More South Beach

After blogging in Hialeah, Thursday night, I found myself wanting to go out. I txt’d my go-to guy in SoBe and was notified that tonight the “it” spot was Buck 15 in South Beach (off Lincoln Road). So I went home, put on my gear and off I went with China. We both were exhausted from a long day at the beach, but we were curious how good the night would be. As soon as we drove into the parking lot, we found a spot and that’s when I knew the night was gonna be a good one. The line to the bar was long and barely moving but alas we went to the front of the line, VIP style (Thanks China!). After waiting for 15 minutes, we finally got in and our posse (better said, China’s posse) had a table in a corner spot. The music was ok and crowd was interesting to the say the least, but one thing was certain, this was the “it” spot in SoBe. Aside from two HOTTIES, the crowd was not my thing but I had a blast with the crew, especially since the drinks kept on flowing and my pockets untouched. HOLLERR.

The following morning, Friday, we all woke up early at 11a.m. and headed towards the beach. Matt, a NYC friend, was in town and I was looking forward to catching up with him. China and Johan picked up lunch food and I went to Wet Willie’s for a liquid lunch (Superman – yum!!). The beach water, bods and weather was gorgeous! We enjoyed it up until the usually 2p.m. South Beach storm, when we decided to leave and meet up with Matt. Apparently, Mr. Matt was staying at a condo on South Point and Ocean (literally across from Nikki Beach). Johan bought the vodka and off we went to free valet parking at an amazing high rise bldg. I met Matt’s friends and we all had a gay ole time and as usual whenever you put Matt/Melvin together it usually leads to a piss ass drunk event. LOL. Needless to say, it took me 12 hours to recover and even as I write my head hurts a lil.

Now I’m in Allapattah blogging away, preparing for a great night in SoBe and downtown Miami.

South Beach and Hialeah

On Wednesday, I finally began to feel a lil better and decided to leave Allapattah and head to South Beach. Oh and for those non-Miami native, Allapattah is a hood in the city of Miami (literally mid-point between Miami airport and South Beach). That means in 5 minutes I’m in Midtown Miami, another 5 minutes I’m in Downtown and another 5 minutes I’m in South Beach. Gotta love the location!

After dropping my aunt off at the doctor’s office, I headed to South Beach. I am still a member of the posh gym, Equinox and luckily they have 3 locations in South Florida. Parking can be troublesome in South Beach, but during the week it’s not too bad and Equinox provides 2 free hours of garage parking – HOLLER! After a great workout, I went for a quick walk on Ocean Drive and decided to cut trip short and head to Hialeah (it’s about 5 minutes from Miami Airport and the headquarters for Cuban immigrants). My aunt/uncle lives there and I decided to take a trip to Cuba without leaving Miami (LOL).

Hialeah is arguably the home of what seems like millions of Cuban and if you know me, Cubans are my weakness!! (Hollerrr!) I just absolutely positively LOVE coming to Hialeah! There is one particular phrase that melts my heart and that is “Que bola acere”, but you can’t just say it in Spanish. Only the Cubans that were born/raised there could ever get it just the way I like it. LOL. Writing about this just reminded me of the only club where I can find these rare species, Club Azucar which is in the middle of nowhere off Coral Way. Hmmm, I’m definitely going this Friday. Anyways, back to my day (see how easily distracted I get – teehee). I went on two dates Wednesday night both in Hialeah and both with Cubans (I LOVE MIAMI!). One of them moved way too fast for my taste and the other on is a keeper. Stay tuned…

On Thursday, I woke up super early at 9a.m. (teehee) because I had to deposit a check at my bank. Ah my bank, with 1000000 locations in Manhattan (just south of 14th street) and only one location in the ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA – Boca Raton. Luckily, I was going against traffic and I was back within 1.5 hrs. Afterwards, I went back to South Beach and limited my time at the gym to just 30 minutes (enough to get my parking validated – Holler) and headed to the beach. South Beach, awwww, has changed drastically from the early 90’s where I practically lived there. My BFF, Jose, lived off Collins and 23rd and we would spend many school days in the beach. I remember the countless days of rollerblading on Ocean Drive, driving my then BFF on his mom’s minivan and just thinking that we were on top of the world. Ahh, ignorance is bliss.

I sat next to the lifeguard stand and just laid back and enjoyed the sun. I didn’t go through any deep thoughts; it was just time with me, myself and I. And of course, I looked out for any hotties (Holler!). After the beach, I went to Hialeah where I am currently writing my blog. I’m looking forward towards my last weekend in Miami (or the country) and am a lil scurrred about living in Brazil (just a lil).

