Category: my life

divorce, house, job search, my life, struggles, women

Struggles

It is June and I no idea what I am doing. I thought by now, I would have everything figured out. My goal is to be in NYC by the end of the year and I am no where near that goal. I have sitting here trying to figure out what I am doing wrong.

I have applied for a numerous amount of jobs at several schools. If I am lucky I will get a letter back, otherwise I will hear absolutely nothing. While I know the job market is bad, I figured I would be in the running for a lot more positions. Clearly, this is not happening. So, I need to go back to the drawing board here. Maybe, my resume does not stand out. Maybe I need to change the wording. I don’t want to apply for just anything because I can get bored easily if I am not challenged by the level of work.

There is also the fact that when looking for a job, it is not what you know but who you know. I will tell you that I am lacking in this department. I do not know many people in my field who reside in New York City. So that is a big problem because I will have to rely on other people’s contacts and knowledge and clearly that is not working either. I am really pimping myself out on Linkedin so who knows how far that will get me.

Which has led me to my ultimate decision which leads me to go back to school full time. I think the fact that I lack that Master Degree is what is hurting me. I can have a shit load of experience in my field, but clearly it means little with out this paper. So, I am making plans to shoot for January admissions in NYC. I am planning to meet with some people to get my shit together in order to do this. Of course, I could take classes up here, but I am really done with  Syracuse and I need a scenery change.

Then there is this house. I was so very positive that I could keep this, but now that is not going to happen. Even now, I flip back and forth between selling and finding a roommate. Since, I need the money now, I tend to go with the roommate option but, I have no one. Why is that? Well my friend decided that he can now live with his wife again and now I am back being alone. So now I am stuck with this house alone.

So, I will put the house on the market. The problem is…I have no idea what I am doing. I do not want to use a Realtor because I do not have the money for that. However, I may not have a choice because it costs money to actually put it on the market from what I see. I realize that my life will be a whole lot better if I just got rid of it. There are tons of things that need to be fixed and things that have been fixed. This will be my struggle for the summer.

Then there is women. I say very little about this subject as it pertains to me because what is there to say? All I can say is that I observe. I watch what women do and I either smh (shake my head) or I just straight up laugh.  I feel like everyday I refine my list of things that I want or expect in a woman. I know men are assholes and I will preach that all day but, most women make no sense to me. This does effect me because despite all the goodness around me, I am really starting to feel that I will be alone for very long time.

Dominican Republic, love, my life

Follow that Feeling…

Funny how much difference a year can make. Most of my posts last year had to do with the fact that many people around me were having issues with their relationships. I was stunned by the number of troubles people were having. It goes to show that we make we have problems but someone may have it worse. This year though, it seems like people are getting married, or engaged, or just getting together. I think it is great.

I think people need to just follow their hearts. I have talked about how hard it is for me make decisions that require me to think about head and heart, but in the end I know that it is best for me to do what feels right. I haven’t always followed my heart because somewhere I thought that being logical is better. Logic plays no part in matter of the heart.

For the most part love makes no sense. We cannot help whom we fall in love with and we cannot make people fall in love with us. However, we can follow our hearts to the end. Right or wrong, there is very little regret in the end if you follow it truly. If it does not work out, your heart will heal and you can say that you tried something that felt right. If the attempt is not made…then there are lingering thoughts of “what if”. However, if it does work out the rewards are endless.

Happiness is what I wish those who embark on a new relationship, marriage, or even a rekindling of an old flame. Fear is way too much apart of people’s psyche. People use fear as a reason to not do something. I am guilty of this as well, but at some point we all must make a choice of letting go of the fear.

I saw a fearless couple in the Dominican Republic. They are ready for anything and it is awesome to me. Perhaps I am looking too deep into this, but sometimes we all need reminders that there are good things that an happen in life. We need to take things one day at a time. For me, I have been trying to push away the notion of love (despite my rash of poems on tumblr). I am not saying that it is working but I am sure many may have noticed that I really wasn’t talking about as much as I normally do. Going to this wedding shattered all that.

So now, as I continue to struggle with my life, I will have these thoughts of what I need to do about my love life. I have chosen not to do much until this divorce is final. I believe that is not fair to me or to the other potential person to date with this over my head. Don’t get me wrong, I have other reason why I am not really dating but, that is the main reason. I need to clear my head of many things…and let’s be real here, having a woman in my life is just more drama and trouble for me.

