Total March Madness

Welcome to the first edition of Erica Monthly!  Each month, I’ll send you a newsletter filled with updates on my life, giving you an inside look at what I’ve been up to. As adults, it can be hard to find time to make plans, hang out, and catch up with friends. Life gets busy, and sometimes months can go by without seeing each other. Erica Monthly is my way of staying connected with you, even when we can’t be in the same place. Each issue will feature life updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and more. Whether you’re sipping your morning coffee, on the way to work, or just looking for a quick escape during the day, you can read Erica Monthly at your convenience. It’s designed to fit into your busy schedule, and I hope it will be a little moment of connection for us every month. I'm excited to share this new journey with you.

Currently, one of the biggest things occupying my time is training for my half marathon. I’ve committed to running five times a week, and while I’m making progress, it’s definitely starting to take a toll on my body. There was one week where I could barely walk because of the pain in my legs. I originally aimed to finish in 2 hours and 6 minutes, but my new estimated time is 2 hours and 15 minutes—talk about a reality check! As some of you know, the NYC Marathon lottery took place on March 5th, and unfortunately, I didn’t get in this year. I did consider running for a charity, but the fundraising goal of $3,500 feels a bit overwhelming at the moment. I’ll keep you all posted on any updates, especially if I end up getting a bib to run the NYC Marathon in the future.

Work has really been wearing me down—I’ve officially entered the “I hate my job” phase. It all started when a coworker and I were invited to do a tasting at Gitano, a new restaurant/nightclub opening at Pier 17. We were told that food and drinks would be on the house, but when we arrived, the event planner, Jillian, singled us out and said we were not allowed to drink- likely because we were the only lower-ranking employees there. The night was fine until Jillian publicly humiliated us, essentially yelling at us in front of everyone. Less than a week later, I discovered that payroll had been deducting about $5.50 from every hour we’ve worked since January. JANUARY! I work a full-time—job you do the math. While they did issue a refund for the mistake, the whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth. All of this has been pushing me to seriously consider a career change. I want to transition into social media and marketing, specifically in the entertainment industry. One of my regulars has already offered to help me get my foot in the door, which is encouraging. I also really want to talk to the social media manager at my job, but every time I feel ready, nerves get the best of me, and I miss my chance.

As for my social life, it feels like so much has happened, yet, in a way, not much at all. I decided to give up alcohol for Lent—not that I’m particularly religious, but it’s something my family has always observed. Surprisingly, not drinking hasn’t been as difficult as I expected. In other news, Brenda came home for spring break. For those who don’t know, she’s my younger sister, currently studying Public Health at Northeastern University in Boston. It’s always great having her home, most of our time together is spent going on food dates. My baby brother also turned 14 this month, and I honestly can’t wrap my head around it. The baby of the family family is now a young man. Time is flying, and we’re all getting older. I always thought my early 20s would be filled with endless weekends of clubbing, Sunday brunches, and happy hours, but I guess those days are behind me now. I haven’t had a proper night out with friends in a while. However, I did make it to The 9am Banger with Jared for St. Patty’s Day! It’s one of my favorite holidays—one of those "fake" holidays that in reality is just an excuse to drink. That day took a strange turn when we found ourselves on Stone Street, surrounded by NYC transplants, finance bros, and a few old friends. And with that, another month has come and gone. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Thanks for being here, and I can’t wait to share more soon. See you next month!

March Madness.

Download • 1.17MB