Network

On Day 2 of my stay in Miami, I decided to have another relaxing day. I just found out Matt (a good friend from NYC) is coming on Thursday for a few days and let's just say when you put the both of us together, we become a HOT MESS! In preparation, I need to rest my body (especially my liver), Yayyy I can't wait!

Today, I decided to do my annual spring cleaning to my facebook friends list. After only about 30 minutes, I realized I didn't have much "trash" to take out. I was a little shocked/surprised that I really did know over 500 folks. I'm not saying we're all BFF's but they are all definitely "friends" I would send an email and expect a response. Of course there were the handful of those that were just too cute to take off, what can I say - I'm human! LOL

This brings me to the topic of the day "Network". Instead of just talking about how important it is to have a network, I'm going to discuss the series of events that occurred to me from the day I was laid off.

As of mid-November 2008, I was unemployed. Unlike most of my friends around the country, I was laid-off with compensation and medical insurance. This layer of security provided me an opportunity to not seek employment with urgency. I was in the middle of applying to b-school and decided to give this my undivided attention. My lease was luckily over in November and so I decided to move back home at the end of the month (Thanksgiving). Before leaving NYC, I decided to take advantage of Philly's close proximity and went for a day visit at Wharton's MBA campus. I decided to call my old friend Kim and asked if I could crash at her place for a night. I was not only received with warm/open hands, I got to catch up with an old friend of mine. Where did I meet Kim? That's an easy one, VOLUNTEERING! We met at Rivington House and became instant BFF's. In a city of over 8 million people, most with cold hearts, it is easy to spot someone with a beautiful heart. I have found that people are easier to spot when you volunteer (so if any NYC'ers are reading this, go out and volunteer (http://www.nycares.org/)! Kim is just an amazing person and I am blessed to have her in my life. I had a great visit in Philly and was pleasantly surprised at what Kim had to tell me (just part of her new journey in grad school). Good luck Kim, u know I got your back!

Before leaving NYC, I booked my flight to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a 3 day conference at Ross's School of Business. I was desperately looking to save money and not spend $500 in hotel cost, but realized I did not know anyone in Ann Arbor. I have 2 friends in Detroit, but I did not want to commute. I was talking to my old/best friend Talena about this dilemma and she said, she'll ask her BFF in Ann Arbor if she'd mind having me over. Within days, I got clearance and took Talena's friend, Amy's, offer. This was kind of weird because I just did not know this person, a complete stranger, and she's letting me crash at her place. But I was desperate and went along with it. I met Amy at her job, Medstat, and went through the famous 6-degrees of separation experiment. Apparently she was talking to her coworkers on her way down, to give me her keys, and she mentioned my name, Mercer, and one of them said, "I Know him!". Indeed he did, he worked on a number of accounts that I lead and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. IT'S A SMALL WORLD FOLKS! By the end of the weekend, I made a new friend (Amy, I had a blast and can't wait to hang w/ you soon!). Amy also told me that her coworker said, if I were to ever seek employment in Ann Arbor, he'd have a position for me. It's a nice feeling inside to know you work was valued and heck you just never know when our paths will cross.

Prior to leaving to Michigan, I decided I was not getting any studying/writing down in Miami because I was just having WAY TOO much fun. Oh how I've missed this city! So I emailed my good friend Dewon, who lives in San Francisco, and asked him if I could apt-sit while he was away visiting his family (for 4 weeks). How did I meet Dewon? One day, while I was working at PwC, I was looking at the LGBT intranet and noticed a posting saying, "hey guys I just moved to NYC from South Africa and looking to meet new friends?" I immediately emailed him and later that day we went for the personalized Melvin tour of Chelsea. Ever since that day, we became BFF's. There were some big fights and interestingly enough, he was the only one that survived the "YOU ARE DEAD TO ME" crash of 2007. Which we haven't fully recovered from, but alas are moving towards the right direction. On the second week of December, I moved (yet again) to San Francisco and got to hang with Dewon for a few days before he left to SA. I also got to meet his new BF and was soo happy he got to meet such a cool kat. (Congrats and Good luck with him, Dewon!) I also got to hang with Tom (my ex roommate, which I met via CL) and his new GF, both of which are Harvard Business School grads. They took time (they both didn't have) to review my essays I was submitting to Harvard and gave me their suggestions. I could not thank them enough for doing this, but more importantly they both sat me down and strongly suggested I apply to Stanford. At the time, I was already applying to 8 Bschools and just didn't want to add another one to the mix, but I respect both of them enough and decided to add another one. After researching Stanford, I could not thank them enough because I learned that I am definitely a much better fit at Stanford. Alas, we'll see what Stanford thinks in the next coming weeks. I spent the next few weeks reflecting and enjoying the few days of great weather San Francisco had to offer. FYI- It rains a lot in December/January!