Perhaps that is harsh and not fair, but I think I am right in my assessment. I know my dad will disagree and tell me that I need to run through some “hoodrats” (because he totally talks that way), but that is not me. I have tried the jumpoff thing and is not all that fulfilling to me. Plus, using women is something that I cannot get used to…even if they want to be used.

So right now I am going to follow what feels right and see where is take me. Hopefully it will help me sell this house (a blog for another time) and get a job in NYC.

Oh..and for those who follow your heart…you will always have a supporter in me.

Dominican Republic, love, my life

True Love…

“The most important thing in life is to learn how 
to give out love, and to let it come in.” – Morrie Schwartz

I saw something out in the Dominican Republic that I will be thinking about for a long time. I saw true love. I am not saying that I have not seen it before because I have. Sometimes when you see it is unrecognizable or maybe too mushy to take, but make no mistake, I know what I saw. I think my brother (cousin) has really found something that not many people ever obtain.

I think the rest of the families see it too. Especially on the Dominican side. She is their pride and joy. I could not be happier for them. This is the second wedding that I have gone to since the decision was made to break our my marriage. This one hit me more just seeing 2 people put in the hard work to get married. You can see they worked hand in hand to get every detail just right. This is what a wedding should be like.

I makes me wonder what I need to do to get there. Not to be married, but to find that true love that we should all be striving for. Maybe I had it and lost it. I am not sure only time will tell. This would be the first occasion that I have gotten misty eyed at a wedding. I try not to get emotional but I know how big that day was.

To be honest, I always thought that my brother waited to long to get himself together enough to find the one. But I now realize that all the trials he has been through has gotten him here to this moment. While I got married sort of young, I thought I was the one who had it all. Now I am picking up the pieces. Clearly I was mistaken. Perhaps I should have waited but that is all water under the bridge. Things happen for a reason and he and his new bride are happy. I love that. I always wanted him to be as happy as he can be.

I cannot really define what true love is. I can only write about it and hope that one day i get it right. It took my father getting married a 3rd time to solidify what his true love is. I hope I am that lucky.

car trouble, Dominican Republic, family, la bomba, my life

La Bomba

Right now, I have several stories in my head about this week that I am not sure where to begin. I will talk about this drink that I was given to settle my stomach called “La Bomba”. But, before I get there and say why I need the drink in the first place, what needs to be understood is that what people really do not talk about when taking trips to places such The Dominican Republic is that our American bodies are not prepared for whatever bacteria or micro-organisms we may encounter. So I am here to say that one can get very sick when drinking the water.

As I mentioned, we were in a resort so they do have bottled water and tap water that the bars serve you that is said to be “filtered”. There is even a sign in the bathroom of the hotel room that says to no drink the water. So, being that I have been to Cancun before and have gotten sick, I was sooo not going to drink the water. Here is the problem…most of the drinks are made with ice. Now, when I say I drank everyday…I am not kidding. I now have people who will no longer drink with me because I got them way too drunk.

The two days leading up to the wedding as well as that beautiful day, I was fine. I was knocking them back and I was eating just about anything. Most of the time I was either having Vodka and Cranberry or just Mojitos. The night of the reception was crazy! The place we went to (which the name still escapes me) has mojitos served as a part of the cocktail reception before dinner. So by the end of the night, I think I had about 6 and had 2 shots of Tequila (one of which was a double).  I am feeling very good. We went to a club in which I drank more and then I was hungry of course. We ate at a buffet and then I passed out in my room.

The next morning I wake up. I am fine. I am in my bed and mi prima (cousin) is in hers. I get out of bed and my stomach was like…no puedo. I went to the bathroom and felt better. I go to breakfast and I notice that not only can I not eat…but smell of the food is make me queasy! So I am not like…No..tell me that on my last full day in the Dominican Republic I am going to be sick. I have one pancake and some cafe and I head back to the room.

When I sit down or lay back. I am fine. I feel no pain. When I stand it is like my stomach begins to lose the battle against gravity. I thought about how I can be smart about this. Eventually this will pass. If I lay by the beach I will fine. I can just get some sun and I will still be able to relax. So I do that and I have a nice tan to show for it. I find out that my two cousins are sick too. The one I am rooming with and the brother of the groom…and they are worse off than me.

