Better to Love...

And so the saying goes, "it is better to have loved then to never have loved at all."

He is 19 years old, recently heartbroken, but still very much in love. Here is the kicker, his ex-girlfriend was my best friend and 'he' is my younger brother. Let me explain...

Since the first day of 8th grade, A and I have been joint at the hip. We stood by each other all through high school and maintained a close relationship while I was 10,000 miles away in Israel for one year. When I came back home, we went out clubbing together, had sushi dates, etc. We were always there for each other.

Traveling back in time again, for my 15th birthday my parents took me to Mexico. It was my family and A. It was fun! The weather was beautiful and there is nothing like making memories with a friend, especially when you are abroad!

The day my family and I came home, my brother (the one who is currently 19 was 13) told me that he had a secret and I couldn't tell anyone. The secret was that A and he had kissed. They waited until I was asleep and hooked up behind my back.

Fine. I let it go. Fast forward to a year ago. I have been home for a few months and A and I are back to our nights out and sleepovers. I remember waking up in the middle of the night and she wasn't next to me. Early the next morning, she comes walking back into my bed in my brothers t-shirt.

She had slept with my brother. Next thing I know I...

A Mother-Daughter Kind of Thang

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Before I get to the news that made my day/week/year/life let me give you some context.  For those of you who are my new followers and for those of you who don't know me too well, writing used to be a terrifying assignment for me. I was never taught how to write well. Year after year my teachers taught the same thing.

Object. Subject. Verb.

No one taught me how to write in a structure that would help all my thoughts be focused. My parents and teachers all said the same thing to me. "You have great ideas, but your paper is very scattered."

Fast forward to yesterday. My mom is going back to school to earn her Ph.D. She had a midterm paper due today for a Freud class she is taking. This is the email I received yesterday:


Hi! 

I finally finished my midterm and thought you might be willing to give it a look and let me know if there's anymore editing I should do. It's supposed to be 3-5 pages and highlight some of the ideas we've touched on this quarter in Freud with our case material. It is supposed to show that we understand the concepts we are learning about. 

I'd love your feedback before I print it tonight, otherwise, we can talk about it another time, and I'll print it anyways. I don't think I can look at it anymore (I'm smiling).

I love you,

Briar

OKAY! First, she signed it Briar. That's her name but to me she is Mommy. That made me laugh. Anyways, the real miracle here is that she came to me for help. After I was done editing her paper we spoke on the phone. When we were done she said she was "grateful for my editorial mind."

Life really doesn't get any better for a mother-daughter relationship when your mom turns to you for help when in the past it was the biggest hurdle for the both of us; Me with writing the assignment and her staying up past midnight to help me edit it (a.k.a. redoing the paper).

That's all for now folks!

My Dad, My Hero

Enough about me for a moment. This is a video clip about my dad and Ted Williams. For those of you who do not know, Ted Williams is the man with a "golden voice" who has recently been discovered. He is a treasure, but has been living on the streets for several years. My dad is a well-known dentist and saw Ted so he could help restructure his mouth. Here is the clip.

My dad is an extraordinary man by every definition of the word. In fact, tonight at 7 p.m. pacific time my dad will be on Entertainment Tonight, Channel 2.

Enjoy!

A Job Well Done

Firstly, let me say Happy New Year. It's been some time since my last post but I'm back. The title of this post will slowly be explained as you read along.

If I have learned anything from my parents, teachers, friends and life itself it's that acknowledgments are important, if not vital. Why do I say this to you? Sometimes people get lost in their world of what perfection should like. Whether it's living in an older siblings shadow or a parents life-long dream for you, it can become difficult to appreciate the baby steps.

As you know, if you have read my whole blog and kept up with me, I struggled immensely in elementary school, middle school and high school. It wasn't until college where my grades significantly shifted and I understood the importance of education and the benefits of working hard.

I was brought up and taught that it wasn't always about the grade but about my effort. Still, when my brother was bringing home straight A's without any effort, it was hard for me to accept that I was smart. I now write to you, my loyal readers, as my fall grades are officially in. With 5 A's and one B, I sit before my computer as a 3.8-GPA student.

Although I'm struggling to find my next step in life, right now I know it's okay to just bask in the glory of a job well done. Whether I chose law school, an internship for six months in New York City or earn an incredible job as an editor/writer, life will work itself out and I will be okay.