On XMas week, I decided I missed my family/friends too much and wanted to move to either LA, Miami or NYC. Since it only cost $125 one way to NYC, that became my first choice. After making a few calls, I found 3 temporary housing arrangements in NYC. The first few days, I got to stay in Kelley's phat crib in the West Village, then a few days with Alanys in the Bronx, right next to Yankees Stadium, and the remainder at Roman's apartment in the heart of the East Village (Bowery/4th street!). I mean seriously folks, how amazing are these locations.

How did I meet Kelley? I met Kelley through Erin, her childhood friend. Erin answered my online ad seeking help for my first fundraiser. Erin is an event planner, self employed, and was an angel sent from God because I really needed her help at this event. Kelley just moved to NYC about a year ago and went with Erin to Lauren's holiday party in 2007, which I was allegedly dancing the night away (teehee). Ever since that weekend, Kelley and I became good friends and quite honestly, I wasn't expecting her to extend her home the way she did. It was a nice and pleasant surprise. Thanks Kelley, you ROCK! The day before New Years Eve, I moved to Alany's apt for a few days.

How did I meet Alanys? For the my advid blog readers, he's potential #2. But this won't be about relationship Alanys, instead it'll be about friendship Alanys. I met him about a year ago, 1/2/08 to be exact and we dated for a few weeks. He said, he's not looking for a relationship but would like a friendship. Those are not words anyone wants to hear from someone you're dating, but alas I valued his honesty and decided to try the friendship thing. Throughout the year, he showed me great respect, went above and beyond the call of duty and I could not have asked for a better friend. Despite the constant flirting, it has been a pleasure meeting Alanys and look forward to what the future has in store for us. As his guest, I received nothing short of red carpet accommodations. He was always asking me if I needed anything, he cooked dinner on numerous occasions and just made me feel at home (especially with those 10p.m. Cuban coffee-yumm!!). He even took me out to lunch on the day I was leaving and carried my bags to the subway station.. Bro, you mean the world to me and I want to thank you for your hospitality!
Off I go to Roma's crib.

How did I meet Roman? Roman is one of my BFF's boyfriend and we became close from the countless nights at clubs in Queen's and Washington Heights. Roman is what you would call a late-gay. He did the straight life up until his 40's, did the wife, 2 kids and finally came out (mostly to himself, his family doesn't know). And so he has a lot of club nights to catch up on, but the main reason why I enjoy going out with him is because he just has this passion for life. And when he goes to the clubs, he's constantly dancing and making me laugh. Oh Roman, how much I have missed you! As soon as I got to Roman's apartment, he directed me to his room and I was confused. I'm like, why am I in your room? I can sleep in the couch. He said, nonsense you take my bed and I get the couch. I insisted and lost the battle. For the next 3 weeks, I slept comfortably and got a lot accomplished with my b-school apps. Especially since I didn't have to take mass transit anywhere, he lives off Bowery and 4th street. I just walked everywhere!

Aside from my housing accommodations, I can't thank my friends enough for taking time out of their busy schedule to read my 1000000 essays I had to write. Kate Genovese, ex coworker that tells it like it is and is hosting 3 of my luggages (thanks kate!). Claire Coveney, met via volunteering and is just another awesome person with a really cool heart! Talena Hunt, college bud and my future ex-wife/mother of my children-LOL. Ryan Penn, ex-coworker, Wharton alum and now NYC resident. Stephanie Chin, met via nonprofit channel and current Emory JD/MBA student. Jennifer Jil, met via other nonprofit and current NYU Student.

Last but not least, thanks to the Ibrahim's for putting me up in Boston while I visited Harvard and the Mintz while I visited UNC-Chapel Hill.

I can honestly say that I am truly blessed to have met the people I have. The one thing I do want to say for those that are out to just meet people. Take time to foster the relationships you make. These days, it isn't enough to just meet people. People aren't stupid and can tell when they are just being used. Take time to connect and bond with them (period).

Miami, Florida!

