I woke up like this

Tyga woke up from his cat nap this afternoon like this. Ahh relaxation. A little reminder to myself to relax and be as happy as my kitten!

This city kitty has been keeping it very busy in NYC this week. He has learned some new tricks and is more playful than ever. But he's missin his best buds Carlos and Prince :(. This means Tyga is going to have to go down to SoHo and visit soon. 

Meow. 

#themorningstruggle and some good books.

I know everyone feels it #themorningstruggle but this AM I especially did. I had to have an extra large coffee just to get me going. Now that the coffee is flowing I can feel the day will be a successful. I originally started this blog for a media class I took over the summer at Fordham University, but after loving blogging so much I am going to continue to keep blogging.  I have changed the name from bi-coastal summer living 2014 to bi-coastal blonde, something I feel is more me, considering I am a blonde. So this summer is almost over and this is making me sad as this will be my last year of college :( and that means I have to figure out my career and life after. To do this I am going to read as much as possible and make the most of this upcoming year. I saw some books at the airport on my trip back from Los Angeles recently and have started reading them, so far so good. I would like to recommend these books to EVERYONE. The books are below.

The first is Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain  written by Steven D Levvitt and Stephen J. Dubner. The release of Think Like a Freak  was May 12th, 2014 and has so far been rated as a best selling book. Below is the cover.

 

The other book I started reading is called The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and in business.  Written by Charles Duhigg. This one I have so far liked it discusses a lot on how to form and train habits. I hope that I can train my own personal habits and life, something I think that anyone can improve. It was also a top book on the New York Times Bestsellers of 2014 and named one of the best books of the year by The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. Below is the cover.

Oh and you can probably find them anywhere they sell books. 

Xo,

Melody

Strands Beach Day

Below is strands beach club. 

I went to the beach club the other day in Dana Point. I went swimming and got a tan! Loving the last few days of summer...

Above is my friend Shayla and I overlooking the beach. So beautiful here and relaxing. 

Strands Wikipedia Follow-Up

So I checked back to see if there had been anything different since my posting on Wikiepdia. The link to my previous post is here. Since then, about two weeks from today, there has been no further changes to the wikipedia page. I have included it once again below.

I have included some beautiful pictures of Dana Point below.

Strands Beach

Dana Point Harbor

Monarch Beach

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Point,_California 

Hope you liked the pictures!

City Girl

NYC is a huge place and it contains a lot of variety, including a large variety of people. What is great about New York is that there are so many possibilities that you get to choose what kind of person you want to be and what kind of life you want to live. I’ve chosen a life that I would define as the city girl lifestyle, a life which I think is ideal for young girls who are students in the city. I’d like to give you a sense of what my life as a city girl entails.

I attend Fordham University and the university has a few different campuses. Since I live in Chelsea, downtown, and school is in midtown or the Bronx being a city girl means getting used to different neighborhoods. Usually during the school year I am pretty busy going uptown, downtown and sometimes the Bronx. It can be a long day and a lot of transit. Being in NYC now for over a year I have really learned to use the subway, something California does not have. It takes some getting used to and yes I did get lost a few times, but now I would say I have it down like a New Yorker. To be a city girl you’ve got to know how to get around the city!

Being a city girl also means not getting too frustrated when you deal with the annoyances of city life. One of those is traffic and delays. Everyday when I go to school I take the subway. I find this is the fastest way to avoid traffic. Although it is normally the faster option the other day on my way to work I got stuck in some serious underground traffic. I decided to take the E train from where I live on the west side downtown to the east side where my work is.  I had to be there before 2:30 and it was already 2:00 so I chose to hop on the subway to avoid being stuck in traffic. A few stops go and everything is running smoothly and I am closely watching my clock. Finally almost there I was starting to get relieved and then suddenly our train stopped! I figured for a few minutes, fine, this happens a lot. But then they announced that there was a delay and the train should be running in a few minutes. I had to hold back my frustration and anxiety. At that point I was officially late so I’m hoping it is just a few minutes. Time kept on passing and there was another announcement about a train stalled at Lexington Ave. Now I am super late! About 40 minutes later the train started to run again and that exactly what I did when I got off, RUN! This doesn’t happen often but when it does it can really mess with someone’s schedule.  As a city girl you have to be able to handle the frustrations of delays!

