Run or Dye (aka. A Color Run)

I’m not a morning person. I do not take morning classes, and while I do prefer working early shifts to enjoy the rest of my day, I find myself not having as much energy as I’d like to enjoy my friends company, work on my hobbies, or do homework after work.   But today I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and headed to MetLife Stadium to participate in Run or Dye with my mother, Jen, and Angel.   As we raced to the finish line, the colored corn starch in each color station left the sky above us in a cloudy rainbow (it did not taste very well…). Jenn accidentally threw the dyed corn starch in my mouth about two times, but I couldn’t get mad, I was too busy having fun!   The after party had everyone dancing, throwing their color packets, and singing along to epic songs, like Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'”.The most amazing part of participating in the event was feeling the love from everyone there, it radiated throughout the entire parking lot! It felt so great seeing my mother dance and smile, I’m glad she was able to experience this with me, because I enjoy bringing out the kid in her. After the party ended, we volunteered to help the staff clean the area by picking up trash and bringing down the Run or Dye banners. If you haven’t participated in a color run, I suggest you place that in your bucket list to complete by the end of the summer, you won’t regret it, trust me!  It’s the most happiest 5k you’ll ever experience!

Intern Mingle

As if I could not think or brag enough about interning for such an awesome non-profit organization, Friday topped the icing on my cake! After interning all day, a group of interns, the Head of Fun, and I attended the Intern Mingle I organized. We had pizza and drinks at the office, where the CEO joined us and asked many of us if we were returning for the summer (obviously, yes!). We hung out at Dave & Busters all night, laughing, socializing, and enjoying each others company. Before leaving the office, I asked Katie to take a photo of the group in the lobby, and of course, our CEO, Nancy Lublin, photobombed us!

 

Conversing with Lublin and the group made me feel so honored to work with such smart, witty people (and to work for an inspiring, educated, hard working CEO). I am so grateful to have found such a unique, quirky team to work with and learn from, I know I won’t be able to find this anywhere else. I hope to intern with them for the rest of the year and eventually turn this into a job opportunity (*fingers crossed*). A HUGE thanks to Katie, she is one unique, amazing advisor and has taught me so much about the HR field! I cannot wait until the next intern mingle!

Good Deeds Day

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” -Shakespeare

If you enjoy volunteering and giving back to your community, you know nothing feels greater to give back to those in need. I’ve always admired those who dedicate their lives to volunteering for the greater good and I’ve always felt it was something I’d love to do. I’ve volunteered here and there and have always wished to do something more, but it has always been difficult for me since I attend school full-time, work part-time, and intern in the city two days out of the week. Thankfully, the interns in the office received in email asking if we would like to volunteer on March 5, for Good Deeds Day in New York City. Obviously, I said yes (after asking my advisor of course!), and was even more ecstatic that a couple of the people I met at the office were also joining me!

On the day of, I met with Sebastian, Mallory, and Mallory’s friend Villi at the train station where we walked to Times Square to check in and catch the unveiling of the Good Deeds Day bus.

After all of the photos and videos were taken, all of the volunteers headed on the bus to our first stop of the day. We stopped at the Grand Street Settlement Day Care Center to read with children in several classrooms. Some of the children were very shy, others were brave and outgoing. The greatest part about this first stop was being able to interact with all of the children and observe how they opened up to us after reading several books. The second stop we participated with other volunteers to paint a mural at a community center in the west side. On the third stop, we created pillow cases and flags for children who were living with cancer. Sebastian, Mallory, Villi, and I were not able to complete the other events for Good Deeds Day, but it was an incredible success. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to experience something like this with such great people.

One of the best highlights of the day had to be on the Good Deeds Day bus, traveling from the first stop to the second stop. My intern friends and I thought it would be a great idea to imitate the ever so famous Oscar selfie by having everyone on the bus partake in our selfie. Before counting to three, I told everyone to create a heart with their hands since it was a day of spreading love. I was astounded that these older people were so cooperative and excited to try something new, it made my heart melt!