I could not have asked for a better entrance into a city. Last night, I landed on American Airline in first class and completely buzzed. Remember the day when first class provided food, ahh the 90's. At least it still entitles you to unlimited alcohol and boy did I use that option. Anyways, my flight was 30 minutes early and my luggage was the first on the carousel. My cousin, Eli, (we were raised in the same household so he's more like my brother) picked me up and off we went to Allapattah, in the city of Miami. My mom rushed outside and hugged me like as if i was coming back from school, back in my college days. No matter how old I get, it still feels good and warm when I get those greetings.

Around 11p.m. my crew (Johan, Candace, Alex and Candace's lover from San Fran) picked me up and off we went to Fort Lauderdale's Voodoo Lounge. The evening was interesting because I was part of a 10 man/woman crew and we were the center of quite a number of dance routines (we'll just leave it at that-LOL). I had the best time and can't remember what time we got home.

Today, I woke up bright and early because my dear friend Long-Island Ice Tea said, "Oh honey, bless your heart for thinking you're still in your twenties, now wakeup and drink some water FOOL!" and my other dear friend Aching knees/calves said, "Congrats on being able to lift Candace up in soo many directions, as she straddled you....but HNJN you are old and need to limit those exercises or at least get back in the gym and start working out". ROFLOL. what can I say, a good night comes with some consequences the next day, but it was all worth it.

I took it easy today, as I'm still trying to get over whatever cold I got in NYC. I went with Eli on various errands for my aunt and just enjoyed the amazing weather Miami has in January. I'm soo happy I'm not in the Northeast, I just hated January in NYC and Baltimore, Atlanta was actually okay but I know it can and will get cold in the next coming weeks. The one thing about just being out and about in Miami is that it is a nonstop series of falling in love (or lust I should say). Mostly because my #1 weakness are Cubans, and if they are blue collar my heart tends to skip a beat (or 2). I can try to explain why, but I will forever fail. I just don't know why.

As I sign into Match.com to find a potential date, I thought to myself "why even bother?". I'm leaving in 7 days and it would just be a waste, so I signed off and decided to focus on Brazil. I have completed most of what I need, but still have a few loose ends. I still can't believe I'm leaving the country for 2 months, I have never done this. A little part of me is freaking out but the rest of me (majority) is anxiously awaiting this chapter of my life.

Hasta manana!

Atlanta - end of day 3 and Good bye

After the interview yesterday, I enjoyed the tour provided by a current Student. I use to study in the Goizueta bldg years ago (for my actuarial exam) and since then it has significantly expanded. I was and am thoroughly impressed with the new pad. I had to leave after the information session because I was feeling awful (fever, body ache, etc.) and decided to skip lunch. I took my meds (sudafed - which by the way, I had to provide my state licence cuz apparently you can make meth from it) and slept for 6 hrs.

As soon as I woke up, I called Steph Chin (current JD/MBA Emory student) to have dinner. We hadn't seen each other in 2 yrs (from my YNPN days) and had a great dinner catching up. Afterwards, I went over to Carlos/Lidia's and went out till the wee hours.

Today I woke up, slightly hungover and watched movies with my lil cousin Bryan. Now I'm backing and soon heading to ATL en route to MIA. And I just confirmed I've upgraded to FIRST CLASS BABY, HOLLER!

Atlanta, GA - This trip has shown me how much I have missed you. I'm not quite sure if I miss you enough to come back, but alas I await to see where my next move will be. I can see myself having a family here, raising my lil ones here and enjoying the warm weather! Hasta Next Time!

Finding Your Next Step in Life

Our lives are made up of a complex network of pathways that we can useto move from one phase of life to the next. For some of us, our pathsare wide, smooth, and clearly marked. Many people, however, find thatthey have a difficult time figuring out where they need to go next.Determining which "next step" will land you on the most direct route tofulfillment and the realization of your life purpose may not seem easy.

There are many ways to discover what the next step on your life pathshould be. If you are someone who seeks to satisfy your soul, it isvital that you make this inquiry. Often, your inner voice will counselyou that it's time for a change, and it is very important to trustyourself because only you know what is best for you. Personal growthalways results when you let yourself expand beyond the farthest bordersof what your life has been so far. When figuring out what your next stepwill be, you may want to review your life experiences. The choicesyou've made and the dreams you've held onto can give you an idea of whatyou don't want to do anymore and what you might like to do next. It isalso a good idea to think about creative ways you can use your skillsand satisfy your passions. Visualizing your perfect future and making alist of ways to manifest that future can help you choose a logical nextstep that's in harmony with your desires. Meditation, journal writing,ta! king a class, and other creative activities may inspire you andprovide insight regarding the next step in life that will bring you themost satisfaction.

