Day 349

Alas, the birthday girl's flight to ny was cancelled. She managed to make an appearance anyway.

Day 348

On the bus en route to New York. The wintery mix outside is trying to ruin my life but my bus driver ain't havin it. I should have vodka and olive juice in my bloodstream in no time.

In the mean time, I'm replying to work emails (hooray for WIFI! and being able to work remotely!), creating my sisters wedding album (holy cow she is so gorgeous!), and just got off the phone with the owner of the bartending school. Meeting on Tuesday to discuss videos, blogs, twittering and facebooking for his two companies.

Irene. I'll call you next week so we can talk shop and have a meeting of the minds.

Day 347

I'm drunk off amarone. Full off cold pizza. And my stomach hurts from hiccuping. But I have important news to report: A new job prospect and a new business idea.

Owner of the bartending school called this afternoon saying he loved the video I made for the Groupon contest and wants me to write/make videos for the bartending school and his other company. HELLO MORE FREELANCE. Guess that application wasn't a colossal waste of time after all.

And now, your feature presentation.

Yesterday I got an email from my Italian friend, Pietro. "Steph, my friends are coming to America for 18 days this summer and want to plan a west coast road trip like ours. What should they do? Where should they rent a car?" I spent a good couple hours researching possible routes, reading articles, and going through our old documents to advise.

Then last night, I'm sitting at dinner with Valentina, on the phone with a hotel because she booked the wrong date but asked me to call to fix it since she still has a bit of trouble with her English. After that I was on the phone with some company in Miami booking her "swimming with the dolphins" experience. I get off the phone and she's just staring at me, smiling.

"Steph. But why you don't open a company to help people when they come to America. You must! "

Talk about dream job. Meet foreigners, tell them to do what I like to do, help them not get completely overwhelmed, and most importantly: MEET FOREIGNERS!

I like this idea. I like it a lot. In fact, it reminds me of a company I read about before. A woman basically helps find things for super rich people to do when they move to Boston. She hooks them up with sports tix, gets them reservations at the best restaurants. Basically finds out what they enjoy and does the leg work so they don't have to.

How do I make this happen. Now. How do I become a professional video maker / foreigner meeter?

Must start by talking to this company. Maybe they will give me advice. Maybe the will just steal the idea.

Day 346

Trying Twitter. Again. I'm behind the times. When I googled "how to twitter", a tutorial video came up. The title: Hello Dumb Dumb.

Day 345

Part 2: Personal statement. CHECK.
Part 3: Video interview with a Groupon establishment. CHECK!
Part 4: A pretend blog about said establishment. NO NOT YET! I'm going as fast as I can!

Day 344

Just noticed Groupon is having a contest. Rules: You have to give up your job.

Ok ok ok there were some other rules but that's the only one I needed to hear. The contest ends in 2 days so I spent all night making a video. Need to make another one tomorrow. And write an essay. And write a blog...And recognize this is a colossal waste of time.

Day 343

RYAN. I'm waiting. You know what for. Give me an assignment. What do we do now?

BRIAN. Why you blowing up my phone today? You're supposed to leave messages that way I don't have to call you back, see. P.S. What book are you reading?

RENO. Dude. Heard about Lebanese weddings today. Rice and horses and roses and what are we waiting for?

KAT. I have a better ideaaaaaaaaaaa. When I come to Dubai....can we take a mini trip to Israel???pretty pretty PRETTY paaaleeeeeeease!

JULIO. Did you look up pastry schools?

STEVIE GSUS. Get a pattern lady.

STEPH. Start reading more and writing more and learning more NOW. Also,

• look up TOFL certification classes
• look up more Italian classes
• sign up for digital camera class
• make doctor appointment
• look up swimming with dolphins in Miami because apparently we will be crossing that off Valentina's list when we are in Miami
• book tix for nyc this weekend
• start Julie's album
• write out wedding idea and send to Reno
• real job: naming exercise for "outlet"

Day 342

By Nick Dewar

Day 341

I want to see the future.

Day 340

England, Switzerland, Algeria, France, Spain, Italy.

And me. And Salsa Thursday.

Day 339

Researching a new idea. It involves parties and foreigners. And my flip cam.

Day 338

It's REALLY hard not to be super jealous of these guys right now. Making a living by living out their wildest dreams while encouraging and helping others do the same. Shoot that's what I wanna do! Who doesn't.

