Goddess of.. MBA Rugby World Cup!

Tomorrow's the day!

I'm headed to Washington, D.C. where I'll hang out during the afternoon and meet up with Nick at night when his flight comes in from Paris. Woohoo :)

We'll stay the night in Washington before driving down to Danville, VA on Friday where the rugby games and excessive drinking will begin!

Can't wait to turn my brain off, see my boyfriend, drink many beers and cheer on this rugby team for a weekend. Wahoo!

Catch you later bloggies,

Goddess of.. I'm Going to Portugal & France! + Giveaway Winner

It's a done deal, girlfriends. The boy (we'll call him Nick) booked our plane tickets to Portugal yesterday and this morning, I booked my flight to Paris. Such exciting (yet terrifiying) adventures, don't you think?


The Skeptic in me still doubts that this is happening but the Romantic in me is researching the best beaches, romantic hotels, fun bars & gourmet restaurants. I've only taken one vacation with a boy in my lifetime: my ex Miguel and I went to Florida in 2007. It was fun & exciting with a side of bickering. But this time, it's completely different.

Everything is new and exciting. I've spent very little time with this guy, yet we like each other a lot and want to get to know one another. Sure, this could be a disaster (says the Skeptic) but it could also be a vacation I'll never forget & the start of a great story, the kind you only see in the movies (says the Romantic).

It could also be somewhere half-way in the middle, neither mind-blowing nor totally disastrous (says the Realist). We'll see :) only time will tell. But either way, I'll get to visit Portugal & France!

Also, I CANNOT WAIT to meet Andrea of @FranceHappened, it feels like it's gonna be one of those love at first sight stories.. because let's face it, she's incredible!


I leave you with an excerpt of adorableness from the boy: 

Nick: Ummmm how light do you usually travel lol? I need to know if you'll need checked bags.
Me: I wanna travel light but I don't know if I can fit absolutely everything in a single carry-on. Maybe, if I put everything in my suitcase and just hold my passport/boarding pass in my hand? Could be doable.

Another e-mail later...

Nick: So we're booked for Portugal! I got us 1 checked bag each (I think I can manage without hehe, the second one is just in case you go a *little* overboard ! :P )

Oh wow, it's cute how he knows me (or all women). The extra luggage will be awesome and I'm glad I didn't have to ask. He's taken initiative with every step of this booking process and I love that!

And now, for the Eden Fantasys Giveaway Draw

*Drum roll*

The lucky winner is:

Send me an e-mail at aritza.goddess@gmail.com and we will contact you to give you your prize!

Goddess of.. Found the Apartment, Signed the Lease!

I am so unbelievably excited!!!

This day has been such a blessing :)

First, I visited an apartment in the coolest part of town last night and I fell in love with it. It's right next to one of the biggest parks in town (kind of like our "central park") and it's just perfect for me!

And today, well I got my bonus at work. I exceeded my objectives for the first quarter this year and got 6 on 5 for most things. Which means I got an even higher bonus than it's generally possible!! Wooot woot!!

That money's gonna come in handy, considering that I also got a call today from my future landlord telling me that I got the apartment :) !!! They had several applicants / offers but I was first and I guess they trust me to be their quiet & adorable new tenant.

I am dying with excitement, I could pee my pants (but I won't). And I'm sorry if this post makes absolutely no sense, but I had to put pen to paper (or rather keyboard to screen) about this.

Goddess of .. My Little Miracle Workers !

Bloggies, you guys ROCK !

Thanks to everyone who crossed their fingers, toes, hair and eyes.. 

.. said a little prayer .. 

and knocked on wood for me ...

I GOT THE JOB !!!

  

I start on monday :) 

Hahaha, so amazing, I'm actually making a living as a writer now !

Full-time job as a web editor 

for a company that publishes a newsletter weekly

featuring the very best travel deals available

online for that week !