It is when you are willing to listen to yourself and be fearless thatfiguring out your next step becomes easy. Beneath the fear andhesitation and uncertainty lies your inner knowing that always knowswhich step you need to take next. If you can allow the taking of yournext step to be as easy as putting one foot in front of the next, you'llnotice that your next step is always the one that is right in front ofyou. All you have to do is put one foot forward and on the ground.

Atlanta - end of Day 2 and beg Day 3

Last night, I began my drive towards Little 5 Points for the meet/greet current Emory students were hosting. I had a great time and the students were very helpful and always wanted to provide answers. Some prospectives had their fake suit on but alas, everyone can't be as charismatic as moi (or humble-teehee). LOL.

I had to leave early because I began to feel my health deteriorate. Decided to go home and pop some pills (sudafed, tynenol and nyquil). I can't believe I got sick the day I left NYC, when I could have easily gone into my doc office's to get some antibods..

Today, I woke up at 7a.m. and my entire body was in pain, but alas I had wake my HonduRican butt and attend the interview that could change my future. I had an admissions interview at Emory's Goizueta MBA program. I don't really need to prepare for this but I was afraid my sickness will affect my personality. I bought a venti Green Ginger Tea from Starbucks and it gave me the kick I needed.

Of all the interviewers I could have been placed with, I was alas matched with someone that as laid-off 2 weeks ago. I'm like HELLO!!! ME TOO! Lol, after that opener, it was pretty much smooth sailing. Now I'm at Starbucks, waiting for events to begin at 10:30a.m. Ciao for now peeps.

Atlanta – (end of Day 1 and beg Day 2)

While I wasn’t planning on writing about the end of my first day in Atlanta, too many important revelations occurred and well, here I am writing. I ended up having a 2+ hour lunch with Shamarius and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Not just because we got nicely buzzed from 2 On the Border’s Patron Margaritas (mmm), but because we had various deep/spiritual discussions. I didn’t have to give Shamarius much of an update as she’s an avid reader of my blogs, but this lunch was more about learning more about her challenges with life, specifically with MEN! Ughh, I hate it that we all have to deal with men not wanting to commit but alas, I sat with my friend trying to find the words…. She’s a great catch and deserves more than the cards that have been dealt to her. But alas, I saw myself repeating what I stated on my True Love blog, we must put our faith in God and believe that he will bring our lifetime partner to us—WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. It’s hard to preach this because I want my partner next to my side NOW but the more I pray for patience the more I’m content with waiting.

Lunch ended with a big hug and we both went our separate ways. Shamarius if you’re reading this, I will continue praying for you and hope you find peace. Remember, we are not here living the lives we want but instead are instruments operating under the direction of our higher being. You won’t find peace until we understand this. We may not like it when God takes our father, brother, mother, etc. from our lives but we must trust that their time on earth has ended and is needed in the heavens.

I got into my zipcar and headed north to the city of Gainesville, GA, where my long-time friend Paola lives with her husband and 2 kids. She’s another Miami native and finally moved out (this will definitely be another blog subject). As I drove on the highway, I realized how much I miss driving long distances, with the windows down and blasting the stereo to a great song (or 15 in this case –LOL). I finally got to g’ville and went with Paola on her daily routine (get milk, pick up kids from daycare) and finally ended up at her house. She has the most adorable, gorgeous kids but that isn’t too surprising since she’s a knock-out from Columbia and her husband is a drop-dead gorgeous Cuban. Needless to say, I had to leave shortly after he arrived because my heart would skip a beat or two, in his presence. Hehehe. But before he got there, Paola and I did have a great conversation. We discussed my True Love blog and it wasn’t until I discussed it with her that I realized I wasn’t really breaking up with Potential #2 (we’ll call him P2). I was actually breaking up with myself… From the beginning, P2 stated he wasn’t looking for something serious, and shortly thereafter he professed his respect for me and how he wanted to keep a lifetime friendship with me. Nowwww, I heard what he said, but somewhere along the line I took liberty in translating it to say the following: “Melvin, I’m not ready for you just yet but I ask you to wait for me…” (oh I’m a HOT MESS, I know!)

