Clock ticks past 10.

The moon is but a bright speck in the evening sky.

Time to sleep they say.

The trees sway with the evening breeze.

The rustle of leaves and grass.

Windows open.

Peace.

Goodnight.

Why wait for that perfect moment?

Life is so short. People are considered old at 70.

Why wait?

Don’t let your dreams stay on the back burner.

For 20 quickly becomes 30 and so forth.

30, 35, 50, 85.

Only thing that is guaranteed is that we will get old and lose sight of our former dreams.

Why not embrace old age knowing you lived life to the absolute fullest?

Live. Don’t die internally before you’ve even expired physically.

For time is not on your side.

Stars glisten above the bright lights of the city.

The honking of horns as people rush to get home to their families.

Through all the rush, never forget to look up.

For there is beauty in the heavens, pitch black but for not the twinkling lights.

Peace and quiet in this crazy city.

Never forget to look up.

1. Starbucks

2. MacBook Air

3. Boat Shoes

4. Blue clothing

5. Chunky Glasses

6. Bud Light

7. “LOL” “JK”

8. Food selfies

9. Selfies

10. Flip flops

11. Ray Bans

12. Dave Matthews Band

13. Nickelback

14. “Uptown Funk”

15. “Welcome to New York”

16. Cronuts

17. “Totes” when you’re OVER 30.

18. Facebook

19. HTML5 mobile apps (like really?)

20. Still watch “American Idol”, “X Factor” or “The Voice”.

The icy wind that once beckoned you to stay bundled up in bed is gone.

The leaves have been reborn.

The sun that once set at 5, now sets at 7.

Kids and adults alike fill the parks.

It’s Spring! Time to break out of a million layers of clothes.

Goodbye Winter!

Outdoor cafes, live music concerts.

Can it get any better?

Why, yes, it can.

SUMMER!

1. It’s (Almost) Always the Spouse

As an avid viewer of “48 Hours” for the last decade, I’ve come to the conclusion that 90–95% of the criminals are the spouses. Life insurance plan RIGHT before the murder occurs? Yep, that’s your perp!

2. Otherwise, it’s the Kid’s Fault

If not the spouse, ALWAYS look at the children. “48 Hours” has featured some crazy stories where the kids are the murderers. There’s always the story of the “perfect family” that is anything but. Which brings me to…

3. “Perfect Family” Stories Are the Craziest and Saddest

For some reason, it’s always one thing (almost always financial) that causes a “perfect family” to go downhill. Loss of a job, heavy debt, uncontrollable spending can push a person over the edge.

4. NEVER, EVER Get on a Cruise Ship

I’ve seen too many “48 Hours” episodes to know that one should never get on a cruise ship for fear of being tossed overboard and any trace of you being wiped out as a result. Just don’t do it. Ditto “Dateline”, etc. for highlighting this.

5. Circumstantial Evidence Is Frustrating

Without a body, the murder weapon, or compelling DNA, the “smoking gun” is rarely found in these cases. Rather, in over half the cases I’ve seen, it’s moreso a matter of circumstances; who is most likely to be the killer. However, this usually leads to a half hour of hair-pulling frustration. Too many “ifs” and “buts” to weigh in a one-hour show WITH commercials.

6. Verdicts That Seem Unjust Stay With You for A Long Time

The Ryan Ferguson case shocked me in the injustice of it all. It really woke me up to the fact that the judicial system is not perfect by any means. People do fall through the cracks and it can cost them a decade of their life to get their freedom back.

7. California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Colorado

The cases seem to feature heavily in these five states. For Nevada, it’s obvious why. It seems like every four episodes is based in Las Vegas! Colorado has its magestic mountains and small, rural towns. California of course has Los Angeles with a ton of stories about Hollywood dreams never realized. A ton of cases originate in Texas and Florida. A LOT. The craziest cases are from Alaska though, the one or two that I’ve ever seen.

8. Victim Impact Statements

I first heard of this term a few years back while watching an episode. This occurs when the victim’s family addresses the guilty party, one at a time. It’s raw and incredibly emotional.