If you haven’t volunteered, I recommend you find a cause you’re truly passionate about, and give it a try. It’s important to give back to your community or those in need-it’s important to make a difference in this cold, weary world. It feels so rewarding to know that you’ve made someone’s day, and that you may have been the reason they were able to smile or feel good inside. After this experience, I’ll make sure to make much more of an effort to volunteer for several of the causes I’m extremely passionate about. I cannot wait to spread positive vibes, one volunteering experience at a time!

My commute to my internship is better than yours! Here’s why…

As I continue my commute to the internship of my dreams (sigh), I have taken note of a couple of things:

• Bring an umbrella (just in case)
• Dress for the weather (seriously, you’ll regret it if you don’t!)
• Know where you’re walking (unless you’re prepared to get run over by brisk New York walkers!)
• New York Penn Station will always be a mad house during rush hour (you’ll be dodging many people en route to your destination and that’s okay)
• Always try a different route to work (you never know what cool stores or restaurants you may discover on the way)

But most importantly…

• Keep your phone in your bag while you’re walking/on the train/in a taxi (you get the point)

Traveling to New York these past couple of weeks have been amazing! I wake up on Wednesdays and Fridays with so much energy and excitement, that it surprises my mother (I’m not a morning person…and I don’t know if I ever will be)! I enjoy my 35-minute train rides, even when they’re delayed, because I know exactly where I’m headed. I take pride in my stride to the office; the people, buildings, flashing lights and fast-paced city life inspire me. But there’s one thing I’ve noticed on my commute that really bothers me: people using their cellular devices while walking.

This isn’t just happening in the city, it’s happening everywhere! I’ll admit, I am a human tailgater (and I’m sorry! But I’ve got places to be, people to see, things to learn and be inspired by!). There are so many people who are on their phones while walking to class or work…it’s extremely upsetting (and rather annoying). As a person who wants to experience everything the world has to offer me (especially while I’m walking), I find it disturbing how obsessive people have become with using their cell phones to browse the web or text all of the time. I mean I get it, we’re living in a digital world now, we’re advancing, people are wired to technology, etc. But do people really have to answer there friends/family/business partners/whomever else while walking? Are the messages that important that you simply just MUST answer while walking (and run into me in the process)? Can’t it just wait till’ you’ve made it to your destination? It’s almost as if these people are suffering from technology/social media anxiety (such things exist)!

On walks to class or work, I keep my phone in my bag and on silent. I find it highly disrespectful to the people walking behind me or in front of me if I were to just pull my phone out and text as I walk.  Being aware of my surroundings is much more important to me than my phone. Not only that, I find much more inspiration by looking up than at my devices screen. There have been countless of times on my commute to the city where I’ve locked eyes with the most beautiful strangers and smiled, found a restaurant I’d add to my list to try out, discovered a store selling really neat vintage clothing and accessories (I’m not a hipster), or took in the nature of New York around me. For those of you who will argue with me and tell me that it all gets old- it doesn’t and it never will. I love my commute to my internship. I’m appreciative of every moment I am able to get up, get ready, and work with such an amazing team in an amazing city. You can feel this, too, if you’re brave enough to  take some risks by following your dreams, discover what drives you and inspires you, and (as less-cheesy as this sounds) let go of your damn phone!

For the people who text while walking, here are a few tips for ya!

• STOP texting while walking (seriously, just stop-it’s just a terrible habit)
• Know that if you don’t discontinue this terrible habit, you’re pissing off other commuters (ahem,me-the human tailgater)
• Focus on what’s around you, let go of that anxiety, you’ll never know what will inspire you or whom you’ll make eye contact with
• Take time throughout your commute to class or work to appreciate your life and those in your life
• Learn to connect with others around you instead of just your phone

For the people who are just addicted to their devices:

• Read a book on your train/taxi ride (it’s a lot more productive)
• Listen to music (it’s therapeutic)
• Connect with a stranger (if they don’t look suspicious and/or crazy)
• Write in a journal (also therapeutic and helps you become a much better writer)
• Sketch in a sketchbook (also therapeutic and you may wind up inspiring yourself!)
• Meditate (I don’t need an explanation for this!)