So I really don’t have anyone to blame but myself, because P2 has shown me nothing else but respect and friendship. He really has gone above/beyond the call of duty because he treasures my friendship. Now between you (bloggers) and I, I don’t know why? Alas, I will respect his wishes and be nothing but friends, but this will take some time. Luckily we finally have distance between us and it will make it a lot easier for me NOT to fall in love with him (AGAIN). When a relationship comes to an end for me, I go through my sappy love songs and a period of no communications; this is something I did not go through with P2. I think is why I lasted an entire year subconsciously in love with him. I no longer think about why/what/when things went wrong, I have accepted this love has ended and am moving on with my life. And this could not have happened if it weren’t for the blog and especially Paola for putting it into perspective.

Day 2 started out great because finally I did not have to wake up at 6a.m. to travel somewhere. I woke up at 9:30a.m. (after 10 hours of sleep – ahhh). Immediately upon waking up, I ran to my car and drove to Chick-fil-A and bought one (even though I really wanted two) Chicken/Egg/Biscuit. I had my first bite in private because the moaning can get loud at times; I mean this food is AMAZING! They don’t have Chick-fil-A’s in Manhattan, so anytime I leave the city my first question is, where’s your nearest Chick-fil-A that serves breakfast – LOL.

Later that morning, I drove to Midtown and dropped off my zipcar, headed to Buckhead on MARTA (cuz it’s smarta-LOL) to have lunch with my ex-boss from my first employer. She went above/beyond and filled out recommendation forms for three schools, and if I had $$ I would have totally paid for her lunch but alas she picked up the tab –HOLLER! We had a great lunch catching up and here I am in Marietta at my aunt’s house, getting ready for Emory’s Goizuetta Meet-Greet before the jammed packed Super Saturday, where they get to showcase their MBA program.

Atlanta, GA - Day ONE

I woke up at 5:30a.m. and took the MARC to the airport ($4.00 - not bad!). The I checked my luggage and had to pay $90 for 6lbs of over limit. This is the last time I fly Delta! I'm not saying I deserve special treatment, but I've been flying American for 2 years now (and yes I have Gold status) and never paid for 6lbs. Goes to show yow how status does help, but I think that guy should have let me pass by w/o paying to try and win my loyalty. I mean, the only reason why they are charging for checked luggage was for the expensive gas, but HELLOOO those days are over. Funny how the airlines are so quick to raise fees and not so quick to lower them...

Well I slept pretty much through my flight from BWI to ATL, even forgot my laptop bag underneath my chair on the flight but someone screamed out my name. See there are good people in the world. Got on the oh so fabulous MARTA, and took it to the zipcar (http://www.zipcar.com/) garage in Midtown where my brand new BMW Mini was awaiting. A lil unknown fact most drivers may not know is that you can actually get into your zip car 30 minutes prior to your reservation.

I began my journey by driving through the old Atlanta I once knew (I lived in ATL from 99-04) and quickly got a reality check, old is out and new is in! All the buildings are brand new and crisp, did the city really grow in the last 4 years or was it the result of the over construction that most American cities went through.

I'm waiting for an old friend, Shamarius, at the Disco Kroger's Starbucks in the heart of buckhead. I have had countless memories in this starbucks. I once worked 5 minutes from here, and it was the starbucks i would go early in the morning and for my afternoon break. Without ever having to pay! It's the starbucks where my true love#2 once worked before he got his first professional job working for the Secretary of State (Atlanta, GA). I made some great friends at this starbucks and now that I'm here, they are all gone. I can't say I'm surprised, but there is a part of me that misses the good old days.

Today will be a day of catching up with old friends, ending the night with my DC posse (but they've been here for 4 yrs now, perhaps they no longer consider themselves DC posse, instead ATL'ers. We shall see.

Washington DC!

Well after the expected travel delays, I finally arrived to the nation's capital, Washington D.C. at 2:30p.m. As soon as I got off the bus, I felt the energy and looked at the passengers boarding en route back to NYC with the biggest smile I have ever seen. I looked at my trusty blackberry GPS, which made dupont circle a quick walk from Chinatown (NOT!!). Before I reached my first block, a black man looked straight into my eyes and said with the biggest smile, "Have a great day!". I can only imagine how amazing yesterday must have been but alas I was in NYC getting my unemployment income processed.

I'm sitting at the trendy Starbucks in the heart of Dupont Circle, yummmmm oh and the coffee's good too (teehee). Waiting for my dear friend (ex-coworker) Jill Meola to have an early dinner. Afterwards, I'm off to Baltimore where I'll be staying with my old friend David Placher. Next stop, Atlanta, GA tomorrow @ 6a.m.

Have a great day everyone!

