Big Ph-at Updates From Marebear

Okey doke, so here comes the first post in 11 days, sorry all!

I have been really busy just doing my thing here- and because of that I have a ton to put on the table for this post!

Woo! Okay, do some push-ups, pull-ups; whatever you need to gear up for the whirlwind that has been my awesome summer in Philly so far.

Ready, Set, Go!

So, let’s see, last week was super fun at FOX, and I got to go out with some more reporters as well as spend some more time with my intern friends! I have to admit, I was getting a little run-down during the middle of the week. But, I knew that it would pass and that I just needed to keep plugging along.

By the end of the week I found my stride again and haven’t looked back since.

That weekend, my friend Alexis and I headed to her grandparent’s beach house down the shore in Avalon, New Jersey! What a fabulous weekend. Where to start, where to start. Hmm. Ok, so we got to Avalon around 8 p.m. Friday night, and then we made pizza and relaxed after getting settled and showering off the workweek.

Saturday, we woke up after a nice rest and went to Wawa (my new obsession) for coffee.  When we returned, we were greeted by the smell of fluffy waffles being made in the kitchen. Yum! They were so good. Don’t worry dad, your weekend breakfasts will never be topped.

After that, we headed to the beach that’s about a mile away from their house to spend a day soaking up the sun. Let me just say, we picked the BEST weekend to go-the weather was perfect. We came with loaded coolers and plenty of snacks in tow for a full day of relaxation and girl talk. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.

 

We came back to the house hours later, all sunned out. Then, we relaxed inside while her grandparents made dinner. Let me just say. If you know me, you know my absolute favorite thing to eat is lamb. And guess what? They made LAMB Kebabs. Not only that, but it was the full Mediterranean spread I love so much- pita, grilled veggies, tzatziki, etc. It was divine.

Dinner came to a close, and Alexis and I got in the car and headed to nearby Stone Harbor for some boutique-ing. Lots of adorable little stores filled the beach town, and it looked so quaint at night. All the trees that lined the streets were covered in lights, so it had this really enchanting look to it. I loved it. After perusing all of the merch, Alexis and I saw that one of the jewelry stores had Alex and Ani bracelets. I love the one that I got for the holidays this year, so I was totally up for another. I decided to get one that would always remind me of the trip, so I chose a gold bracelet with an anchor on it! How nautical and precious. After that, we were beyond tired so we decided to head for home and watch a movie. Then, we crashed.

The next morning, our last morning at the shore, we woke up and went with Alexis’ grandpa to Kholer’s Bakery- a famous place in the area. I can see why now, after tasting some of the confections that came out of it!  Holy crap. We decided on her grandpa’s favorite sticky buns and some cream-filled pastries. Good life choices right there. We went to Wawa to grab some coffee after, and then headed back to the house. There, we had a lovely brunch of the pastries, fresh fruit, an egg and spinach omelet, and yogurt. Mmmm, mmm!

After we were reaching our limit of food consumption, we decided to pack the car and head for home to PA. The weather was still perfect, so the drive was full of sun and music. I got to experience the whole “we don’t pump our own gas here” thing that Jersey has, so that was interesting too. It was kinda like one big first world problem with the lines but hey, I enjoyed it I won’t lie!

I dropped Alexis off at home and then I drove back to my aunt and uncle’s house.

The rest of my Sunday was spent with my uncle- it was Father’s Day so we grilled and made the best meal possible with the kitchen renovation still coming along. It was delicious! Our meal ended and I got my things together to get ready for the next week ahead. It was an amazing weekend I won’t forget!

So, here we are finally about to get caught up on this past week! Still with me?? Do we need to do another round of exercises? If so, take a minute and do it…

Ready? Mmmkay.

So, Monday of this past week was awesome! I met one of the photogs at FOX and he agreed to take me out with him, which was great! George is quickly becoming one of the coolest people I know.

Not only is he a photog for the station, but he’s also an active member of the Army- working as a multimedia journalist for them. Amazing, right? He started to tell me all about his experiences and asking me about my career aspirations in the business.

We went to an event at the Phillies Stadium, where I met the Phanatic Mascot, some executives for Comcast Sports Network, and even the President of the Phillies! Sweet. On top of it, I was able to do all of the interviewing with these people. My bread and butter. I was in heaven. To make things even more perfect, I found myself surrounded by Ithaca alumni… could things have been any better? I think not.

For lunch, George took me to get an authentic cheesesteak at Lorenzo’s in South Philly. It was a beautiful thing. His favorite is a pizza steak, so that’s what I had. It’s steak, marinara sauce, and cheese. YUM.

After that, we headed back to the station and I headed for home since it was the end of my shift.

What a perfect day.

Wednesday was the next day that I went out with George, and we covered a bunch of Phillies-related events. This time was even cooler than the last- and I found myself sitting in the dugout watching the players warm up! Pinch me, please. Now I get why my aunt likes Cole Hamels so much. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, do yourself a favor and Google, Bing, or whatever else is out there till you find a picture. You’re welcome.

Yup, in case you were wondering whether or not I added to my Philly Phood bender that day, I did! This time, George took my to an outdoor food truck ‘court’ in the middle of the UPenn campus. We had Thai food and it was delicious.

I got to do some more interviewing, so that was awesome. The first person that I interviewed just happened to be the President of Citizens Bank- ok! He was such a wonderful guy, and he asked if I was a reporter- thanks sir I hope someday! After that, I interviewed the general manager of the team on the field so that was fun too. The rest of the time I was just that intern that was jaw-dropping and picture-snapping up a storm. Whatever. When in Rome, right? When all the pregame coverage was taken care of, George dropped me off at the train station to head home. I was wiped out, but I wouldn’t trade that day for anything!

Hmm, anything else? The rest of the week, I did my regular FOX web stuff and stayed around the newsroom and went to my normal meetings throughout the day.

Those two days out really gave me the energy to keep going and doing what I love so much-journalism!

Friday night, I went to get sushi with my friend Rebecca. It was super delicious, and I am really getting good with the chopsticks, so thumbs up all around. After that, we went back to her house and backed fresh strawberry cookies that we found on Pinterest. They were amazing!

Needless to say, these last two weeks have been such a fun time.  Now, it’s Saturday and all I’m thinking about doing is going for a run and relaxing in between laundry loads. Downtime/free time is sacred. Oh, and nail-painting that is also golden.

Sorry that was so long, but I had a lot to catch you up on!
Long story short, still in Philly, still in love with it all.

Peace.