One of the great things about New York is that you can get around without a car. Growing up in California I couldn’t wait to turn 16 and get my license. To me my license meant freedom and the ability to go wherever I want! I could drive myself to school, get food and do little things without anyone else. In New York City I see young kids all the time on the subway some of them going to school and some going or coming from their sports practice. City kids have had the ability to take themselves wherever they wanted at a young age. One of my friend’s who is a girl grew up in the city and still has no idea or desire to get her license and drive a car. It is very different compared to where I am from. In Los Angeles one must really have a car it is hard to get around without one aside from the bus, which is not everyone’s first choice.  This gives you a lot of a freedom as a young person to go where you want. That also means that you have be careful and watch out, because sometimes you can be travelling late at night on the subway. Being a city girl means you get all the advantages of easy transportation but it also means you have to be responsible for your safety.

One of my absolute FAVORITE things about New York City is the 24 hour food delivery service! There are great apps that allow you to choose food in seconds and have it at your door in twenty minutes. Between Seamless and other apps I can literally get anything I want at any time of the day or night. It is not just delivery but there are lots of places that are open 24/7 in New York City. For instance the Best Buy in Union Square is open 24 hours a day, everyday. One time I went there at 3 am with my friend to get a video game that had been released at midnight. Very convenient having so many places open at all times. I now know why it is called the city that never sleeps.  Because t here are so many options and you can get what you want whenever you want a city girls needs to know what she likes and how to get it. I recommend using Yelp to discover great food and activities around you. That way you can always suggest to friends new things to do and they will think you know exactly what to do. Everyone in New York, for instance, always says that they are looking for “the best in the city”, like the best hamburger or the best rooftop bar or the best speakeasy. If you use Yelp you can find the best in different areas of the city and suggest them to friends (or boys) and everyone will think you are a true city girl.

The other thing about being a city girl is knowing how to dress for the city. This can mean fashion but it can also mean dressing for the season. New York is a very trendy place and people like to have their own styles. I think being a city girl means less having a defined style but developing your own style. I know people in New York like to wear a lot of black and girls in Brooklyn wear a lot of jeans and flannel and big hats. But being a city girl means developing your own style.

Living in the city as a young woman is one of the best things you can do. You get exposed to all kinds of people, cuisines, cultures, and there is a great food and party scene. Since there are so many options you need to open to new experiences, and that might be the most important quality of a city girl: willing to experiment! 

In-N-Out Burger

This weekend I am heading out west to LA to visit my family before school starts. I will be landing at LAX airport and I already know the first thing I am going to do once I land, go to In-N-Out Burger. There is one conveniently located near the LAX airport that attracts people from everywhere that know about the delicious burgers. Now if you have never heard of In-N-Out that is okay because I am about to explain why it is known for being the best burger on the west coast. They keep their menu nice and simple, only offering burgers, french fries, fountain drinks, and shakes. That’s it besides their secret menu which includes the same items just different variations.  The secret menu or as In-N-Out calls it their “not-so-secret menu” is great and popular I have included a link to it here. I believe their small menu allows them to focus more on the quality of their burgers.

A Double-Double Meal Combo.

 They're mission statement was made over 60 years ago and explains why their food is so delicious. It states,  “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” They are a completely privately owned business by the Snyder family and was founded in 1948. I think being a family business really adds high standards to a company. Since they are completely and privately owned they can slip Bible verses on their cups and burger wrappers. Many people don't even notice these verses but as a frequent costumer I noticed it at a very young age. Below are images of a cup and wrapper with a verse. 

Here is their Logo below.

They are usually pretty busy during lunch and dinner hours with long lines that move very fast despite being so long, hence why it is called In-N-Out. Fresh and fast burgers are hard to come by with In-N-Out's Quality.This is not your typical fast food restaurant you would find in New York. Since living in New York I have yet to find a quick burger around here that is as tasty as In-N-Out. 

Some people have heard about the hype of the west coast In-N-Out Burger and sometimes when I tell people I am from California they ask me about the famous burgers. Unfortunately In-N-Out will never come to the east coast, so one must go to the west coast to try one of their delicious burger. I have included and article here from Business Insider published in December 2013 explaining some reasons why In-N-Out will never come to the east coast. Here is the link to that article. 