Leaving NYC

It's 6:15a.m. and I wake up with signs of what seems to be a light cough/flue sick. Irony, it's a love hate relationship. I've been “living” in NYC for the past 3 weeks and have been in excellent shape, but the day I leave NYC (and my doctor) is the day I decide to get sick. Uggh. Well I wake up at 6:15a.m. and leave the door by 6:45a.m. and get to my bus stop by 7:00 with my cup of tea from Starbucks. I wait in the frigid cold (p.s. sooooo happy I’m leaving the north, I’m just over the cold) for 30 minutes, when something told me to look at the mail to confirm the location of the bus stop. I’m in downtown Manhattan (6th ave and Watt) and the bus is leaving 33rd and 7th (midtown). I am feeling pretty stupid right about now, but rush to a taxi and get to the bus stop just in time to see IT LEAVE THE STOP!!!! Now I’m at Starbucks on 35th and 7th waiting for the next bus at 9:30a.m. Is this NYC’s way of saying, “Please don’t go, I’m just not ready to part ways…”

Stay tuned..

True love..

Yesterday I went to Woodbury Commons Outlets for some much needed gear. I went with Maria, Chris and Kelley. It had been months since any of us had been in car and who knows when we last listened to a radio station. Long and behold, we found ourselves in the midst of a romance/love/80’s music marathon and it was a good thing because we probably couldn’t sing along to any of today’s top 40 hits! LOL. During one of the classic love songs, I started to think “When was the last time my heart was filled with so much love for another person?” or “When was the last time my heart was broken then taking months/years to pass by before love could enter it again?”

The answer left me speechless; it was before I moved to New York City. I asked the crew the same question and we all agreed, except for Maria but she’s a native so it doesn’t count. Why is it so hard to find love in NYC? I mean beside the obvious, being there’s just way too many people and it is just too easy to have a new “boo” every week. Or for those who don’t believe in monogamy it’s just too easy to meet your 2nd ,3rd ,4th relationship. New York City is arguably the best city in the world and the opportunities are endless (both personally and professionally) but I could never find my other half here. Call me old fashion but I believe in monogamy, building a family (as unconventional as it may be) and having/nurturing a lifetime partner who would love and respect me for who I am inside, as I would reciprocate the actions.

I hate it when one of my friends tells me, you are just an amazing person and don’t understand why I’m single. Well the only answer I have to that statement is that God is working on a common trail that will soon bridge the gap between our lives. My faith has never been stronger, so I understand it just isn’t my time to meet my lifetime partner. But that doesn’t mean my heart isn’t in pain, wishing I’d have a companion and be able to share my successes (to-date).

All being said, there has been some close calls in NYC but for some reason they all came with baggage. I’m not saying I haven’t gone through a lot and that some experiences have left a sore taste in my mouth. But life is like a box of chocolate, you just never know what you’re going to get. As cliché as it, Forrest Gump was right! Life is a series of experiences, some are bad and some are good. Some will knock you down and keep you down for days/months/years, but we must STAND UP. More importantly, we must LEARN from our mistakes and learn how to avoid repeating them (easier said than done, but u get my drift). So when I come into a new potential relationship, I don’t bring my past in my carry-on luggage. I just hope for the best. That’s right, I’m one of those hopeless romantics and I will never change. Love is such an amazing/inexplicable feeling that no matter how much pain it brought me during a break up, I will never give up the opportunity of letting it back into my heart. I've had 2 great loves in my life, one in college and one in Atlanta, everything after that (aka moved to NYC) has been close calls.

For the 4 potentials that could have been, while living in NYC. First one had trust issues and as beautiful as the outside was, the inside was just…well A HOT MESS!

Second one is arguably the one I would have spent the rest of my life with. Unfortunately, the 5 years age difference (younger than me) does make a difference and while we did try the friendship angle. Last week I came to realize that my good friend Kate, who was anti the ex becoming a friend movement, was right. My heart was (and still is to an extent) too attached and I have got to just let go! I want to believe that I am not the only one of my friends in the same boat. You see someone that is good and has the basic qualities you are looking for in a life partner. You both value monogamy, you both want a family, you both share the same ethnic upbringing that only another "Hispanic" could understand and you both have accomplished quite a bit considering your childhood environment. But then subjects (just one of many) like marriage come up and the other person has a completely different view and you start to "compromise" when in fact you are a strong believer of marriage. In the middle of the conversation you realize how immature this person is and you start to think, if only you were 4 years older we would not be having this conversation. It just hurts my heart to let you go and as much as everyone has told me (but more importantly, I know better), I keep on holding on to you. Despite the others you have dated, I continue to hold a spot for you in my heart. This isn't healthy and I just have to let you go. In a way, it is a blessing in disguise that I am leaving the country and will hopefully serve as a good "break/ending".