It's awesome, 

I was basically spending my days

 comparing travel deals online anyway :)

So now I get to search & write about the deals I find 

& I'll be getting paid for it !

After a year at a crappy job that I really hated &

8 months of (semi)-unemployment, I finally found something that I think will make me happy !

YAY me !

 

Goddess of .. If You Could Be Anything

I woke up in a really good mood today. I was having a silly dream and Mr. Unreliable was in it. He's kinda short and a little fat .. and he was running to catch up to someone .. and he looked silly. I was laughing at him (I'm a meanie, I know) and I was laughing so hard .. that I woke up. So, that put me in a good mood, lol !

Anywowzer, I've been busy at home. Until yesterday, I was elbow-deep in papers and stupid little nic nacs as I tried to get some order in my "office" and bedroom. My parents split up last year and now they are getting around to dividing their assets, mainly, the houses. Soooo, to make a really long story short, my mom hired an evaluator to establish the value of our home.. and he came yesterday morning. Obviously, we had to do a major clean up and put everything in order. So that's that.. we're just getting out of that. It looks amazing now though, so I'm really happy !

Other than that, I still haven't received a call for an interview. I have applied to a bunch of places that are interesting (in commercial or labour/employment law) but no news.. I've been unemployed for 3 weeks now. Wow, time flies.

Also, I have been questionning myself (for years) about what I really wanna do. Most people know right away, riiiight ??

- I like cooking and baking, I think I could like being a pastry chef.

- I like food and being judgemental, I think I could be a food critic.
But really, the odds of that happening are quite slim.

- I like travelling and sleeping in hotel beds, I think I could be a hotel critic.
Haha, again, odds are slim.

- I like fashion and design, I think I could be an interior designer.

- I like art and museums, I think I could work in a gallery or be a curator in a museum.

- I like volunteering and helping people, I think I could be a volunteer.
But that doesn't really pay the bills now, does it ?

- I like making money and having good social standing, I think I could put up with being a lawyer for 10 years and then, do whatever it is that I really wanna do. That was the original plan.

Gahhhh, this can drive me crazy. The possibilities just keep spinning in my head. None of them seems like the perfect and obvious choice. I think there must be a career I haven't heard of yet that fits my personality perfectly, right ?? Any ideas ?

If I could be anything in the whole wide world, I would be : HAPPY !

Yeah, that's all I got for now.

If you could be anything, what would YOU be ?

Goddess of .. Snail Mail is the Best Kind of Mail !

And Bloggers are the Best Kind of People !

Seriously.

I got some wonderful snail mail yesterday regarding

Suz's Starbucks giftcard giveaway which I won on Dec. 18th.

Mark your calendars people, that was a great day :o)

I can't believe how lucky I am.

I started reading blogs and blogging in March 2009 and already, I've won 2 giveaways.

The first one being my "Cherry Blossom Girl" print

from a giveaway hosted by JKLdesign & Miss Lizzy Marie.

Anywho, just wanted to thank you, Suz !

The card was very sweet and I loved getting snail mail :o)

I'll be heading to Starbucks this weekend to enjoy some lattes.

Everyone head over to Suz's "30 before 30 List" blog .. you will love it :o)

Goddess of .. Where in The World Wednesday - Volume 2 !

The lovely Jessica @ Classy in Philly started a feature called :

the Where In The World wednesdays !

(click here to see Jessica's destination for this week)

"Basically, each week I will post a new picture of me in some place I've traveled to (or if not me, a photo I took at a place I traveled to).

If a lot of people participate, it will be a fun way to see where some of our favorite bloggers have traveled! It doesn't have to be recent, it doesn't have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just anywhere you consider traveling!"

I haven't been posting this feature regularly yet because it seems like all my good travel pictures are not digital. Can you believe it ? I haven't been traveling to very interesting destinations since cameras started using digital formats. HAHA.. not funny, lol. Mama needs a vacation. Anywho, it might be a while before I decide to scan pictures of my trips to France, Italy or Greece .. so until then, it'll mostly be pictures of little trips around the good 'ole U.S. of A.