So after the beach, mi prima  and I head toward the lobby of the resort where we meet up with her sister. She tells us that the brother of the groom had a drink called “La Bomba.” This was something that one of the staff recommended to drink in order to settle our stomachs. That did not sound too bad. I figured we would just take this home remedy and we will be fine. We order it and the bartender knew what it was of course. He makes two. It was a small drink in a small glass and it look RED…like skin of the devil red. It had pieces of herbs floating in it. This was not looking like such a good idea. This was going to taste horrible! So we decide we are going to knock it back and hold the breath while doing it!

The best way I can describe this taste is if you could liquefy a few old pennies and drink them…the taste would be spot on! I never tasted anything so nasty in my entire life. For what it was worth…it seemed to work, but only up until a certain point. As the night went on, I felt somewhat stable but my cousins got worse. Mi prima bought some pepto and we took shots of that. Not even 5 minutes after that she was turning colors. She had to back to the room where she did not do so well. I went to check on her later and she explained how she may have lost some wait because she was hugging the toilet most of the night.

I am scared now. I am hearing stories of other people getting the chills and sick for like a day. I have not gotten any of that. Just stomach cramps! I got up this morning after after barely sleeping because of my bathroom trips and I told myself that I can make it through this flight! I will have to will myself to not use any bathroom until I get home to New York.

Ok…so I am good for most of the morning. We are flying out of Santo Domingo so he have to take shuttle there. It is a 90 minute ride. I make it. We get to the airport and I feel the stomach churning..damn it! So I am plotting on how I can get to the men’s room before the flight leaves. We get all check in. I head to the terminal. One of my other cousins asks if I wanted food. I just give her this scowl and say…”my next meal will be on American soil”. At this point I am eying the bathroom at the terminal. Then I hear my name through the PA. Something in Spanish about I need to see security…wtf!

So the people at the gate are telling me that they cannot identify something in one of the bags I checked. I am thinking about the mini statue I bought that was super wrapped. So, knowing I have no bombs, I wait for them to come get me. My flight is at 12:10 and it is now 11:50 and they have yet to get me. Half the plane has boarded already! I am getting nervous and my stomach is hating me more and more. So this guard comes to get me and two other guys.

I am held in this glass chamber where they bring the bags out. I noticed that the bag they are talking about for me is my small bag that was nothing but shoes in it. I am struggling to remember if I put anything extra in there. They run the bag through the machine and all I see are shoes. They see something different. So they open that shit up and check my shoes! This guy had his fingers all up in the lining of my new shoes! I am looking at him like…really? I gave up my bathroom session so he could finger the soles of my shoes…ugh!

Clearly they found nothing! But I had to board the plane and I did. Plane ride was smooth and my stomach behaved. We get off and go through customs. Delta’s bag claim took forever! I was there for an hour. My brother picks us up. I go to my mom’s where the house is filled with more family! So we had to talk and mingle and eat! All the while I am like…I really need to go.

So I pack the car…and I go to turn it on…that shit is dead! WHY IS MY CAR DEAD? Ugh! So I had to have my bother jump it. Turns out someone left the lights on in the car. I left it at my mom’s all she had to do was move it. I can only guess she left the dome light in the car on.

I finally get my car started…and drive to mi tia’s… She welcomes me and I told her I would love to talk to her…but I need to use the bathroom…

Dominican Republic, family, my life

Isla Bonita

From the moment I got here all I have done is drink. Before you think I am a lush and that I am drunk all the time, it is really not that serious. However, the atmosphere is just surreal. In my short time here, I like what I see and hear. I will keep in mind that I am at a resort, so I feel like I am in a remote and secluded section of the island.

I cannot complain though. I am having a good time and it has been hard enough not to write anything because I have been so very busy with family. I must say that it is wonderful to see family. It gave me a warm feeling inside my chest to see people I have not see in a long time. I was able to spend time with dad as well.

I have taken many pictures and I will continue to do so. My cousin’s (brother) wedding was beautiful. However, it was so hot in the church. It was about 87 degrees and I had a full suit on. We were at Casa de Campo. It is a great area that has an awesome view and one can tell that there is some historic value there. I will have to read up on it. This was a traditional Catholic Latino wedding. There was the mass, the candle lighting, and the scripture readings. I just soaked took it all in. I know there were a few times that I just sat there thinking if I would ever do this…would I even get married.

The reception was at a very classy place (the name escapes me) and I will have to admit that Dominicans know how to have a good time. This was the first time that I have been at a reception and was not even remotely bored.

