Portraits: Enrique + a New York Minute

{Inhale........Exhale}

It's taken me a very long time to recover from last week's insanity, but now I'm back in action. I'll post it in the near future, but if you were wondering what I was up too .... here's a little cellphone picture of it.

I was a vendor for a conference at the University of Maryland this weekend, and all week I handmade about 75 pieces of accessories and worked from 8 am- 10 pm all day saturday selling them. Insanity I tell you.

**A huge hug goes out to my mom & sister, my boyfriend and my best friend for being the best support system a girl could ask for! i love you guys!**

Ok, as promised ... a long over due promise, here is my post about NY and about a guy I call my brother.

In the last two years I've come to thoroughly enjoy traveling alone. I'd honestly rather have company with me where ever I go, but the older I get the more I've come to enjoy the solitude and independence of it all. And hoping on a 5 am bus from DC to NY has become quite a habit I enjoy.

Who can tire of you New York? I surely can't.

I'm sure you know this by now, but I am one of two girls in my family. The thing you probably don't know is that I have a 'brother' who lives in Brooklyn and I love him soo much.

This is Enrique. Followed by a picture of Me, and my ugly-excited face.

Bwahahahah. Sorry, I should have given you a better warning.

But really that face is my "OHH GEEZZZ- THE WIND HURTS MY FACE!"-face.

And for the record I really was excited to see my brother, just not with that face. Haha.

I arrived in Chelsea sometime before noon and was starving, as I always am
... and boy does my brother always know how to feed me well!

We had a delicious brunch at this cozy little cafe.

And caught up on all of life's changes in the month's we've been apart.

It was Yumm-o.

Eggs Florentine baby!

Besides catching up with a dear old friend, I was there on a mission.

I was there to take Enrique's headshots once again because in a year's time, his style and look has changed, and so has my photography. It was about time for an update for the both of us ... and my how we have both grown up. Brother, you are so handsome! {But you know that's only because good looks run in the family. hahahahahahahahahah ... man I miss you!}

Freshman year of highschool is about a good 8 years ago, and when I look at my brother now

I can't believe it's the same person. I'd like to think I had alot to do with that. Hahaha.

Here's the background story: Freshman year of highschool Enrique and I were in the same chorus class. I was 100% serious about this class and Enrique took it to get an easy A, though he couldn't sing for his life. Bwahaha! {yes I'm putting you out there brother! bwahah ... but you know I only have love for you!}

And we were both afraid of each other. Seriously.

He was this big ghetto 300lb wrestler/football player that looked angry all the time, and I was this nerdy chorus girl who would tell him to be quite in class. Hahahah ... Not a good start huh?

Then by senior year God brought us close together and some how from our differences we became best friends, then ... in time brother and sister. We fight and bicker, and laugh and cry together and after all these years still keep it real though we've both grown and changed in a million ways.

I love you and Enrique and could not be more proud of
all your hard work and success in all you do!

Through out all his auditions I can't help but be proud in knowing I some how am there helping him, if only by praying for him and having done his headshots ... providing something so small but essensial in the acting business. It's my little way of returning the favor.

Senior year of highschool I auditioned for the dance team for the first time and it was Enrique who so graciously walked me to the other end of the school to look at the list with me to see if I made it. And because I was too nervous to look, he did it for me, and I didn't make it ... until the following week, when my coachs changed their minds and called me to come to practice.

{They originally didn't want me because I was already a senior and would only be there for 1 year, unlike the rest of the girls who'd dance all 4 year ... but they changed their minds and saw something in me and took me on for the little time I had left}

To sum it all up, we've been through alot together. And our NY adventures are the latest we've been through. When I was there Enrique took me to Central Park for the first time in my life {though I've easily been to NYC about 40 times and manage to miss it every time} ... and we spent more of the day there.

 

 It was such a nice warm day considering it was January, and the last time I spent the day with him in the city the warmest it got was 28 degrees.

Ohh ... and the light all day was just ever so kind.

Can we say stud? I think we can.

 He might look like a grown up now ... but we both know the truth,

 

We are both still little kids at heart. That won't ever change.

Every ounce of the park was covered in sunshine and music, and this moment was one for the books. A man with his sax played Sesame Street for this adorable little girl as her family and passerbys looked on with delight.

It was perfectly appropriate to just break down and dance anywhere. And that we did.

Oh how we love you Central Park!

***This goes out to the couple in the park who asked me to take their picture, with their camera, and who oh-so willing let me take one with mine.***

Thank you, this moment was too precious for words.

After we walked around the park for hours, I made a few phone calls to meet up for lunch with some of my other friends in the city, who all just happen to be boys.

Everywhere I looked my mouth began to water.

But walking around town was delightful in itself.

 For lunch we were on the Upper West Side and meet up with my friends at the famous Shake Shack.

I must admit, I hadn't heard of the Shack Shake before we arrived there ... but the line that wrapped itself around the store front told me it was worth waiting in line for. A big thank you to my friend Ian for
pointing our bellies in the right direction!!! You know where the good stuff is at friend!

Our lunch was incredible, and if I had to stand in line for an hour for it again I would do so in a heartbeat. I smile just thinking about how good it all was. But was even more incredible was the group of people I was having lunch with.

Never in my life would I have imaged having lunch in NYC with one of my highschool best friends {right}, my California traveling buddy Ian {left, We saw each other 3 times in 1 month in 3 different States ... CA,DC, and NY} ....

... and my NJ home boys I miss soo much. Really, who would have thought?

{ Dearest Valenzuela brothers, thanks again for having lunch with us and bringing your two friends along with you ... more was definitely merrier and love you guys so much!} *These are the guys I practically grew up with ... and though we were always 4 hours away from each other I have a box of letters and an old pile of expired phone cards hidden somewhere as proof of the history of our friendships.

It was a wonderful day in the city, filled with adventure and great great company.

And to my dearest brother Enrique, I love you and I'm so very proud of you. I'll always be here cheering you on and praying you through everything you may face ... distance doesn't matter. Please come home and visit me soon, your sister misses you fool!!! :) - your sister

New York, you are always a great adventure.