Today's feature : My parents offered to take me on a roadtrip accross New England when I turned 18.. and aside from the constant bickering between my parents .. I remember I got to live one of my biggest dreams at the time : Surfing !

I remember being sooooo sore the day after .. my abs and arms were ripping apart but it was an amazing experience and I'm so grateful I got to try it.

In fact, I even added "try surfing again" to my 30 before 30 list .. I loved it so much !

Hahaha, good memories .. Wetsuits I look so dorky !

Goddess of .. Where In The World Wednesday - Volume 1 !

The lovely Jessica @ Classy in Philly started a new feature today :

the Where In The World wednesdays !
(click to see Jessica's destination)

"Basically, each week I will post a new picture of me in some place I've traveled to (or if not me, a photo I took at a place I traveled to).

If a lot of people participate, it will be a fun way to see where some of our favorite bloggers have traveled! It doesn't have to be recent, it doesn't have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just anywhere you consider traveling!"

I think this is a really fun idea and I love to travel .. so I have lots of pictures I wanna share with you guys !

Today's feature : This picture was taken at the end of March 2009 when I was visiting Lolita (which could explain why I'm holding two Starbucks..) in Ottawa for the weekend, back when she lived there to study for a year. Of course, when I look at it now I think we should've take a proper picture of the Totem pole from the front  (and not the side!).. but anywowzer. It's me. It's Ottawa. It's traveling. Right ?

Me and a Totem Pole near the Byward Market

in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Also, I promise more exciting destinations in the weeks to come but right now, I had to take a picture that was on facebook because I'm at work :o) ... " Hi Boss! "

Goddess of .. Ahoy, Matey !

**Hey bloggies.. don't forget to e-mail me to get the URL to my awesome volunteering blog**

Uhmm, yeah, so I didn't have the wire to connect my camera to a computer this weekend but now that I'm back ..

Here they are, the promised pictures, hotel bathroom 'sesh style !

 

Needless to say .. I am now officially on a "strict" diet (I can never totally give up the sweets) of salads / veggies and meat / fish. I am cutting back on pastas and breads.. this shipmate cutie costume is .. TINY.

Kisses,

Goddess of .. Brand Spankin' New Blog !

Dear bloggies,

I've been absent and distant, yes. The truth is, there's someone something else. I'm seeing writing another blog. Remember when I mentionned my whole Julie/Julia Project idea .. and the volunteer blog.. well, I did it ! The blog is up and running .. it's not perfect yet (a work in progress, right?) but I'm very happy to get it going.

If you want the URL, e-mail me and I will gladly send it to you..

because I'm just soooo freaking excited about this ! lol

I do not want the two blogs to be connected, as this one is ANONYMOUS and I don't want my family, friends and love interests to be reading it.

The other blog (volunteer) is public and I strongly suggest that everyone read it (please please pretty pretty please!?), just don't mention "Aritza" .. hehehe !

Goddess of .. I'm The Law, Bitches !

Yup, yup, yup. As of 3pm today, I'm a lawyer !

I can run naked in fields of corn
and
still be a professionnal

(although the Bar probably wouldn't recommend it).

That's right :o)

I thought you should all know that I am The Law ..
and nobody's gonna change that
(except the Bar, if I fuck up) !

Alright, now that I'm feeling like I'm on top of the world,

let's all remind ourselves that I use to shit my pants in a not-so-distant past..

some 20 years ago :o)

!!! POOP !!!

As you can see, I've come a long way since.

Goddess of .. Hot Yoga & sweaty shirtless men !

Bloggies, I tried something new last night.

I've been wanting to go back to the gym for a while now and didn't do anything about it. Being newly single and not having that someone "who accepts you as you are or who knows your flaws" has made me want to better myself.

Lolita and her cousin talked to me about Hot Yoga so I decided to jump on board last night.

