Obligatory New York Travel Post

Hey all!

It's been awhile. I have some exciting posts coming up, but first I wanted to explain what I've been up to for the past couple weeks. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I went to New York for two weeks through The School of the New York Times Summer Academy, which is a summer program for teens/young adults interested in journalism and related fields. I took an intensive class that specialized in cultural & creative writing. I did the program last year, but I was taking a class that was more centered around visual art, so it was really cool to be able to hone my writing skills and focus on a topic that I was actually serious about. It was also interesting to see how the program changed. It's only been around for 3 years now, so the changes year to year were pretty drastic. Though the program definitely has its flaws, and now as a high school graduate I feel as though I've outgrown it, it is a great opportunity for young people interested in journalism. I'd definitely recommend it to high school journalism students looking for nice introductory journalism/writing classes and a supportive environment.

I spent a lot of time writing, and getting to know my fellow classmates, but I also had a fair amount of free time to explore the city. I met up with a lot of people that I've interviewed for this blog. Those were my favorite experiences of the trip. Over the past year, as my blog has grown, I've developed a network of friends in faraway places. It's easy to invalidate those connections and see them as abstract, so it's always beneficial to be reminded that internet friends are real friends. I definitely realized how hard I've worked over the past year, and how hard I'll have to work in the future. 

Me and Molly Soda

Finally met the incredible Bao Ngo

Rachel & her mom, Mother Pigeon Brooklyn

Alice!

Although I was not able to meet up with David Remnick, we did take a class field trip to The New Yorker offices, which was a dream come true. The New Yorker was one of the first publications I remember reading, so it was definitely a full-circle experience to be able to walk around the offices.

It wasn't just business though. I had the pleasure to go to a ton of museums and galleries, including the Whitney, MoMA, Mmuseumm, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. One of my favorite galleries was The Flag Art Foundation in Chelsea. While I was there, they had an exhibition entitled "Dime Store Alchemy" which was inspired by Joseph Campbell. The concept was to "elevate everyday objects through the framing devices of cabinets, shelves, and containers." As a huge fan of Cornell and the importance of ordinary objects, I found the exhibit absolutely enthralling. Portia Munson's piece, Pink Project, Bedroom, did not disappoint. It was visually stunning, but in a way that felt confrontational and provocative while simultaneously drawing on the familiar and nostalgic.

The Fordham Lincoln Center campus dorms (where I stayed) were also nearby the iconic Hotel Empire.

And lastly, although arguably not as intellectually stimulating as the other activities above, I did have an amazing time at Magnum New York. Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely adore Magnum white chocolate ice cream bars, so being able to make my own was certainly a highlight of my trip. (I got vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, edible rose petals, mini marshmallows, and sugar crystals if you care.)