Trading Snow for Palm Trees
Emily Kim
Editor-in-Chief
Instead of shoveling inches of snow from my driveway this winter break, I got to soak up the sun in The Sunshine State, also known as Florida. Don’t get me wrong, I still lay in bed binge watching Netflix and watching the snowflakes fall outside my window. But I got the chance to put that routine on pause for four days and spend my days on the beach, and my nights listening to the waves crash outside my Florida window.
To the people who live in Florida, 60 degrees was practically snow season to them. People were wearing sweats, hats, scarves and even Uggs; you would think we were back in NY. And then there were my girlfriends and me wearing skirts and opened toed shoes. We were also one of not too many groups of people laying on the beach in bikinis trying to get a little tan. But we were enjoying every minute of it because anything was better than being back in the NY cold.
Everyone needs a little vacation in their busy lives, I was lucky enough to spend mine with palm trees and the beach.
Exactly What I Needed
Sophia Devito
Staff Writer
This past winter break wasn’t as fun as it normally is. At the beginning of break I spent a lot of time with my family. Since I have a large family, we normally go to my grandma’s or my uncle’s house for dinner and to hang out. During the day it was so cold, and it made me not want to leave the house. I didn’t get any hours at work because I work at a dress boutique, and after the holidays business usually slows down until March. And to top it off, one of my best friends came home for only two weeks the entire break, so I didn’t get to see her as much as I would have liked too.
I hung out with a few of my other friends and went to a few parties while home, but for the most part I was home or shopping. My mom and I spent a ridiculous amount of time walking around Target — which is nothing out of the ordinary. Most days were spent hanging around the house, doing homework for the online winter course I took and hanging out with my dog. It wasn’t wild and crazy like the past few winter breaks have been, but it was definitely relaxing, which was exactly what I needed.
The Silence Before the Storm
Kristine Giurco
Staff Writer
I spent this past winter break on Long Island. My time at home was more relaxing than entertaining. Since I don’t have a job at home I had a lot of free time to do absolutely nothing. As you can imagine, this got redundant after a few weeks. Some days when my friends were busy, I would lay on the couch waiting for my parents to get home from work.
Winter break was the silence before the storm. The storm is spring semester and my last semester of college. These next few months rank high in importance and require my full attention. Once I learned how bored I was during winter break, I realized I should embrace the calm while I can. I started to drive down to Jones Beach everyday around the time of the sunset. My friends and I would sit on the icy sand and watch the sky turn orange.
The Finest Moments in New York City
Carla Pimentel
Web Editor
Winter break is the prime-time for binge watching Netflix series. During the break, I binge watched “Call Girls,” “The Crown”, “Black Mirror”, “Big Mouth” and “Peaky Blinders.” Accompanied by my mom, dog and ginger-lemon tea, each night felt like the ideal self-care day. The most eventful day took part in the heart of New York City, where I got to march with thousands of women to protest for equality. The Women’s March was one of the most empowering events I have been apart of.
Aside from marching and binge watching, I had a matcha latte for the first time at Cha Cha Matcha in Manhattan. They offer strawberry and mocha lattes, ice cream and croissants. My favorite is the matcha-filled croissant. This trip to Manhattan ended at a Teksupport rave in Brooklyn, which debuted TESTPILOT, deadmau5’s techno alter-ego.
Going out for dinner with friends and simply watching TV with my mom was the perfect combination for the start of a new year and the transition into my spring semester of college.
Matcha Me Up
Victoria Torres
Staff Writer
For all of winter break, I had Matcha, the new trendy drink of the Internet, on my mind. Mixed in skin care, food and beverages, Matcha is a fine powder made from processed green tea leaves. Concealed in a little nook, Matcha Bar is like a green heaven located on a dark, trash ridden, moist Manhattan W 15th Street, where those in search of the new phenomenon can get their fix.
I guzzled the Rose Matcha blend, which included Rose water, matcha powder and hemp milk. My green beverage had real rose petals on top. Earthy, frothy and light, this particular concoction from Matcha Bar had exceeded my expectations. My partner in crime settled for the Almond Matcha latte (pictured below). Matcha, almond milk and honey all blend together to create this creamy and soothing beverage. Matcha Bars baristas are the craft brewers of the cafe industry. It’s my best winter-break discovery.
Productivity for the Win
John Peralta
Multimedia Editor
What I did over break?
I could sit here and lie to you saying I had a wonderful time during break, but that unfortunately was not the case. The time however, did give me an opportunity to look ahead. I worked a job that I had no interest in resuming, but the benefits and pay were great, so I couldn’t refuse. During my time working, I knew for a fact that this was something that I immediately did not want to do right out of college. Even if the job was just temporary, I knew that I shouldn’t become comfortable in an environment where growth and individuality take a backseat.
My photography definitely took a blow due to the lack of time that I had, not to mention I was also taking an online class. I will tell you this though, I used my time productively and made sure to make the most of what I had. Sometimes you have to make something out of nothing.
APN 