9. Interviews with the Jury After the Verdict

This is so important because it gives the viewer a chance to understand the rationale of the folks that made the ultimate decision. It’s perfect for cases where there is very little DNA evidence and the case rests almost entirely on circumstantial evidence. Getting to know the psyche of those in the jury really enlightens the viewer about what the evidence and testimonies meant to them.

10. Appearances Are Deceiving

The best lesson that I’ve learned from my years of watching this show is that appearances are so deceiving. The crazies tend to come in different shapes and sizes and are often not who you assume them to be. Basically, don’t trust anyone.

You only have 24 hours a day to live your life and 7–8 hours of it is spent sleeping. That leaves you with a grand total of 16 hours to move your life forward today. Okay, 3 hours may be spent commuting to and from work and eating three square meals a day. That leaves you with a magical 13 hours to push your life forward. Oh, you have errands to do? Don’t have a car and rely on public transportation? Live in a massive, expensive city? Have to pay rent too? 3 hours later. Oh, that person you really like just “favorited” your Tweet AND “liked” your Instagram snap! 2 hours later you manage to pry your cold hands off the phone… to hop onto your laptop to read up on the latest watercooler news. Oh, gotta read my Buzzfeed and reminisce about my fading youth. I really enjoy watching old people react to inane things that will surely elicit a hilarious reaction. Oh, that video just went viral… along with 20 others this week! YouTube, here I come! 5 hours later. I still have 3 hours to text people I haven’t seen in years but are best buds online!!! Oh heck, why not take some SELFIES?! Man, I’m kinda tired. Oh well…tomorrow, I’ll start “living” my life.

I first heard of Keane while watching a 2005 SNL episode hosted by none other than Paris Hilton. The skits were so-so, but the musical act was incredible. Their music was so honest and emotional. That band was Keane. In the decade since, their four albums have defined my high school, college and post-grad years, with lyrics waxing poetic about the ups and downs of relationships, families, expectations, growing up, finding one’s calling and ultimately, finding true happiness. Their greatest hits album (pictured in the background), sounds like a personal walk down memory lane. Keane songs tend to start solemnly before crescendoing into an incredible climax. Tom Chaplin has one of the best rock voices of the past 20 years, rivaling the likes of Steve Perry with his vocal range and power. The incredible melodies and songwriting from their resident “genius”, Mr. Tim Rice-Oxley, definitely lifts their music above the usual cliched, “down-on-my-luck” music that many bands chase for a cheap hit. A great Keane song is “Everybody’s Changing”, a song that defined my senior year in high school. Just the idea that after June, everyone would be on their individual paths, unlikely to ever return to that building again. “Disconnected” is a great song about estrangement, be it from a friend or a loved one. It perfectly illustrates the frustrations and hopelessness that can arise from a friendship or relationship that has run its course or that has a distant possibility of being on solid terms again.

I find myself listening to their first two albums more than their last two. However, my favorite album by them is “Night Train”. I remember buying this EP at the local, now-defunct “Borders, Books and Music”. They used to have listening booths and this was Keane at their wackiest and most experimental, pushing the limits of the “pop/rock” genre with added elements of electronica. This was 2008. I was in college and the Obama Campaign was defining the lives of everyone in my age group. This idea that anything was possible, even a dance record liked “Spiralling” from the likes of “that” band Keane, seemed to be coming into fruition.

Their fourth album, Perfect Symmetry, continued their experimentation with electronica and the results were awesome! I love “The Lovers are Losing” and “Perfect Symmetry”, the latter which I listened to on a daily basis while in college at UVA. Being surrounded by wealthy people seemingly living “perfect lives”, this song was incredibly cathartic in showing that hey, you can live an imperfect life because perfection is boring and you should always strive to live outside a small, safe box, especially when you’re young. Perfection is impossible and also very boring. Which leads me to their greatest hits album (technically their fifth album), featuring the track “Won’t Be Broken”, a song that spurred me on in my time at NYC. This provided me with the strength I needed to survive and thrive in a brutal, ever-expensive city and showed me that I am tough and can make it on my own there.