In highlight of this topic/post, here is a photo I was able to take on my commute back home from the city. It was a muggy, rainy night, but the lights and traffic around me seemed to dance all around me. As I took everything in, I happened to look up at New York’s iconic building- the Empire State Building. I gazed at this stunning building while waiting for my right to cross the street, amazed, inspired, and truly thankful for this moment in time. Sometimes it never hurts to look up, ya never know what will inspire you next!

Day One of My Dream Internship!

I have not used this account in awhile (my apologies, I’ve been a very busy Bea). But I am working on keeping this thing updated for myself and for my future followers. It’s 2014 and with that came an entirely new beginning for me. After applying to a dozen companies and receiving some rejection letters, I finally received an email from DoSomething.org for the spring internship position I had applied for. This was the second time I applied for the internship and after not receiving any callbacks from the other companies I had applied to, I was feeling extremely discouraged. That is until  DoSomething.org contacted me! If you follow me on Twitter and are friends with me on Facebook, you would see how many of their photos or news I share with everyone. I’ve admired this nonprofit organization for so long, I am absolutely in love with their involvement with teens and amazing causes. Making a difference in the world is something I have always been passionate about, and now I am able to experience it, by interning for DoSomething.org this spring as the Intern of Fun!

Though it was a rough start to the week with the snow/ice storms we’ve had, I finally made it to the office on Friday- and did I mention that the office has a disco ball and a Pac-Man machine?! How AWESOME is that?! As I arrived to the building, I found this beautiful bike in front of the building with a beautiful message- so I took a picture of it (I was feeling inspired). While taking the photo I thought: Why not take a photo (or two) of my commute to my internship? Whether I find something that inspires me on my daily commute to and from New York, from a fellow intern or advisor, or something in the office- I feel it is important to capture what inspires me as much as I can throughout this internship (and on the daily) and document it so I can look back at the amazing things I learned and people I’ve met.

But back to the main point: my first day. I love how quirky and unique each staff member is, especially my advisor, the Head of Fun! Everyone is so welcoming and humbling! It’s such a different environment, no one has their own office or cubicle, everyone works together, as a team, which is something I believe in!

I had lunch with two great interns, I scoffed at how one of them perfected eating their burrito without dropping any of it on the table or floor. We also spoke about where we are from and what colleges we attend. I also made a couple of corny jokes- A for effort though, right? I’ll get better at jokes (just kidding, I won’t, and I’m okay with that because I still make them laugh- but with me or at me is the REAL question!)….

After lunch I worked on a couple of tasks that the Head of Fun had assigned for me through this really neat website called Trello! Seriously, think virtual post-it notes, but cooler! I read my first issue of The Tissue Issue, something I’ll go over as I create my first one for the team! Once work came to an end, I walked with one of the interns to New York Penn Station to head back home. Throughout that entire walk, I smiled. I smiled and realized, this is how I want to feel leaving work- HAPPY!

Visit Seaside Heights & Celebrate my mom’s 1 year breast cancer survival

July was a pretty successful month, I was able to complete all of my resolutions and celebrate my 22nd birthday.  But the highlight of July was celebrating my mom’s one year breast cancer survivor anniversary.

On July 19th, 2012, my mother had her lumpectomy operation, followed by 44 radiation sessions and a hysterectomy months later.My mother and I have always been close, but ever since her diagnosis, we have become inseparable. My friends know that I talk about my mother constantly and I hope they never get tired of it because they all know she means so much to me, she is my best friend, my everything.

I did not want her to feel alone in this battle so I made sure to keep her uplifted and happy. We registered a team of 20 for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure in Central Park, I surprised her with an all pink benefit dinner to help pay her medical bills- anything you can think of, I’ve done it for her. It was a difficult year for the both of us, but we pulled through together.

I was surprised (but excited) that my mom actually wanted to celebrate her one year anniversary. Throughout the year (and even now) she has received anonymous gifts at our home, some were books of survivors, fairy warrior princesses, and survivor shirts. She was happy about them at first, but after awhile she broke down and said, “the gifts are thoughtful and I’m very appreciative of the support and the gifts but they’re a reminder of everything that I’ve been going through and it’s all so overwhelming.”

