Am I still a teenager caught in an adult's body? An update.

Every now and then I like to peruse old blog posts for inspiration, slash I enjoy a walk down memory lane every once and a while [except when memory lane involves mushy posts about your ex and then it's like whaaaaat, that's awkward].

The following post was originally written on December 2, 2009, during the era of my life I like to refer to as "the dark ages" AKA post-grad unemployment.

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Sometimes I find myself wondering if I am 22 or 15. Did I miss out on something significant in those formative years that has caused this regression? Here are some glaring signals that lead me to believe that I am an angsty teenager caught in an adult's body:

1. My tendency to obsess over celebrities and form severe crushes on them. For example: when I lived in L.A. in the summer of 2007, I spent many a day at my lowly intern desk concocting scenarios in my head that involved meeting and/or falling in love with the objects my infatuation. These scenarios included, but were not limited to, Patrick Dempsey, Orlando Bloom, and Michael Vartan. For latest celebrity love affair, see gorgeous picture below.


But hey, at least I'm not plastering pictures of him all over my walls and various other flat surfaces. Although, I have allowed for the occasional wallpaper on my computer...

2. While we're on the topic of Rob Pattinson: My complete and utter obsession with all things Twilight related. I was a latecomer to the book series, but once I sunk my teeth (no pun intended) into Twilight, I was finished with the first three books in three days. I impatiently awaited the arrival of Breaking Dawn, and a dear friend can attest that I took it in the car with me so that I was able to read it at stoplights and once even made her drive us somewhere in my car so that I could read. I got so wrapped up in the books that I began to relate things in my daily life to the trials and tribulations of the characters. Were these novels a source of literary excellence? Hell no. But where they entertaining as all get out? Hell yes! And of course, I wanted nothing more than to find a man as perfect as Edward Cullen. What's a little bite on the neck here and there? Things got worse with the debut of the first movie, which I saw five times in theatres. Was it the movie I actually liked, or the ethereal beauty of Rob Pattinson as Edward Cullen. Maybe both? At any rate, I can't stay away from magazines that have even the slightest mention of the Twilight series and I have started a personal vendetta against Kristen Stewart for both her portrayal of Bella and her supposed relationship with Rob. Sick.

3. I recently read every Gossip Girl novel. For those of you who don't keep up with the teen book scene, there are 13 books in the series. I read every.single.one.of.them. I don't know why I feel the need to justify my reading choices but I will do just that in the name of my pride. Before embarking on my 13-GG book rampage, I read two Pulitzer Prize winning novels. Therefore, I felt I was allowed some trashy reading. But who are we kidding? I would have read them anyway; my curiosity always gets the best of me. Like Twilight, these books will win no awards, but they are so full of chaos and scandal that I couldn't put them down. The lives of teenagers as portrayed by movies, TV, and books such as these is amazingly ridiculous and I refuse to believe that today's teens actually behave in such ways (though I'm probably just very naive). In GG's case, combine that ridiculousness with overwhelming amounts of money and you get a veritable freak show. Smoking and drinking from the time they were 15, putting $30,000 on daddy's credit card because you CAN, jetting off without telling parents...whoa. For approximately a week I lived vicariously through all these scenarios, even though I am well outside the target audience of readers. Oh wait...so maybe it's because of books like these that teens get the idea that this kind of behavior is kosher? Ok, cool.



4. I have stuffed animals on my bed. Oh and on some shelves. And there are tons more in the closet that I sometimes feel sorry for and feel as if I should display them somewhere. But wait a second, I'm too old for that. In my defense, three out of five of the animals on my bed are very old and have emotional significance. So...there.

(This is Mr. Bear. Holding to my theory, you can see that I am not very mature.)

Thankfully, I couldn't think of a number 5. I am thankful for this because if I had come up with one, I would have almost considered shipping myself off to a therapist for some psychoanalysis. So for now I will live with my four teen-like symptoms and hope that one day they will calm themselves down.

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So, am I still 22 26 going on 15?

 

...ehhh sort of?

 

Win: My love for R-Patz and all things Twilight has decreased significantly.  While I still think Rob is magnificently attractive, I question his personal hygiene and taste in women.

Lose: I still read YA novels. The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments...they're just too addictive. Don't worry, I still balance them out with more sophisticated titles.

Win: There are no longer five stuffed animals on my bed.

 

Lose: ...instead, there are two. The aforementioned Mr. Bear made the cut, as well as the Lamb Chop puppet I've had since I was 4. It's a good thing I have a boyfriend, otherwise the animals on the bed probably wouldn't be beneficial to my love life.

Verdict:

I may have graduated to 26 going on 17 or 18.

Hey, it keeps me young!

What winter looks like in Rio

I spent an exhausting week working in Brazil. Our base was Rio, but we flew to different cities for just a couple of hours almost every day.

However, I did find a few seconds for some beach time, and it was glorious. If this is what winter is always like there, I'm moving.

Some observations made on this trip:

1. Every person in Rio seems to have a Golden Retriever.

2. Drinking more caipirainhas than you can count is maybe not such a good idea.

3. Brazilian food involves the following things: cream, desserts and sandwiches for breakfast, eggs for lunch, and gelatin in most of the dinner desserts.

4. Apparently I look Brazilian/have a really Brazilian name. I lost count of how many people asked/assumed I was Brazilian and/or spoke Portuguese. I'll take this as a compliment.

5. Drinking straight from the coconut is amazing. That bottled coconut water we get here is crap.

6. Brazilians are serious about their protests, though we only saw 1.5. The .5 is the time we had to turn around and find a different way to the office because we saw in the distance that protestors were setting fire to things.

7. Brazilian men are aggressive and have to be told NO many, many times.

8. Brazilian women don't give a whaaaaaat about their bikinis and how they look on them. Very liberating.

9. Inventive drinks are plentiful, and not just the alcoholic kind. Fresh juice is EVERYWHERE.

I'd very much like to go back to Rio in the summer [when it's not as cloudy] and just lay around on the beaches all day. If you like water and the cafe lifestyle, this place is for you.

And if you find yourself in Rio and are looking for something other than meat and sauces to eat, I highly suggest the following two contemporary restaurants: Zaza Bistro and Miam Miam. The meals I ate there were some of the best I've had!