A year ago I made a "bucket list" because I didn't want to wait until I was old and crusty to do all of the things I wanted to do. I wanted to do them now. I was still at my old job and every day I'd sit there, bitter because I felt like I was wasting my best years in a cubicle instead of embarking on adventures with people I know and people I don't know. I didn't want to grow old without some good stories under my belt so I made a list and tried to make everyone I know make them too so we cross things off together. I have a long way to go but I'm inspired all over again.

Here's to 4 dudes to had an incredible idea and executed it brilliantly. Here's to crossing out everything on my list and everything off my friends lists and then making a whole new list. Here's to finishing something you start. They did.

My list as of Feb '10:

run a 5k

book a trip abroad and leave on the same day

catch fireflies

write/photograph a coffee table book

go to the sundance film festival

go skinny dipping

take drum lessons

take my mom to venice

publish an article in a magazine

teach nicole how to swim

work on a vineyard

plant a garden

get a tiny tattoo on my wrist

put a prayer in the prayer wall in Jerusalem

float in the dead sea

climb mount masada

bartend (preferably in a hotel bar!)

decorate my sister's classroom

tomato fight in spain

take a dip in a hot spring

go to carnival in brazil

give a college commencement speech

ride in a canoe under a bridge

go on a photo adventure in CUBA

attend an opera in italy

catch a fish

drive a vespa

live in another country for 1 year

take cooking classes all over the world

see an aurora

hitchike

honk a horn in a semi, preferably the one i hitchike in

go white water rafting

sing in a choir at a black church

throw a block party

attend a european soccer match

ride in a helicopter

drive a helicopter

see wynton marsalis in concert

take a homeless person out to dinner

eat an oyster

wear a bikini to the beach

wear a big floppy hat to the kentucky derby and bet on a horse and drink a mint julep

learn to write my name and a note to my grandma in arabic

go on a road trip in Ireland

take a latin dance class and participate in a performance

kiss someone under the mistle toe

see a live taping of SNL

experience zero gravity

become a bone marrow donor

edit a music video (a real one)

learn how to play an entire song on the piano

take a bellydancing class

go sailing

see the nutcracker on broadway

sleep under the stars

ride a bike with a bastket in the French countryside

kiss a hot stranger in the rain

learn how to tie a man’s tie

sell a painting

cut down and decorate a real Christmas tree

ride on an elephant, a camel and a donkey (not in the same day)

smoke pot

go horseback riding on a beach

send a message in a bottle

celebrate chinese new year in china

stay at the plaza hotel in nyc

sky dive

teach in the inner city

throw a Great Gatsby party for my friends

jump off a cliff with a waterfall

take a nude drawing class

cook a thanksgiving turkey

drive the pacific coast hwy in a convertible, stop for wine in napa

attend jazzfest in new orleans

open a “third place”

finish my screenplay

become a grandma

when I have a family, make up our own set of holidays and celebrate them religiously

elope

do one of these on 11.11.11

Day 337

Fat Tuesday came early on Appleton Street. Too much gnocci and chiacchiere in honor of one phat president. And one day off.

Have not learned How to Make it in America yet, but will tomorrow. At work. After I'm done investigating this!

Day 336

I'm restless and anxious and frustrated and incomplete and bored and optimistic and thankful and loved and energized and hopeful. But most of all, I am so flippin' white. (How many more days till Miami with my two new lovely amici Italiani?)

Now if you'll excuse me, The Holiday is on cable just for me.

Day 335

I can't sleep in my bed if it's not made. I can't do work in my apartment if it's not spotless. I haven't been sleeping and I've been procrastinating BIGTIME on some freelance assignments and all my side projects.

So I cleaned. All day. Everything. I even dusted. And that only happens when people are visiting but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Now it's spotless. And it feels good. My bed is made and my sheets smell like downy. And now I have no excuse but to sleep in and get. shit. done.

Day 334

For my movie.

For the credits.

Day 333

"Working" from home.

Wondering how my boss would respond to "working from New York"...

Whittling away at some freelance assignments.

Day dreaming.

Booked flight to Miami for March.

Booked hotel in NYC for end of February.

Dinner with Valentina at my new favorite restaurant.

Counting down the days to summer dress weather...

Day 332

I'm a huge believer of If Something's Not Working, Change It.