Although her anniversary is a reminder in itself, we decided to surprise her with several things to have her look at the positive aspect of it (her support system!). We drove to the city to have lunch in a hot pink escalade/limo. I surprised her with a hot pink ribbon shaped cake and a T-shirt specifically designed for her celebration, which she very much enjoyed. As we drove around the city, my mother smiled and proudly showed strangers her shirt as they took pictures of us all in the limo.

The celebration continued at Seaside Heights in the evening. My mother and I wanted to encounter Sandy’s aftermath. Nostalgia hit us strong as we walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed freshly squeezed lemonade and fried Oreos. Sandy did a great deal of damage to Seaside and probably will never look as I remembered it when I celebrated my previous birthdays there. But I do hope next summer Seaside is up and running because I’m a huge fan of the shore- not because of a show that was broadcasted on MTV, but because I’ve made great memories with the people I love.

Needless to say, I was able to accomplish two things from my July list and make my mother happy. I hope my mother would want to celebrate her survival every year, as I feel it will help her conquer future obstacles that may come our way. I love my mother very much and will always be grateful for everything she has done for me, we share a bond that not many mother and daughters share with each other today. Happy August!

 

 

Create a D-I-Y canvas

After much concentration on the canvas and my hair dryer being aimed at the crayons, I have finally completed my first project. I’ve seen this specific project on various social media sites and have decided to take it upon myself and figure out how to create my own. I’ve always thought they were pretty cool, so why not try it? I tried incorporating seashells that I collected from the Jersey shore, but some of them fell off. Apparently, the glue from the glue-gun I had used for the crayons and seashells did not mesh very well with the heat from the hair dryer. I plan on gluing the shells back on after I’ve painted them with a couple of unused crayons in a bit..

I’m really happy with the outcome of the project and cannot wait to hang it on my wall after I’ve completed painting my room. These resolutions are sure fulfilling, I’m pretty proud of myself for sticking to them this month and I’m feeling so accomplished with everything that I’ve completed so far. Yay!

The process after ten minutes: 

The finishing touches:

 

Bake a rainbow cake

If you haven’t tried it- you’re missing out! This has been the coolest thing so far that I have ever cooked/baked in my life. I love baking cupcakes but this rainbow cake was something else. I looked up a couple of recipes that people have posted online, and found one that I was extremely curious about: using Sprite (yes, the soda) to substitute for the eggs,water, etc. At my first try at this, I decided to go for this recipe, assuming it would come out great. After the cake was complete, it was not what I expected it to look like (needless to say, this is why I will NOT post a picture of it on here, lol). Therefor, I recommend for anyone trying to bake a rainbow cake to please follow the regular instructions if you are not a pro baker!

I finally accomplished the rainbow cake on my second try at it and I was pretty pleased with myself. Make sure to get your friends or family involved while the process is still ongoing because it makes it more fun (I’m all about getting others involved in the projects that I accomplish) and you might even motivate them to try other things on their own.

Here are a few tips when preparing for the baking process:

• Make sure to purchase a flat pan ( that way the batter comes out evenly and smoothly unto the pan and the colors are spread out)
• Purchase food coloring, any food coloring
• Purchase the WHITE CAKE mix (not vanilla, not funfetti)
• Follow the directions with the food coloring
• Make sure to pour the batter in each cup EVENLY
• Try purchasing a really fun bright colored icing to make the cake pop even more (they’ve got a hot pink vanilla icing at Target)

HAVE FUN!!

 

Enjoy my vacation in Bermuda with my best friend and family ♥

Departure from: Bayonne, New Jersey

Estimated Arrival: Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Bermuda

So our family vacation was a success! We boarded Celebrity Summit, a very different cruise line that took some adjustment because we were so used to the Carnival cruise lines, but we survived! The two days out at sea were a bit of a drag, but I’m thankful my best friend joined me on the journey because it gave us a chance to bond and include my mother on the fun activities the ship had to offer (it was also her first time on a cruise).

