Feelings for today

Saturday, 18th of February, 2011

I have never been on a redeye before and bow was that jarring. I tried to sleep the most I possibly could but the feelings that my window would just pop off kept me from restful sleep. In NYC it was also very windy so the flight itself had a of turbulence, not bad mind you, but just a bit bumpy.

Anywho I somehow made it off the plane walked down the terminal and towards baggage claim and quickly found my bag and preceded to the air-train. I was taking the airtrain because hello I don't pay $50 cab fares and much rather face NYC subways and be cheap. I reach the subway and while trying to make it through the turnpike get stuck with my luggage and lose my turn to go through. I meet the nicest people because this guy comes up and tells me that I'm doing it wrong because the luggage always has to go first so he patiently holds my luggage on the other side while I talked to the ticket booth to open up a turnpike for me. SUCH NICE PEOPLE IN NYC.

I make it to my hotel (The Beekman Tower Hotel) which is literally just down the street from the UN and is decorated in the neatest art deco 20's-ish that I am in love with. The room itself has a kitchenette and almost looks like a little apartment. Well in the morning I just dropped off my luggage and was on my way to get some breakfast. I made my way to Nation cafe and again met really nice people where I had the most delicious coffee ever. It prepped me for my day of walking around and exploring. I walked to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockafeller center, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Down Broadway, down 42nd street, to Bryant park and throughout the city. I loved it. I instantly felt like a New Yorker (even though I got lost and looked like a fool with my map). I found lots of fun deals and pretty pashminas!!

I met up with other delegates that had arrived at the hotel at around noon. We met up and then went go eat a yummy mexican restaurant. I got vegetarian chili and a quesadilla and loved the thought that I travelled all the way from Arizona to New York to eat Mexican food. We then once again regrouped back at teh hotel where we meet with practicum staff members and got further instructions to go get registered with the UN.

This was my favorite part. After some bad directions and closed buildings and helpful signs we made it to the UN Visitor center where we where registered and took our photos for our ID cards. I love my ID card more than any other ID card I have ever received. I am just so excited to be participating in something so huge and powerful and to make my voice and these important issues more transparent and vocal.

We napped for a bit because to be honest at this point we were dog tired. We then ate lunch with all the delegates and our faculty and started to discuss and fine tune the intricacies of the practicum and how things work. In my next post I'll delve deeper into some of the items we are discussing like CEDAW and this years CSW theme.

I am still so excited to be in NYC and feel like this is a dream. It all fells too surreal and I've never quite seen anything like it. I'm so excited that as of right now it's only just the beginning and while I am tired and missing Arizona a bit I know I will be sad to see these days pass by.

Thats all for tonight- Marisela

Random Pictures from the day

me at a Starbucks on 42nd street writing postcards and feeling cool

the entrance to the New York Public Libary

Me in Bryant Park

Fancy buildings, including the Chrysler building

for Ross, this is how you pay for meters here- weird

Times Square

Rockafeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

As of right now

I'm not feeling so hot. While I've been trying with of so much care to not catch any sort of bug I think I might have something now. When I say trying- I mean really trying to not catch anything. When I started feeling a little on the tired side I would start chomping down oranges and buckets of water to be fully hydrated and packed with vitamin C. When my boyfriend Ross started to not feel so well I stuffed him full of orange juice and made him soup so that he would feel better and not develop gross germy germs to pass on to me. My mom about 5 days ago called and said she was at home from work sick and told me to NOT come and see her and instead up my vitamins because she know how much it sticks to get sick let alone get sick right before my trip to NYC.

Yet here I'm awake and munching down soup and Gatorade because I can feel it. The sinus pressure and goop accumulating up in my chest and head and I'm so very sad and scared I will be sick in NYC.

Now I know I sound like one big baby but the only thing that keeps me going on my busy bee schedule is not getting sick and not getting sick means nipping any sort of sick symptoms in the bud. I'm already facing the intense cold and busy days so I don't want to already be sick on top of it because with the weather changes and non stop panels and excitingness going on I'm already anticipating coming back sick.

So this is what is on the agenda for preparations for NYC. Packing, organizing tying up loose ends, reading, saying goodbye to Ross and the Kitties and sickness prevention. Coming up next will be a post about business casual and how unprepared I was and how I now feel more prepared and like an adult that I have acquired some.