Hot yoga "is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company. Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes are guided by specific dialogue including 26 postures and two breathing exercises. Classes last approximately 90 minutes. Beginners may take Bikram's yoga classes."

Thanks Wikipedia.org

After 20 minutes, I wanted to run out of the room screaming and gasping for air. It was suffocating. Don't get me wrong, I've taken yoga classes but this ... well this ... was like trying to breathe under water. Your chest feels constricted and the warm air is everywhere (around you, inside your throat, everywhere). There's no breeze, no cool air, at all.

After 30 minutes, we were done with the standing postures which required the most balance. They're the thoughest ones for me, I can't stand on one leg so it was a major challenge (not even talking about the suffocation here).

I got nauseous and my heart was racing so fast that I sat/laid down for the next 30 minutes. Even after laying down for 10 minutes my heart was still racing. This sh*t is bananas, bloggies.

I did manage to pull myself together for the last 20-30 minutes of the class which included the floor postures, my favorites.

Before, I never would've imagined it could be this warm, it was like a sauna in there. Everyone was sweating like crazy and all the men were shirtless (which I cannot complain about, miammm).

Overall, I guess I'm proud of what I accomplished and it helped me deal with my Break-up feelings but during the class, it made me want to kill myself ! Lolita and her cousin insisted I give it another chance because the first time is the worse apparently. So bloggies, I'm going back tonight !

Breathe deeper. Aim higher. Be better.

Goddess of .. Dreaming an impossible dream ???

I got a call today, from the Team in Training chapter in my town, because I registered online to get information about Nike's Women Marathon in San Francisco..

It's been a dream of mine for almost two years now. I've been wanting to raise money for the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society since my uncle passed away, from a lymphoma disease, in July 2007.
They just sent me the information package via email .. and it says that I would need to raise over 5000$ (for my expenses to be covered) by October 2009. Oufff .. that's a lot of money.

I'm thinking, last year, my mom and I did the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life and together we raised 1000$ .. so 5000$ by myself sounds IMPOSSIBLE right now.

And, I would have to train very hard to get in shape .. to run a marathon or half-marathon by October.

AND, I need to decide by tomorrow 5pm.
Ugh, this is so discouraging. This is one of my dreams right now and it's not looking good. I knew it wouldn't be easy but still .. it sounds totally impossible, right ???

Goddess of .. The everlasting quest for more Chick Lit !

Go ahead bloggies,

Call me cheesy. Tell me it's corny. Borderline cliché.
Sue me for all I care .. I love Chick Lit !

Dictionary

Chick Lit

- fiction
directed at young city women: a genre of fiction targeted to, and written by or about, young and sophisticated urban women.

I love it so much that I have now started a quest for chick lit blogs .. mostly because I don't have enough time to read the books I have waiting on my nightstand .. namely : Lipstick Jungle and Chasing Harry Winston.

Here are the some of the ones I consider Chick Lit blogs :
..and I mean this in the nicest way possible, please take this as a very high compliment !

• Bridget Jones Has Nothing On Me
• Classy In Philadelphia
• Confessions Of A Chicago Girl
• Just An Everyday Bitch
• The High-Heel Diaries
• Working Girl

Got any Chick Lit suggestions for me ?? Books ? Blogs ? Etc ?

Altough I haven't read her (yet), I'm not a fan of Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic series) because I think she pops out a new book every two weeks so it can't possibly be any good :oP Hehe, seriously !

But my favorites are Lauren Weisberger (Devil wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, Chasing Harry Winston, etc.) and Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City, One Fifth Avenue, Lipstick Jungle, etc.).

On that note, here's my "Personal guide to recognizing Chick Lit" when I see it :

1. The titles : Sometype of diary or confessions, refering to urban life, single life, sex life, love life, party life, rich and fancy life, etc.
2. The cover images : Colorful, Happy, with images of Stilettos, Martinis, Shopping Bags, Cosmopolitans, Diamonds, Lingerie, Champagne, etc.
3. The story : Love (finding Mr. Right), Sex (and lots of it), Work (bitchy boss and coworkers), Girlfriends (for support and cocktails), Ending (happy of course) etc.
4. Last step, you find them in the Bargain section @ your local bookstore !

