Downton Kiki

... 16, 17, 18...19. 19. That's how many boxes I currently have sitting in my empty bedroom in Bushwick. All of the packed. All of the waiting to go on a new adventure. I was able to yank these lovely cardboard wonders from the grocery store around the corner. It saved me from going around New York, stalking everyone's recycling bends. 19. Its amazing how my entire life fits into 19 boxes. At 28 years old, I thought there would be more. I thought I would have more things that were important to me. HA! On the other hand, while packing my 19 boxes, I didn't understand why there wasn't less. "Why do I have so much SH*T?!" This question was asked about 50 times while my roommate and I were packing up. But, there it is... all taped and bubble wrapped and ready to start another new chapter in my life. This chapter is titled "Getting your own place in Fort Greene".

With my roommate of 6 years moving to Inwood, Manhattan with her awesome Manfriend and me moving to Fort Greene, Brooklyn with my awesome record collection, it was finally time to detach myself from the hip of one of my best friends. It was kind of like the last scene in the opening credits of 90210 (circa the 90's).  Ya know, when Kelly and Donna are holding hands... walking in opposite directions... holding on until finally, with a smile and a twirl, they let go. The theme song ends  and a new episode begins.

Did they seriously believe they could pass off Andrea as a teenager?

Looking for a new place to live in NYC is about as much fun as banging your head against a brick wall. Besides searching for the right apartment in your price range, you also have to worry about location, the true vibe of the place, and... weirdos scamming for dates disguised as a "roommate wanted" listing. Seriously, it happens. You see a listing for a roommate... not too expensive... great neighborhood... basically, everything looks perfect. Then you click on the pictures for the place only to get this:

This guy does NOT look like a 1 bedroom in Bed Stuy.

No Me Gusta... at all. Lucky for me, fate slipped in a wonderful opportunity to live by myself in Fort Greene Brooklyn. Fast forward a few weeks and here I am... standing in my very own tiny box no bigger than my old dorm room in college. Actually, I think its smaller. Other downfalls? Well, the lady down the hall from me likes to chat (or banshee shout... it's really your perception) on her cell phone in the hallway. She either wants everyone in on her convo about Tia Mowry's baby or she just doesn't have any reception in her apt. Also, the hallways on my floor kind of smell like old....... something. Old lady... old pasta? I don't know what it is but it's got an aged quality to it. Even with that being said, I am falling in love with me new tiny compartment.

My Little Kingdom

Yes, it's tiny. But, to be honest, I really enjoy the simplicity in that. I got rid of things I didn't need and now my apartment is just decorated with things that really matter to me. That make me smile looking at them. Just the bare essentials. Simple, relaxed, colorful, romantic... me. Right now, that's all I need.  The weird smelling hallway? Well, it really doesn't matter. What matters is what I smell when I open the door to my apt. Fresh peaches with a hint of the wild flowers that I got for myself at the flea market on Saturday. And old cray cray cell phone chick? Yeah she chatters a lot but, I've also discovered that her name is Renna and she loves talking to her twin sister who lives in Seattle. Its the only thing that helps her get over feeling home sick. She's friendly as can be. There's also a lady that lives above me who practices dancing for a salsa club she's apart of. So at least twice a week, I can hear the sounds of Buena Vista Social Club above me for about an hour. This may annoy some. To me its kinda fun. Its usually around the time that I like to cook so, you can imagine the serious dancing I get into while chopping my veggies. This place has so much character. Its nice to add a little of myself to it.