Third one is one where I learned the power of patience and how to not rush into things. Unfortunately, I ended this one because of illegal drug use. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t judge anyone and granted I’ve never done any sort of drugs, I just don’t understand why people do it. What you do…is your business. But when I picture my life in 10 years, working dad, teaching my little ones about life and its hardships. The last thing I want to worry about is my partner overdosing or doing something stupid because they were under the “influence”. Folks life is complicated enough as it is, why would you consciously add another factor to the unknown equation of life?

And last but not least, Forth one is one who I met on match.com and was the complete package. Owned his own business, house, car, same age, great body, good friends and… (you get it!). Except for the fact that he wanted to “move-in” after week number THREE. :-O I mean I thought I move fast, but 3 weeks? NO WAY JOSE!

So now I sit and ponder what the next few months will bring, where it will take me and whether or not my time in New York City has come to an end. Most of my friends continue to say you’ll come back; you are the Chrysler building... But folks, I’m getting old and building a family is becoming my #1 priority.

Stay tuned...

Chapter 1: Catch-up (laid-off, travel, apply to bschool, internship of a lifetime)

Hi folks,

I've decided to start a blog to keep everyone up-to-date on my wearabouts, especially since I'll be living in Brazil for 2 months. To summarize, here's what has happened since Oct '08:

September 2008: I decided that this was the year I will apply to business school and finally get my MBA.

October 2008: I was part of Mercer restructuring, which is just a fancy name for getting laid-off. While most employees were stressed/worried/not happy, I was jumping for joy. While no one can ever be happy from losing a job/income/stability, I was relieved to know that I now have time to focus on applying to business schools.

November 2008: I visited Harvard Business School, Yale University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wharton, NYU. While they all offer different qualities, I can see myself going to each school. On 11/25, I relocated to Miami, Florida.

December 2008: I visited UofMichigan-Ann Arbor and became a big fan of the new facility (schedule to open Jan '08). Shortly after my week long visit to MI, I booked a one way tix to San Francisco and stayed at my friend's apt for 2 weeks. During my stay, I met with HBS alums to discuss my essays and after further review, they strongly I apply to Stanford. After researching the school, I decided to make Stanford my #9 school. On Xmas day, I booked a one way tix to NYC and began the 14+hr day marathon of business school application.

January 2008: I decided to apply to 9 schools, with deadlines ranging from Jan 5 - 9, 2009. That week was one of my toughest weeks, since unemployment. I could not have applied to all 9 schools, without the help of the following folks: Brendon Perkins, Donna Hodges, Tim Jarvis, Steve Putterman, Mel #2, Dean Sontag, Gerry Logan, Kate Genovese, Kim Gana, Talena Hunt, Tom Green, Steph Chin and Claire Coveney. On 1/21, I leave NYC and head south to Atlanta to visit Emory's Goizueta MBA program and complete the admission interview. On 1/25, I will finally go home MIAMI.

Next steps for business school: I basically wait for schools to invite me for interviews, all by Feb-mid March. All schools would have made their decision by April 1.

My move to Brazil:
For the past 2 years, I've been assisting a local nonprofit organization (Promundo - http://www.promundo.org.br/35325?locale=en_US) based in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, gain a US presence. It was during one of my many memorable walks in San Francisco, that I remembered Promundo was hosting an international conference 3/30 - 4/3/09 and I emailed the Exec Director asking if they needed assistance. After 2 weeks of back/forth emails, I got the internship of a lifetime and will not only learn how Promundo operates within Brazil, but also have an active role in the Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality Conference.

The Global Symposium on Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality (http://www.engagingmen2009.org/10) will take place in Rio de Janeiro, March 30 – April 3, 2009. Four hundred fifty participants from around the world will share their work in applied research, policy, and program development. Their work challenges rigid gender norms and engages men and boys in reducing violence against women and girls, promoting sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and fatherhood and caregiving.

The four day Symposium will promote exchange, debate, and planning for action. The event will include:
A. Plenary and breakout sessions on men and violence; men and health; and men, caregiving, and fatherhood;
B. Skills building workshops, abstract presentations, and a Global Village showcasing the work of NGOs, United Nations agencies, governments, foundations and universities; and
C. An analysis of current advances in policy that engages men and boys in gender equality. The Symposium will include presentations by policymakers from countries including Brazil, Canada, Norway, South Africa, and Sweden.