I will say that I think I have drank enough to last me for weeks. I think my Bachata dancing has gotten much better, although I am not 100% comfortable dancing with a Dominican woman. I will need to work my way up to that. I have also gotten plenty of sun, which I needed. Syracuse does not provide much sun and if you have ever been in the Caribbean, you will know that there is nothing like Caribbean sun.

I did promise my cousin (brother) that I will write him and his bride a poem. It is within me and once I finally get settled (which may be when I am back in Syracuse) I will let this poem loose. I fly back to NYC in the morning.

I will miss this place (By the way, I have had Madonna’s Isla Bonita in my head all weekend)

Dominican Republic, my life

Almost Time!

Well, I am almost ready to go. I cannot believe that this week is finally here. I feel that I spent much of last week in denial because I guess I was not ready to go yet. I am not normally too anxious about trips but with my over-thinking being an issue, it can be hard. Regardless, I have been very productive in getting my life some what together.

I have been running again, which is a good thing. Although my brother thinks that I am on some sort of training program and refuses to believe I did it on my own (that is the hate from his pipa talking). I have had to buy a shit load of clothes just in order to have enough wardrobe to survive this trip (let alone be in NYC). So my clothes are all packed with the tags still on them in certain cases. So if you ask me…I am ready! 🙂
Interestingly enough, I had to make sure that my cell phone service was going to be ok on the trip. Not that I wanted to call anyone, but I am on this trip with family and someone is bound to get lost. So, I wanted to make sure that I had some sort of international plan that would not cost me $50.00 a minute to find out where someone is. What I found out is that for the iPhone, I can get as many text messages I want since I have the unlimited plan. They will count as domestic. However, sending one out…is 50 cents a pop. So I will stick to email. Speaking of which, I will have to turn off the data roaming and the email push features on my phone otherwise I will be getting quite the bill when I return. I will have wifi at the resort so I can still BLOG!!!
Then there is the hotel. I was reading up on all the amenities. Because I am at a resort, everything is basically included. Food, drinks, massages, internet…I do mean everything. There is even beer waiting in my fridge at the room. This is gearing up to be one of the best vacations that I have had in a very long time. I plan on taking a lot of pictures and enjoying the sun. Yes, there is something about a wedding that I am supposed to be at. 🙂

I am also hoping to find a little bit of myself out there. I think that I have been lost for quite sometime now (no pun intended on being Lost on an island…lol) and I need some inspiration for my writing. Perhaps getting away is exactly what I need right now in my life. I need to see how beautiful this world can be.

So..with that being said. I leave tomorrow morning bright and early. I am feeling better every minute about this flight. I was told by a good friend that I should read Psalm 91. I have done that and I will blog when I get there! 

my life, roommates

Adventures in Roommating

I had decided many moons ago that in order to survive the end of my marriage I would need to have a roommate or two. They would help me pay for the bills so that I can stay afloat. The thought after me leaving Syracuse was to rent out my room and thus I would have 3 tenants and keep the property a little longer until I can fully assess what I want to do with it.

So, I figure that I would just put up an ad on Craigslist and then another on Orangehousing. I figured that there is always someone who is always looking to move and I am not a bad roommate at all. I have a 4 bedroom house with everything you need. I just debated the asking price. I personally didn’t think that asking for $600 per month with everything included was going to be a big deal. But, I found out quickly that  in Syracuse…that is too expensive.

Fine. I start lowering the asking price. It started with this one chick  (white girl 1 or WG1 for short) who said she needed a place to stay. I knew her from another person and I figured she would be good. We had this discussion in February and I thought we were all set. To be honest, I made certain concessions in order to allow her to stay.  I gave WG1 the lease for her to look over before she signed it and we agreed upon a date for her move. WG1 never moved in. It was like she fell of the face of the planet! I left a few messages. I even reamed her out on the last one. But hey…she is young and dumb so it is what it is. (Trust me I was tight)

It was time to go back to the drawing board. I needed to clean up a little and rework my ad.

April comes around and I am really feeling the pinch of my bills and I finally get the damn ad out. I start getting massive amount of hits and emails. At the same time, a buddy of mine starts having issues at home and needs a place to stay. I only have two rooms available so I figured I am good. I hold off on my replies to people because I am waiting for my friend to move in. I am a good guy. I try to help people in need, but then he tells me that he is not sure he will be able to move in.  Still feeling confident I start my replies to these people.