My neighborhood is pretty much amazeballs. Fort Greene is one of the most beautiful places in Brooklyn. I love how I feel here. It's filled with cute little coffee shops and boutiques and enough side walk cafes (with lanterns) to rival the most romantic of novels. Sometimes walking around, you forget that you are in the busiest city in the world. It pretty quiet without being overly boring. Not as eccentric  and artsy as Williamsburg but, still filled with an air of creativity that only places in NYC can give. Plus there are houses! Actual huge, beautiful, vine covered homes with porches and yards. It takes you off guard when you walk around the corner and see a grand house with the Chrysler building barely visible across the river in Manhattan. Fort Greene just feels like an actual neighborhood. Like you could live there for a long time. Sometimes in the city, things feel temporary. Your apartment or your job. Things that you are just holding on to until something better comes along. This place feels like an area where people actually settle down for the long haul. I like it. I like the security guard at the first floor of my building. I like my mailbox. I like my rooftop view. I like where I am right now. Sitting here on the floor typing this blog with my bowl of grapes, Otis Redding spinning on the record player... how can I not be content?

Well, the Otis Redding record stopped. Hmmm I think I'll listen to Elvis next. No one will care. It's my place. Hehe, I can do what I want.

Pudge Watch 2012

So, I'm kinda going through a separation right now. After thoughts and research and discussions, I thought it would be best if meat, dairy and I took a bit of a break. That's right folks. I've turned Vegan on ya. Please don't frown at the screen or laugh at me (which is actually a reaction I received after telling someone of my diet change). The decision was made after I watched a movie on Netflix instant called "Forks Over Knives". *Sigh* stupid movie. It's the movie's fault... and Stacey Cook... jk :).  The truth is after declaring my war on weight last year, I've been doing a pretty ok job. I stepped up my exercise and tried to watch what I ate. But, it wasn't enough. I still felt sluggish and I just needed to try harder to take care of myself. When you have a family with a huge history of diabetes and heart disease, seeing that you have high blood pressure and hearing yourself wheeze after climbing the subway steps can scare the hell out of you. I don't want that for myself. I want more. And since I was having trouble with food and balancing healthy and unhealthy foods in my life, I was in the search for something else... another solution. The movie "Forks Over Knives" was suggested to me. I did NOT want to watch this film. I didn't want to sit for a hour and have some loser tell me what I should not eat. But, I watched it. And for some reason... that movie hit me like a baseball bat. It made sense to me. I don't know why and I couldn't believe it but, I found myself wanting to follow a whole foods/plant based plan. Everything just clicked for me. I decided then and there "Ok Makia, just give this a shot. Give it 30 or so days". Its like my body just followed my decision. Its been exactly a week now. I'm already noticing a difference in my body. I know it sounds ridiculous and trust me, 2 weeks ago I would have said the same thing.  Its not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm eating healthy foods and I'm learning a lot of new recipes. I think I only had one day last week where I had my nose pressed up against the window of a bakery around the corner from me.  I gave dagger eyes to this lady sitting at the table eating a chocolate cupcake with raspberry icing. It was like seeing your recent ex boyfriend with a new lady. But, I pulled it together and went home for some vegan ice cream (which is delicious by the way). I don't know if this will be my diet forever. My ultimate goal is to learn balance when it comes to all food. But, I do know that for now... I feel like a Champion. I'm gonna see this through for a while because it's working. It's working and I am so proud of myself for doing what needs to be done. I'm NOT looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving though. It's not just the food. I'm more nervous about my family's reaction to me going vegan, meditating and doing yoga. Sheesh.... that's gonna be fun to explain... especially to my uncle June.

Until Next Time.....

5 Movies About Moving

1). Moving - Richard Pryor stars as a mass transit engineer who moves his family from New Jersey to Bosie Idaho. I love love love this movie. Its my favorite Richard Pryor.

2). The Money Pit - Tom Hanks +Shelley Long + A terrible purchase = side splitting laughter. Trust me.

3). Footloose - You move from a big city to a small town where dancing and music are against the law? WTF?!

4). Toy Story - *sniff, sniff* I can't. I'm crying just thinking about it.....

5). The Lost Boys - Before you move to a new town, make sure it isn't plagued with mysterious disappearances and vampires with leather jackets. Just sayin'.

Love Always,
     The girl who's getting healthier by the day