This post is for those of you who have struggled, are currently struggling and those who want to make someone else's life easier. I commend you on not giving up and wish you the best in your endeavors.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I challenge you to click on the link below and watch the video. See where it takes you and never forget that your life is not over and your future is as bright and wonderful as you say it is.

http://www.landmarkeducation.com/introduction_to_the_landmark_forum_video.jsp 

          

The Winning Circle

What time is it?

Game time!

What time is it?

Game time!

Family time at parents house means game time: Scrabble, Taboo, Apples to Apples, Scene It, Pictionary.

You name it, we have it and play it. Today's choice was Scene It.

 

Here is how you play: The first one to the end wins. Get it? Good. There were two teams in today's game extravaganza. One consisted of mom, dad and girlfriend, Brit. The other team, the better team, were the siblings, Eric, Ari and me. The first round of this game was uneventful--they won. 

However, the second round was a-mazing! Yes, my team won. But let me tell you how. Both teams were neck in neck and both teams were one question away from winning. My team was up and we landed on an "all play" meaning members from both teams can guess. 

The objective for the final question was to guess the name of the movie from random pictures that were being displayed of that movie. The first photograph was a picture of an LSAT book next to a test with the number 139 circled. Do you know what it is yet? (I did!)

The next photograph was a picture of a welcome sign to Harvard Law, followed by a manicure and pedicure sign and lastly, a picture of a Chihuahua.

Now do you know? The answer was (drum-roll please)...

Legally Blonde!

Who knew that this movie would save my team from losing? Maybe not as exciting to those of you who despise "chick flicks" or "girlie" movies or even Reese, but to me, this movie was my all-time favorite back in the day.

What is your favorite game to play? Do you have a competitive streak? Tell me your stories!

Eat, Play, Love

Before you begin to think this post is going to be sentimental, I should warn you that this is normal for me.
I moved out of my parents house just over a year ago. We only live 20 miles away, but in Los Angeles traffic that means 45 minutes. It's perfect. I'm far enough way to live my life and be independent, yet close enough to home to have a weekly dinner. Plus, you can't get better parents than mine.

I have grown up in a family where I was given an abundant amount of love and unconditional support. Whether it was my changing of schools, coming out and dating a girl or my half a dozen major switches my family didn't hesitate to lend a shoulder or an ear.

Getting back on track, my parents called me a week ago. This was the conversations:

Dad: "Hey sweetie, what are you doing next week?"
Me: "I don't know. Work? Friends? Why?"
Dad: "Your mother and I want to take you out, just the three of us."
Me: "Am I in trouble?"

Yes it was funny, but the real reason for the call was to invite me out to lunch so they could acknowledge all my hard work. Yes, this is a normal conversation between my parents and me.

Today is that day. They took me out to this beautiful restaurant, Saddle Peak Lodge, where we sat for over an hour and shared. I'll spare you the details. I'll tell you more if you request it in your comments or an email to me.

Now my mom is making a home cooked meal: grilled white fish, roasted artichokes and a fresh salad with figs. Meanwhile, I am sitting in the living room watching Eat, Pray, Love with my grandma and dad. My brothers are in their rooms playing video games and watching SNL episodes.



I always love visiting home. Dinner is about ready so it's time to go. But later, it will be time for Taboo and Pictionary! Wish me luck!

------> Check them out! Totally worth it!

Home At Last

Get ready everybody-- this is going to be a long-ish blog.

It's crazy to think that I am coming up on being home (in California) for two years now. I landed at LAX on December 26, 2008. I remember feeling so happy to be in a familiar place and yet, at the same time, I began to have that uh-oh feeling in my tummy. Who am I going to be friends with? What friends from high school are still in town? Did I make the right choice?

The day after I landed I registered for classes at a local community college where my best friend, Anna, from high school was going. Thank goodness! I had at least one person in my life where I knew I wouldn't have to be alone. Now, before you start to think that of me as that girl who is clingy or needy, let me explain...

I have always been a social butterfly. In fact, I was the person in school who had friends in every clique and got along great with everyone. I was loud and fun, perky and silly, and grounded and friendly. But something changed when Year Course ended. I had been waiting my whole life for that year to come and it was over so fast. I lived in a beautiful country where I was making a difference and having the time of my life with my best friends. Subconsciously, I made a choice that no other experience in college would compare. Thus, my attitude and confidence changed.

Anyways, like I was saying, thank goodness for Anna. She began to bring me back to life. We went out and danced, had regular sushi dates and put back the pieces of our friendship since I had been gone. So many things had changed over the year and half we were apart, but we got right back on track immediately.