Amazingly I got replies from people who had cats. I have nothing against them, but Rocky might. Then there were a few people who wanted me to hold the room until August. That was a definitive no. So, in weeding out responses, I was able to select my top 2 prospects.  A guy (the Italian) that is about my age, maybe a little older and a young woman (WG2) who just got out of college. I invited them over to view the rooms. Things seem pretty cool. They met each other and we all talked about expectations. WG2 was to be the first to move in that very weekend. The Italian wanted to wait until he got paid.

The weekend comes…nothing. No moving in. No e-mail. No text. No phone call. Somehow I am not surprised. This would be woman number 2 that flaked on me. I am starting to think it is me. Maybe I am too brown. Maybe I have pervert written on my head somewhere. So I am thinking…ok, at least I have one roommate that might be moving in. The next day, my friend tells me that everything changed and if I still had a room he could use it. FINALLY! I am getting paid! So he moves in and all I need for the Italian to move in.

This is where people made fun of me because it would be a bachelor pad. 3 grown men living together? Sounds plausible, but I am not trying to mess up this house further. So we are getting closer to the end of April and the Italian comes to me and says he is thinking about moving somewhere else (mind you…he has already paid his security deposit). The issue is that I have no furniture for him and this other place comes with furniture. So he will NOT be moving in. I just throw my hand up. I mean is it really that hard to find a roommate? I am not asking for all that much!

A friend of mine suggested that I re-do the ad to make it sounds personable. So I did that. To this day I still have nothing. I will have to re-double my efforts when I return from Santo Domingo.

dreams, my life

My Passport…

It is funny how dreams work. I haven’t remembered much of my dreams lately. I think with the semester coming to close I have just been tired and knocking without really caring about if I remember a dream or not. We dream every night it is just a matter if we remember when we wake up. Of course, this weekend I had a dream, in which I remembered the plot. Sometimes I feel like my dreams are elaborate stories that I have yet to write.

It is no secret that I am going to the Dominican Republic at the end of this month. I have talked about it briefly in several past posts and I have counted down a little on Twitter (16 more days). So in my dream, I am all set to go and I head to the airport. I am about to give in my ticket and what did I forget…My Passport. The feeling that I had at that moment was very similar to a feeling that I had when I was a kid. My brother was going on a trip to somewhere, I am not sure if it was Six Flags or Disney World. I must have been like 4 and I followed him to the car and then was told I wasn’t going. The horror on my face was only as bad as the tears that followed.

Nevertheless, when I discovered my passport missing it lead to a wilder dream that I am not even going to get into as the memory of this dream fades further. So what does this mean? If you have been reading this blog enough you know I have to figure this out. So of course I need to plug the good folks at Dream Moods for the definition of this dream. Lets start with what dreaming about passports:

To see a passport in your dream, represents your identity and your ability to traverse various situations. You may be going through a period of finding yourself and discovering who you are. You are experiencing new found freedom to do what you want and go where you want.

Totally not surprised by this. Clearly I am trying to do things and move back to New York City. This next one may not be so much a surprise as much as how accurate it is:

To dream that you lose your passport, indicates that you are trying to find yourself and get a sense of who you are. Alternatively, you may feel that opportunities are being closed off to you.

This is what I am talking about! I never expressed it in words and I think it is because I do not want to complain. I am trying my hardest to maintain my life while searching for a an opportunity that will not pull the rug from under me. It has been rough and I have been picky. I am not simply applying for anything in hopes of getting something. Things are not as good as I would like and it can be frustrating. However, I do realize that things will eventually happen. I need to go through this in order to appreciate what life has to offer me. I do not want to be one of those people who take life in general for granted. I would like to do things the right way (and still get out of debt).

In terms of trying to find myself…I guess I am still doing that huh? Well path to finding one’s self is a long one. I can say that what I found so far is a writer and a poet. Let’s see what else I find (and yes I do have my passport ready).

my life, relationships, sarcasm, summer

Jaded Summer?

I feel like I am going through changes. I am not really sure what is happening to me. Maybe because the summer is coming and the last few summers have been very difficult to deal with. While I am very excited about this summer, I am very leery of what is to come. I so realize that is my fear talking. I know I have stated before that I have lost much of my fear, I am also human. Things still effect me very much.