Fast forward to 2014 and today. Keane is on hiatus with Tom Chaplin set to release a solo record next year. I haven’t listened to their music since I returned to the suburbs after living in NYC for two years. I can’t wait for their next album, whenever that may be, as well as the opportunity to see them live one day. They’ve defined much of my teens and twenties and I hope they continue to make music that defines my later adult years.

More happy songs please!

We live in such a fast-paced world where you’re expected to be connected and available at all times. I want to go back to the days of the mid-2000s. You know, back when you could literally turn off the world by putting your phone on silent mode. Phones were made for calling, right? I guess not. Don’t get me wrong. I love the convenience that comes with being connected and I do believe that social media does play an important role in many facets of one’s life: personal, career, etc., but something has to give! That’s the main reason why I would hate to be a celebrity. The sheer work that comes with having to be overexposed to the public in order to maintain one’s waning and temporary notoriety. Just think about all of those social media accounts you have to maintain! Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, and the list goes on and on. Imagine being a world-renowned celebrity! Every region seems to have their own version of Facebook and Twitter. One would have to hire several social media “consultants” or a polyglot to handle all the “noise” that one has to broadcast and respond to in order to survive today’s 24-hour, “famous today, an afterthought tomorrow” news cycle.

With that said, relax people. The world will be there when you check your email again in 5 minutes, or the latest status updates from your social media “friends”. Disconnect every once in a while. Take a walk through the park. Read a book, a physical one. Paint a picture, on a real canvas. Write, with a real pen. Speak to someone, in person. You just might find that sometimes, social media can wait. It’ll be there when I return to it… after this post.

When you’re young, idealistic, and naive, the city can be intoxicating with its promise of fortune and that wholly coveted “interesting life” that every kid in the suburb (or at least I) dreamed of. My reality ended up being a basement apartment (very large by NYC standards) way out in the “un-hip” part of Brooklyn. You know, the “affordable” part that still evokes “old Brooklyn” with its corner bakery shops and dollar stores. To me, this was not the NYC I envisioned for myself. I thought I would live in Downtown Manhattan, living the rest of my youth in a flash of good times and incredible memories. Somehow, trudging laundry a mile to the nearest laundromat in sub-zero temps was not my idea of “making it”. That paired with the realization that barring winning the lottery or becoming famous, the likelihood of that “big life” I wanted would not come… ever.

What I gained instead in my two years in NYC was a deep well of strength from just the daily grind of living in a massive, oftentimes soulless city. I became incredibly resourceful and brave at a time when I most needed it. I went to places and met people I would never have met if I had stayed and “coasted” in the suburbs. In that sense, I did “make it”. However, I’ve always had an internal timer at the back of my head, always pushing me to the next stage of my life, wherever that may be. In March of this year, I left the city that I once loved, a city I formerly would have given anything to “make it” in. That was in the past. It’s funny how time, especially when you’re young, can push you towards a different direction from the life you were “absolutely” going to have.

Last month, I returned to NYC… as a tourist. It’s funny. Before I moved to NYC, I used to envy those who lived there, leading incredibly “interesting” lives. I mean, look at this background! It wasn’t until I met “average” New Yorkers that I realized how hard life in New York truly is. When I returned to NYC this past summer, I was merely someone who “used to” live here. I recognized familiar faces along landmarks that had defined my time here. However, in many ways, this wasn’t “my city” anymore. No, I live back in the suburbs, where I was born and raised. What I gained from my two years in “the city” was a sense of courage that I had never had before. It has completely transformed my life and I will always look back at those couple of years as pivotal for the “life change” that came as a result of it. My life is abundantly better than it ever was in NYC, but that’s the point I guess. Very few people move to “that” city and stay. In your 20s, it’s easy. In your 30s and 40s, not so much.

So, to my former “city”, I say this. You were harsh, dirty, flawed and ultimately the best thing to have ever happened to me. I’ll give you that, and frankly, that is more than I could have asked for.