Life is too short not to admit you loOoOoOove Chick Lit too !

Goddess of.. Reviewing the past year's events !

Went back to court today, different court house, about an hour away from my house this time.

It went kinda smoothly, I think I'm getting the hang of it .. or I will, very soon, because I'm going back to court on friday.

Today I was thinking about how things have changed so much in a year. Around the same time last year, I was taking my first set of Bar exams.

I had no idea if I would pass the first time around ( I didn't.. Mr. Unreliable didn't either, but Lolita did ), no idea if I would pass the second time around ( I did.. and so did Mr. Unreliable ), no idea if I would get call backs for interviews ( I did ), no idea if someone would hire me as an intern ( Somebody did.. after about 10 interviews, finally ), no idea if I would move out of my parents' house ( I didn't.. but my dad did, lol, talk about an unexpected turn of events ), no idea if I would pass my driving test the third time around ( I did.. thank god, finally, it was my shameful secret for years ), no idea if or when I would get a car ( Didn't plan on it.. but it became a necessity because my work is out of town )...

Anyhow, this year has been full of accomplishments and I'm glad. The biggest accomplishment has gotta be getting my driver's license. I feared this test more than the Bar tests !

My birthday is just around the corner, this saturday May 9th, I'll be turning 25 minus 1.. so I thought it was a good time to do a little year's end review !

Goddess of .. Going to Court!

Yesterday was the day. The first day of my entire existence that I went to Court, by myself (no boss or coworker to supervise) and thankfully it wasn't for my divorce or following my arrestation for murder. lol.

I was worried about the usual.. "Don't trip, don't trip, DON'T TRIP !", I kept repeating to myself on the way up the stairs at the court house. I double-checked to make sure there was no toilet paper dangling from my shoe or worse, brocoli in my teeth. And then, I went in.

The judge arrived and everybody rose. A couple of other cases where called before the judge until my turn came. I stepped up to the Bar, nervously holding on to my notes and addressed the judge.. "Aritza Goddess, intern for So-and-So's firm, representing the applicants in this case", I said with a shaky voice.

The judge asked to see the papers I had brought and took a quick look. "There's clearly a mistake in your calculations, I don't have time to double-check this, go check it and come back", she said. And so I did, with shame, I took my dumb-blonde ass back to my seat and tried to check my calculations.

"It's a well known fact that law students can't do math.", I thought to myself. And so it took me unusually long to make sure my new numbers were right, as I didn't want to waste the judge's time (READ: make an ass out of myself again).

In the end, all was well and I came out of there a winner, we (me, the defendants' attorney and the judge) agreed on a date for the trial. I came back to my office and pretended like it was no big deal, like I was never worried about it anyway.

Goddess of.. I-don't-care fridays on a wednesday !

I guess it's just because the easter monday holiday has made my week shorter or 'cuz I'm a lunatic (just like that).. but today I feel like it's I-don't-care friday!

I-don't-care fridays can best be described by the Hoops & Yoyo card that started it all. Miguel first sent me this card about a year ago and I just cracked up! We are big fans of Hoops & Yoyo and they're the only e-cards we send each other.

Basically, I'm feeling as free and liberated as one can feel on a friday knowing the weekend is only a couple hours away. You know the moment I'm talking about ? When you feel like you don't have to do anything because you won't live with the consequences until monday. And then, you'll have accumulated plenty of rest and energy to tackled said task.

Problem is, you can't feel like this on a wednesday because the consequences will come and hit you in the face, on THURSDAY ! I absolutely have to get some more work done, but I can't stop reading blogs ...

Must. Work. Now.

Wish me luck !