Not Your Average North Pole

For those of you who were not aware of the mass Exodus of Santas in NYC this past Saturday, a little thing called Santa Con was in action.  It's basically a "Santa crawl" though out the city. With many starting points conveniently placed around NYC and it's neighboring cities, the santas are given location points throughout the day so that they can meet up and spread some holiday cheer. While holiday costumes are a MUST, one does not have to rock the Santa look. Throughout the day I saw a wide variety of peoples creative minds at work...there were elves, the "north pole", candy canes, reindeer, Hanukkah Harry's, penguins, Santa "on vacation", Darth Vader Santa, the Grinch, green man, where's waldo Santa, the misfit toys, and many scrooges.

Out of all of New York's traditions this has been one of my favorites by far.  Santa con can be what you make of it... for some, its a flash mob of sorts, and for others its a "bar crawl"...however I have been advised not to actually call it a bar crawl...for every time you call Santa con a bar crawl a sugar plum fairy dies. It's another excuse to dress up and have fun with friends and family. AND the looks from people who have not heard of Santa con before, or are just visiting the city for the day are PRICELESS!

Towards the end of the night, your childhood, hallmark image of Santa has quickly deteriorated. I saw some pretty messed up Santa things...Just because you are in a Santa suit, does not mean that one can break the law...Santa con gets pretty rowdy once it gets dark out.

This was my second year participating in Santa con...And I would totally do it again...mostly for TWO reasons: 1) It's way too much fun to drink in a bar filled with that much holiday cheer and 2) It's not just for us "adults" its also for the kids...there were so many children who were having just as much fun as we spotting the different holiday characters throughout the day! I LOVE the holiday season  in NYC, and so should you!

Happy Santas and thier elves...

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" - Bruce Springsteen

A Thank You...Thank You Very Much

Well Thanksgiving 2010 was another successful year filled with good food, amazing friends and great times. This was my third year celebrating Thanksgiving in Croton-On-Hudson with one of my best friends and her family!  Traditions were kept and new new stories were made.

This year the girls made two pumpkin pies and one apple!

It's tradition to open the holiday poppers before the meal...inside is a silly toy, a paper crown and a horribly amazing joke! This year I received a plastic pig paper clip...yeahhhhh

We then concluded the weekend by celebrating my friend's 23rd birthday! We went to Brother Jimmy's in NYC and began with the famous fishbowls filled with "swamp water." Although I'm a bit skeptical of the amount of alcohol that was really used for the beverage, it sure was tasty!  They played great music and we were able to catch up with some old pals!

This weekend seriously got me thinking of how thankful I am for the friends that I have kept over the years. As cheesy as it may sound, my friends really have become family. We've been through so much over the past couple of years and we still keep in touch and updated with our crazy lives. Whether we're finishing up grad school and pursing more dreadful applications for PhD programs; Acting as an Au-pair in a foreign country; or acting as a PR for a political campaign we will be in each others lives.

The trek through life can be a tough one. We've all have had our ups and downs, and it's a great feeling to know that you have a gaggle of supporters who are there to get you through life's little diddies.  Recently I've had a lot of support as I've been finishing up my numerous papers for grad school...as well as the help I've been receiving as I finish up applications for more education opportunities...both here and overseas! It's a wonderful feeling to know that I'm not alone on my pursuit of happiness!

I am also grateful for my actual family as well.  They have had to put up with my craziness for 23 years, and still claim me as their own. So thank you y'all...It's because of you that has made me who I am today.

"Pursuit of Happiness" - Kid Cudi ft. MGMT