Now, one of our hot spots for a night out was at the Canyon Club. It's a rather large venue located in Agoura Hills that caters to every age group: Bar Mitzavah parties, 80s night and a cover band for every type of music. Hopefully you can guess that Anna and I hit up the 80s night every Thursday. It's a 21 and up event but we had connections.  Remember I told you I had two friends that kept me strong when I was at McDaniel? Well, one of them worked there. She also is one of my best friends from high school.  

This charade went on for nearly three months;  dancing on the stage, a Sex on the Beach in our hands and endless flirting. Spring Break came so fast. A good friend of mine came into town to visit for break.  During the week it was Talya, Brit and me spending our time shopping, dancing and eating at yummy restaurants.

Well, one day it was just Talya and me. Brit had a busy day and wasn't able to join us. The second Talya was in my car and we began to drive, the first thing she said to me was, "Syd? Are you and Brit hooking up?"

I KNOW! What a shock! I didn't know what to say. We weren't hooking up and I had only ever been with guys before, but for some reason, I started to blush. Turns out that I had been crushing on her for a while.

Come April 4, 2009 I had my first kiss with Brit. It was such an incredible night. It was everything I had wanted. I had never felt so comfortable with someone before. It felt right. A week later she asked me to be her girlfriend. We have been dating ever since.

*SIDE NOTE: Prior to the two of us hooking up, Brit had made a bet with some friends. The bet was that Brit had to go two months without drinking or touching a girl (holding hands is okay-- but that's it! Literally!). Clearly this was silly. What good would that do her? So we all called her two months of good behavior, 60 Days of Bullshit. Anyway, long story short, Brit broke her 60 day mark one week early with me!

More to come later about the scholastic part of my life. For now you are all caught up with my love life, which is relatively important considering that is where half of my venting will come from.

Merry Christmas! By the way, I am Jewish but I love this time of year and the merriment of it all. Today it's Chinese food and movies with my friends!





Ta ta for now!

The Beginning

What is this blog about and why is it important? Who is going to want to read this and who will it affect?

What's Next? has been created for several reasons. On a selfish note, it's so I can maintain my sanity. By writing, I can freely express myself without any interruptions. On a sharing note, I hope my struggles, obstacles and discoveries can serve as an inspiration to any and every one.

To start, perhaps an introduction and a little background on who I am would be preferable. I am 21 years old and a student earning a degree in journalism. I have been a reporter and an editor on my school's paper and will be next semesters Managing Editor. I love writing. It's a way to be fully self-expressed and unstoppable without judgement.

I won't start at the beginning of my life. Not only would that not be interesting to you, I can't possibly remember it all. Instead, I'll start in August of 2007. I am packing up my clothes, toiletries, a journal and my camera. I am getting ready to start my first year of college...in Israel.

Young Judaea Year Course was the name of the program. I have been a Young Judaean since I was nine and since my dad had participated in all YJ events, I knew that Year Course was a must. That year was probably one of the best years I have ever experienced. The year was broken into trimesters; three months in Akko, three in Holon and three in Jerusalem.

There were 18 of us in all in Akko. We were a part of a Navy boarding school where we became basic licensed sailors. We had classes in knot tying, Hebrew, ninjutsu and ships. It wan an intensive crash course and it was incredible.

In Holon, I volunteered at a magnet arts school where I taught children in 2nd to 7th grade. It forced me to pick up Hebrew quickly in order to better communicate with the children. My primary job was to improve the students vocabulary and spelling. Thus, "ish ta'a'luey" or Hangman, became the game of choice where I would pick song lyrics the students knew that contained that weeks vocabulary words.

Jerusalem was my final destination. There, I studied-- 22 units to be exact where I also received a 3.9 GPA on my completion certificate. I took courses about the Holocaust, minorities in Israel, Hebrew, Art and Judaism and Kabbalah.

Granted the experience was educational and rewarding, there was a fun aspect. I was 18, meaning that I was the legal age to drink and the night life in Tel Aviv never died down. I drank regularly, danced with friends and had dozens of hook-ups (and that does not mean sex). It was great. Being in Israel was the epitome of what I thought college should be like: dating tons of guys, partying and being with friends. Well, that isn't necessarily wrong but it is'nt the truth.

Anyways, that's where we will start on you having a better idea of where I am coming from and me becoming closer to figuring out What's Next?