trip went, what I did and how taking a bite out of the Big Apple has played into my January plan for opening my mind!

Love and peace,

Trin

Progress in Changing it Up.

Just in case you were wondering, I’ve taken this past week or so to take my own advice and try to shake up my life a little. Honestly, so far I am happy with the results.

First of all, I had an outfit in my closet that I had never worn. I had bought it because I really liked it (even though it wasn’t very “me”). However, it spent many days and nights wasted in my closet because I felt weird wearing it—I didn’t feel like me because I was convinced I couldn’t “pull it off”. I thought this would be the perfect place to start my change experiment.

I wore the outfit, feeling a little uneasy at first, but feeling so much better once I moved away from the mirror. The outfit was comfortable and cute—I even got some compliments. Now, I believe that you shouldn’t need compliments to feel good about yourself (but I also don’t deny that they can really help sometimes). In this case, the compliments helped me to realize that I am the only one with that power to decide what is “me” and what’s not.

I’m not a vain person, but I started with clothes because I have the tendency to use them as my outlet of artistic expression. I am not artistic in the conventional sort of way, so using clothes is fun for me—which makes this a major break through I think. If I feel like what I am “allowed” to wear is restricted than I feel like I am being restricted. Breaking through that feels good.

After the clothes, I took people’s suggestions on other things—mainly movies. I have watched so many movies in the past week that I would have never considered. I loved some, hated others and enjoyed every minute of it because I realized the bigger picture: that I can miss out on SO much with every “no” that makes its way past my lips.

I wanted to post this update because I’m headed to New York City tomorrow on a 7am flight and I have no doubt that I will have plenty of opportunities to say “yes” instead of “no”. This has been my progress so far and I intend to let NYC catapult me into greater open-mindedness.

I hope you’re trying to open your mind too. I’m not trying to make it sound like a walk in the park. It can take effort and be scary or uncomfortable. But after those feelings pass, its incredibly freeing—even the small steps.

January – Keeping an Open Mind

When asked, most people will say they’re open-minded, which could be true since there is no pinned-down definition of the term. But really, who wants to admit that they never want to try anything new? Although we try to hide it, the reality is that most of us are set in our ways—myself included. Most of the time, the actual problem is not close-mindedness—its laziness. I’m not so grounded in my ways that I am immovable and I actually get excited when people talk about trying new things. Even when people are there to push you, it can take a lot of effort to get up and go. Truth be told, when it comes to moving out of my comfort zone, I’m a couch potato. And maybe some of you feel the same way…

One thing you can do to open your mind is change your routines. For most of us, routines make up big parts of our day. Morning, work, school, dinner or late night routines can become such big parts of our day that they become second nature. Before you know it, you’re just going through the motions. For some, the thought of changing up the routines held so dear can be a little jarring. Depending on your situation and your goals, you can decide how much change you can handle when it comes to your routines.

For people who thrive on routine, start out with small changes. For example, change the order of your morning routine. You know how long it takes you to get ready, so changing the order of things won’t make you late for work or school—sorry, that excuse is out! Eat before you shower or do your make-up before you do your hair. For other small changes, take a different route to work or change up what you normally eat for breakfast.

Maybe you’re one of those people who doesn’t need as much structure, so you’re thinking, “I don’t really have routines”. Think hard, you’ll find some. For people like you, change can be found in the “typicals”. Take some effort and change where you typically eat, grocery shop or get coffee. Find all of those little regular things in your life and take the time to change them up. It may require some effort, but it is worth it.

Another thing that can open a mind is suggestion. Simply take other people’s suggestions. Sounds easy enough, right? Let’s face it, we have the tendency to judge things before we try them. Someone suggests a restaurant, we assume we won’t like the food. Someone says watch this movie, its great, but we don’t because we’ve seen the lead actress in other movies and she’s only okay. The point is that the people who are making suggestions (usually our friends) sometimes know what they’re talking about, But how would we know that if we never take their advice.

One way to expand in this area is to hang out with the friend you have. You know, that friend. We all have one—the friend who shares almost nothing in common with us and continuously offers their opinion—and you love them for it. You may not even know how you came about this person, but somehow you did...that’s a different issue though. Anyways, that friend, (or anyone else) who has different tastes can help you open up. Hang out with them, let them pick the movie, take them shopping with you—you get the idea. Embrace the differences in the people around you. Maybe you’re thinking, “There are some things I know for sure I don’t like.” I understand that—honestly, I feel that way about rap music—but you have to make sure you’re not writing everything off as something you “know for sure” you don’t like.

Again, you can choose how much change you think you can handle. You can do small things like go rent a movie you normally wouldn’t rent, or you can try for a big change and let a friend with a different style pick out a whole outfit for you. Just be careful that you don’t let suggestions rule your life. Use the suggestions to broaden you as a person, not change you into someone else.

It may seem like changing these little things won’t help to open your mind—but if you do it regularly, it will. After all, our personalities are essentially many “little things” combined into greater traits, which combine to form who we are. When we break down ourselves into the smaller components, its easier build on ourselves or shape ourselves into what we want to become. Most importantly, when we make a habit to not fall into routine and keep open minds, we become more malleable in thought and action. Being malleable might be one of the most important traits a person can have because its helps equip people for life’s curveballs. If your life is only made up of a string of routines and something unexpected comes your way (good or bad), its shatters your life. It disrupts the form and causes stress and anxiety. However, when you are used to adapting, curveball’s can look a lot different.

Hopefully, by regularly incorporating these things into your life, you’ll find that you become more open to new ideas or experiences. And even if you don’t become any more open-minded, maybe you’ll just become a little more adaptable to the little unexpected things that life will never stop throwing at you!

“There exist limitless opportunities in every industry. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier”--Charles F. Kettering

The Beginning

Hello all!

I guess I should have titled this as "the Restart". I used to blog, sporadically, but stopped shortly after I started because I felt I had nothing to blog about. I actually forgot I had a blog until recently. Upon remembering, I logged into my blog, read the few entries and deleted everything. Now, I hope to be more inspired in my writings and hopefully inspire others along the way!

Peace and Love,

TMM

Welcome 2010!

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions—I have found in the past that I am no good at keeping them and they only lead to personal disappointment.

However, as 2010 approached, I realized that I wanted to start making some much-needed changes in my life. I wanted a simple way to “reinvent” myself, without having the pressure of “resolutions”.

As a result, I took twelve areas of my life I wanted to work on and came up with a month-by-month “plan” to help me make the changes I desire. This plan doesn’t contain any miracle tips and may not change your life in a day. What is does is offer a way to incorporate change into your established life, so that you can find ways to keep what you want and shed what you don’t.

Remember, this design is personal—so you can take it, leave it, or only read the months that cover topics you need help with. In any case, I’m sharing because I hope people will embark on this journey with me and be inspired to reinvent their lives one small, simple step at a time!

So, look forward to a post each month (and entries about progress in between) and let me know what you think!

Peace and love,

TMM