Life Update: New York City, March 2017

Chelsea and I have lived in New York City for six months now. I think goes without saying that New York is much different from Tennessee, however, it has quickly begun to feel like home to us.

Our walk to the subway is 0.7 miles from our 4th floor walk-up, 1 bedroom apartment in a neighborhood of Queens (Astoria). It's about 15 minutes from the heart of Manhattan. We love our little place, especially coming home to our sweet little cat, Harry. Most days, we have very different schedules. Currently, I work 5 days a week in the Flatiron district at a fast-paced, startup. The shifts that I rotate between are 7a-4p, 8a-5p, 9a-6p, 10a-7p, 11a-8p, and 12p-9p. Chelsea works at Lululemon Athletica at Brookfield Place (near One World Trade Center) as a part-time educator.

Recently, we have been thinking about starting a YouTube Channel, specifically dedicated to our daily life here in the city. I don't have the current time or technology for us to do a daily video, but we have definitely thought about a weekly video with extra content here on this blog. We would love to know about any thoughts you would have about that. What would interest you about our new life? Is there something you want us to talk about? We have learned so much in so little time and would love to share it in a creative outlet of some kind.

Things we miss about Tennessee: Family, Friends, BBQ, Kroger, driving (me)

Update 4/8: Here is the first video on our Vlog: http://bit.ly/BrownsBigApple

Christmas Time is Here - Peanuts Cast

Christmas Time is STILL here. Despite American consumerism, I still like to celebrate Christmas when it actually is Christmas. The "12 Days of Christmas" start on December 25 and conclude with Epiphany on January 6. Christmas music is still going in our house! I haven't seen this movie in some time, but it is a favorite.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

A friend of mine posted this yesterday, and I changed songs on us today! New Year's Eve has always been a fun time with family and friends in Memphis. We always bring in the new year with familiar faces and those we love around us. Here is a special song for a special time of the Holidays.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

I have always enjoyed O Come, O Come Emmanuel in the hymnal. When I was looking for a version that I liked on YouTube, I stumbled across this version. I had heard them cover something before, but I really thought this was share-worthy. Enjoy!

The First Noel - The Nylons

The Nylons 1994 Christmas Album, Harmony: The Christmas Songs was a favorite of mine growing up. This is my favorite version of the song that I've ever heard. I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have.

Believe - Josh Groban

If you have never seen Polar Express, you definitely should. Believe is such a beautiful song. Josh Groban has such a beautiful voice and it is a favorite of ours. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, Darling - The Carpenters

There is something comforting about Karen Carpenter's voice. I was one of those "old soul" kids listening to "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "We've Only Just Begun" when I was in the 2nd and 3rd grade. Although Karen died tragically, her legacy still lives on today; through her talent and the knowledge of the disease she suffered from: anorexia nervosa. Thousands of girls across the U.S. suffer from eating disorders and poor self esteem. Karen Carpenter was one of the first celebrities to be on public display suffering from anorexia; helping to bring light to the need of counseling and help for other girls suffering from poor body image and eating disorders. The Carpenter's original song, "Merry Christmas, Darling" is one that makes me sit back and think about the year that has passed and what's to come in the New Year. It's a song that most likely isn't on anyone else's Christmas favorites list, but maybe that's why I like it so much- it's not so "conventional". May Karen's soul rest in peace; thanks for the music.