But then there's that whole Patience thing, which admittedly has some truth to it.

I need change in a bad way (cubicle + lack of sunshine + lack of a couple other things make Steph a dull girl). But I know in order to get the life I want (in Italy), I need to serve time (in a cubicle) to save money. I know I have it pretty good at work. I know it could be a LOT worse (the mere thought of working for the company I was at this time last year gives me hives). But waiting is hard.

It's hard not to quit and go back to working 3-4 happy jobs which had me running around town, meeting new people everyday. It's hard not to quit, sell my big red couch and just move to New York, land of more concrete, more friends, more things to do and more things to see.

But I gotta keep my eyes on the prize. And be patient. And drink 8 glasses of water a day. And change little things for now until I have the bank account to change big things.

Day 331

I never ever want to stop learning.

Ever.

Day 330

8 glasses of water a day, like it's my job. One month down. On behalf of month 2, I'm throwing in the Tracy Anderson arm workout. I wonder if you have to make a pouty face for it to work.

Day 329

You win some. You lose some.

Day 328

And some days I just want to be a mom.

Day 327

Tricep curls and treadmills. Then cubicles and secret freelance work. Then wine tasting and chit chat. Then steak frites and foreigners. Then a cold walk home, a warm apartment. And 80s movies on TV. I'll take it.

Day 326

I'm always the first one out the door come 5 o'clock. It's not my fault I finish my work fast. I've worked plenty of all-nighters in my day, I've put in the face-time and I've asked for extra work and more responsibility when I had downtime. That's what you had to do to get ahead. But I'm not interested in getting ahead here. I took this latest job solely to tread water. To save money while I explore my other interests DURING my 9-5. Make no mistake, there's no way I'm spending a minute more than I have to in a cubicle. Not anymore.

Today, after I totally fell on my ass going to sit down on my ergonomic chair that I assumed was behind me, but was not, one of my co-workers made a joke about how I could sue for workman's comp. Heck yeah, sign me up! I exclaimed, still in tears laughing from the fall. To which he laughed and replied, ha, you'd do anything to get out of working.

Correction. You silly little man. I like working. In fact, I LOVE working. But all work is not created equal. This kind of mindless, empty work is for suckers. I didn't drink the kool-aid at the last three big corporate companies I worked at, and I'm not going to start now. You're satisfied here, even though you've stopped learning, stopped growing, stopped trying and even while knowing that nothing you do all day long makes any positive impact whatsoever on anyone. You do the bare minimum and do it without a hint of passion. You've accepted that a job is just job and you've chosen to spend the rest of your life complacent because it's easier than the alternative. And you're the better employee because you stay until 6 or 7? Puh-lease. Your the last person I'd want at my company.

Day 325

Got an email today from the fashion start-up I've freelanced for on and off for the past 3 years. New assignments on the way! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! More ways to entertain myself at work. More cashmoney for all the holidays I plan to take this year. More summer dresses in my future.

Day 324

It's review time at work. After sitting in an hour-long meeting about how to fill out my personal assessment and listening to some she-man wave her arms around as to engage us worker-bees while throwing out words like "the organization" and "talent-driven company" like they were going out of style...I returned to my desk to search for the email from HR that I am to fill out by Friday.

It's asking for my goals.

1. Get better at faking my enthusiasm for my role in the company's growth.

2. Do not tell the person who invites me to meetings that are irrelevant to me that I don't like meetings when he asks why I look so unenthused. Well, don't do it again at least.

3. Bring more projects to work so I don't snack on the free popcorn and m&ms at 3pm when I've been to the end of the world wide web and back and need something to get me to 4:59pm.

4. Do not start sentences with "I hate".

5. Do NOT, under any circumstances, be working here by the time next review season rolls around and it's time to re-evaluate my goals.

Day 323

A little inspiration as I plan my great escape. A blog started by friends of a friend planning the same adventure I hope to take in a year or so, should I figure out how to get a work visa. "Lucia" found a man that is willing to drop everything to chase her around the world for a year. She found someone to get lost with. Get tongue tied with. Get over her head with. Get mesmerized with. Get overwhelmed by the generosity and spirit of people they encounter with. I'm impressed. I need to find one of those.

A little more inspiration. Impossible is nothing, right Adidas?!

Day 322

I love living in a city where I can get where I'm going on two feet. I love it a lot.