I feel this has been a year of revelations. I have found out so many shocking things about so many people in my life that has left me speechless at times. Some things have been good, like finding out about a person having a child or someone getting married. Others have been so bad that is has shaken my faith in people. It sucks because I really feel that I have thrived on being very social and I feel that I need to pull back.

What I have really noticed that is just very striking to me is that my sarcasm has risen to a whole other level. Do not get me wrong, my sarcasm is epic as it is. I can dole it out like nothing, however, I feel that I have really been laying it on thick. I need to figure out why. Am I annoyed at life? That is quite possible. I know how hard I am trying to improve my situation with little to no results. More importantly, I have been very sarcastic when it comes to other people and love.

I wrote on twitter today: “Why do people ask for advice on relationships? My track record is not great.” I guess I give some pretty good advice. I am not shy with my opinions either. Men are dumb and they have no excuse to be. Which should give the indication that mostly women ask me about relationship advice. I guess the guys I know think are good in their situations. In the case of new or budding love, I feel myself being jaded in these situations. I have drawn back and thought to myself that I do not want to be that bitter old man that people point out in grocery stores.


Could I be envious? That is a possibility. I am really not trying to be. However, I am noticing that I am being more harsh in my reality checks with people. Usually when someone asks me for some sort of advice on love and life, I have tried to sugar coat it. That has not been the case lately. I have been very upfront with how I feel about any given situation, regardless if I am not comfortable telling them the truth. Surprisingly enough, the response has been positive although I get told that I am also being mean.

With all that being said. I really am hopeful that this summer will be a good one for me. There is no reason why it wouldn’t be. I have plans to put certain things in order and it is my hope that things go through well. Perhaps I will start a list of things I want to get accomplished and cross them off as they get done.


Hopeful or not, I am taking great precautions this summer. I think I will have to have my guard up big time. The last 2 summers have been pretty bad in my opinion and I just simply need to beware.

my dad, My Goal, my life, New York City, women

Updates and Such

I know that I have been slacking on this blog. I have been drawn to poetry and my goal to finish what I start. However, during this time, life has been happening. I have not been able to really focus on one subject or another to formulate a good blog. So I think it would be best to summarize the things that have been happening in my life.

April is always a tough month at work. I consider it to be culmination of all the efforts from the semester happening at once. My life outside of work has been ok. I am on survival mode right now. I have been searching for a roommate for sometime now and the search has been disappointing to say the least. I equate that search to my faith in people. I realized that over the years I have trusted people and allow them in my life so that I can have people to talk to. As I have slowly come to shed those people, I have to realize that I am closer to solitude. The good new is that it looks like I have one guy moving in this week. I am crossing my fingers because I have already had one person flake on me in the last day.

Which brings me to the job search. What do I say without saying too much? This one position that I really wanted never panned out. I felt I had done everything I could to put myself in a good position to get this job. In the end, it was not enough. I took it hard because I am a determined individual who is looking to complete my goals. Of course just when I thought all my options were spent. I found another potential opportunity. I will take the lessons from my first failure and apply it to this. I am one to believe that we have to fail first in order to succeed.

I also have to smile because when I talked about my opinion on women, I had some people talk to me about whether I was right or wrong about this subject. What really makes what I wrote hit home for me is seeing first hand how manipulative some women can be. Witnessing the pieces of a puzzle come together. I shake my head at her. This is the type of women my father has always warned me about. I can now consider her the benchmark of ulterior motives. I can thank her for trusting people that much less, but I want to thank her for providing me fuel for poetry. Poem 21 is dedicated to you.

Speaking of poetry, my dad told me that he read the poem I wrote to honor him. I have no idea why I am so caught off guard about this. I know he reads my blog as a matter of fact he has a correction that he demanded I make! One I figure out where those corrections are to be made I will write a retraction (You know how parents are). Which brings me to my question. Are my poems really that good? I only ask this of myself because there are poems that I don’t think that are that good. There are some I feel I could have done better. I work hard on all of them and they are always as long as they have to be. I do have my favorites. I never would have thought I would write a poem in Spanish.

I am about a month away from my trip to the Dominican Republic. This will be a much needed break for me. I have had a lot of ups and downs so far this year in every aspect of my life. I will give me a chance to look at this beautiful island while celebrating the start of my cousin’s marriage. This will be my time to reflect on what I need to do in the second half of this year to get back to NYC.