So if you ever find yourself on the west coast and craving a delicious burger be sure to go to In-N-Out. You will surely be satisfied.

City Kitty Play Date

So far having my new kitty Tyga has been great. He has even made some new friends with other city kitties in downtown NYC, Carlos Danger and Prince Abu. Below is a picture of the cats, on the left is Prince Abu and the Right Carlos Danger, they are brothers.

This weekend I was out of town so my kitty stayed with my friend and these two cats. After spending the weekend together the three are the best of friends. As you can see in the photo below.

Kitty play dates are fun for young Tyga because he has other kitties to play with and learns new tricks. Prince and Tyga really had a moment this morning. See the video below. 

It is really nice having such a friendly kitty. Tyga really has been a great kitten so far. 

21

Sometimes you’re 21 and standing in the kitchen of your house making breakfast and brewing coffee and listening to music that for some reason is really getting to your heart. You’re just standing there thinking about going to work and picking up your dry cleaning. And also more exciting things like your future and trips you plan on taking and relationships that are springing into existence. Or fading from your memory, which is far less exciting. And suddenly you just don’t feel at home in your skin or in your house and you just want home but that place probably wouldn’t feel like home anymore either. There used to be the comfort of a number in your phone and ears that listened everyday and arms that were never for anyone else, but just to calm you down when you started feeling trapped in a five-minute period where nostalgia is too much and that person feels light years away. You realize that you’ll never be this young again but this is the first time you’ve ever been this old. When you can’t remember how you got from sixteen to here and like sixteen is just as much of a stranger to you now. The song is over. The coffee’s done. You’re going to breathe in and out. You’re going to be fine in about five minutes.

-Tejiana Atkins

One of my friends wrote this a bit back and I really enjoyed it. Reading and sharing it, reminds me of myself and brings a wave of nostalgia over me. Writing this blog, tracking my travels, experiencing being twenty-one and living such an exciting life. Thinking about when I was a young girl seems so far away. I never knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up, in fact I still don’t. One thing I didn’t realize when I was a young girl is that sometimes your whole entire life can change in a minute that can effect what you will do or who you will become. Mine changed when I was 19 years old on my first day of my sophomore year of college. My oldest brother died unexpectedly in the middle of the night. Something I never had imagined would happen to me. I didn’t get to say goodbye, I hadn’t talked to him in a couple of weeks and I felt sad. Since then I know I am not the same, the person I was before is foreign to me now. When something horrible and tragic happens like that I believe a person has two ways to look at life. You could become totally depressed and live your life with regrets, thinking I could’ve done this or that or now I can never get to talk to them anymore. And this does happen, instantly when someone so close to you dies you think of everything so fast you can’t even keep up with your own thoughts. My brother wouldn’t see me graduate college, or come to my wedding or be a part of my life anymore, he was gone. The 19 years I had with him is all I will ever get and as a little girl I expected a lifetime with him. The way I look at life is to be incredibly thankful and happy. Think of the good and the bad, remember that you are real, the people you have in your life are real and are there for a reason.

Since my sophomore year of college I have only grown as a person. I transferred to Fordham University my junior year and I will be entering my senior year after this summer and graduating spring 2015. Whenever I get down or depressed I let it happen but only for about five minutes because I know it will pass. I will breath, maybe cry then smile, emotions are a part of being alive. Death is like being hit with lighting, fast, unexpected and real. Life goes on, no matter how much something can erupt life it continues. People continue to go to work, go to school and build relationships. My friend’s story isn’t exactly about death but it is relatable. It is about growing up and figuring life out. Relationships grow and fade. We change and don’t remember being our 16-year-old selves just wanting the freedom to drive. For me there is no more comfort of my brother, his phone number is still in my phone but I can’t bring myself to delete it. Even knowing I can never call it again. I guess I keep it there just as reminder he was real. Everything I have learned from this tragedy in my life is to keep going. You don’t know what can happen today or tomorrow. Smile and keep doing your absolute best, because even if today feels like shit tomorrow is a new day full of wonderful opportunities.