Bermuda was such an incredible experience. We arrived on Wednesday morning and were scheduled to leave Friday afternoon, giving us plenty of time to explore the island. The first day we took a bus to Horseshoe Bay Beach, where I was able to play in the pink sand and soak up some of the sun. Jenn, my mother, and I ventured off to different areas of the beach, discovering caves and sharp cliffs. The greatest moment of that day was watching my mother climb a cliff and jump straight into the salty teal water. Never have I encountered my mother conquer a fear of hers (she was afraid of heights and anything that had to do with water, as she did not know how to swim very well). But as she jumped a second time from the cliff, I sat there, astonished at the fact that I was more chicken to jump from it than she was.

We walked back to shore to lie out and admire the ocean view. As I lay next to my mother, Jenn asked, “What has gotten into you? Never have I once imagined you jumping off a cliff! And yet you jumped off and it took Beatrice and I awhile to do it!” I agreed with Jenn and added that she was also afraid of many things, especially roller coasters (it’s the height issue). “After everything I’ve been through this past year with breast cancer, lumpectomy operation and radiation sessions, I’ve decided to conquer my fears. When I head back home, they need to find what the lump in my right breast is, so I figured what the hell- I might have to undergo another operation for it and my time is now, I want to do things I’ve never imagined myself doing,” my mother said.

She didn’t notice, but tears trickled down my face as she spoke, because it was at that moment where I was just SO PROUD of her! I was watching my mother rise from her own ashes, like a phoenix, and become such a courageous, fearless person. I had a feeling deep down that Nick Nikias, an old friend who passed away from cancer just a year ago, had something to do with this. Nikias was edging her on to jump off the cliff, to face her fears and guide her towards happiness. I truly thank Nikias for that.

The next two days we stayed close to the ship and shopped around for souvenirs and speak with the locals at Snorkel Bay beach. We experienced a beach party with Bermudians as well! Everyone was so friendly and so caring; the weather was perfect- I did not want to leave! After boarding the ship Friday afternoon, we watched the ship move away from Bermuda on the top deck. Here, we all took time to reflect on everything we accomplished throughout the week: we partook in zumba for a cause, where the proceeds went to The Breast Cancer Foundation, we danced each and every night at the club to the point where guests of the ship would recognize us and compliment us all on our dancing skills, we were even grateful to view a couple of Broadway shows the ship had scheduled for us.

Caribbean’s, I will be seeing you next summer ❤

With Love,

Beatrice Rivera

 

Color Me RU (a.k.a. The Color Run of Rutgers)

Last Friday I was able to cross off “The Color Run” experience from my bucket list. Rutgers University has taught me through this event that they truly do provide so much for their students, especially if you’re interested in getting involved. I figured it was time to start experiencing what the university offers me before I graduate. Looking back on this day, I knew this was something I knew I had to attend again- but with my family and friends.

We started off with registration, where we received vibrant shades to cover our eyes from the colored cornstarch and a neat bandana. Once registering, there was an open field for the students, families and friends that offered free refreshments (fried Oreos, ice cream and our very own KnightWagon- YUM!), a tie-dye station, live performances, inflatable obstacle courses, and a photo-booth to take pictures with our mascot, the Scarlet Knight. The run started shortly after where everyone lined up in a sea of white tee’s. There were volunteers along the way that motivated us to keep running as well as five different color stations (my favorite color stations had to be blue and purple)!

We started off in white and ended the run in so much color (and an after party)! As I ran, I saw so many contagious smiles on students faces and thought: This was the best way to end the semester. I had a tough transfer year at Rutgers and have not been doing my best because I had a difficult time adjusting (I’m going through transfer shock), but this has inspired me to start off the next semester doing great things. This was the first time the university created an event like this but I hope they continue it as I deem it a successful experience.

I am now registering a team for The Color Run in August with my friends and family. If you haven’t experienced this- you must do so as soon as possible! Especially if you want to experience a surrounding filled with nothing but positivity! If you’re interested for more information on The Color Run, go to http://www.thecolorrun.com and view the videos- they will convince you to attend, trust me!