Minneapolis Bridge Photos

It was devastating to see the coverage of a such a disaster happening so close to home from my hotel room on the exact opposite side of the world. Too see in depth coverage from major and minor media outlets such as CNN, BBC World, Aljazeera, and The Jakarta Post was quite irksome.

I found out about while at work as I was searching for some recent news on a company we working with for my new job. I started from the google news site and surprisingly little Minneapolis was the top headline of World News. Learning that the bridge that I driven over nearly four to five times a week for a about a year only two months prior was completely shocking, not to mention that many of my closest friends and family also use the bridge on a daily bases. Thank god everyone I know is alright.

Istanbul Fashion

I have always thought the hipsters of Istanbul have such unique fashion. I've been wanting to do a little photography piece on it to show friends at home and carry out some amature anthropological studies on it to find out where the artists get their inspiration and how it all comes together. It seems that this project has already been done. For those of you who are curious, check this out and let me know what you think. http://www.istanbulstreetstyle.com/.

Area Woman Overcomes Quarterlife Crises

Since returning from a life in Turkey, I spent more than a year living in my hometown in constant confusion about current contentment and career and life goals. For the majority of the earlier part of the year I focused on figuring out what I thought would truly make me happy. What could I do now that I will feel good about doing for the next 10 years of my life? I started sketching out a plan to at least attempt to reach something rather than risk regret by doing nothing.

Unfortunately during this time I was unable to live my life to the fullest and enjoy my friends and family around me. I was focusing too much on the destination rather than the journey. As soon as my plan began to solidify, I started to really appreciate everything in my life of the present.

No matter how much I loved my colleagues, neighbors, friends, family, and life in general in Minneapolis, I couldn't turn back. I had already purchased my plane ticket and told my boss I was leaving. The last day of work I even ended up in his office crying my eyes out, unsure if I was making the right decision. Fortunately, whether he believed it or not, he supported me and encouraged me to follow through with my plan.

Since my last day at the office with a farewell lunch followed shortly after with a very teary farewell happy hour and late night The Nina, The Pinta show I have been quite worried about the possible negative outcomes of my risky adventure abroad. What if nothing I go for works out? What will I do if I get back to Minneapolis without a plan, a job, or money?

After spending a year in constant confusion, risking what became a wonderful life in Minneapolis by trying my chances on graduate school abroad and a dream job, it all finally payed off.

Two days ago I was offered a position as a Country Director for Oxford Business Group, http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/. I will be a country director working on five to seven month team projects involving marketing, PR, sales, and possibly opportunities for a little writing. Each project will be located in a different country in the Middle East or Southeast Asia. As for my first project, I will be training with a fellow UW, Madison Alumni in Indonesia.

Although I had my heart set on being back in the Midwest from July through September to experience summer Minnesota style on the lakes, grilling out, and cabin'n it up with great friends, the job offer was contingent on my flexibility on being able to start in Istanbul on the 4th of July without going home.

Because I have promised so many people and I was looking forward to being home for a while, I am having quite a hard time explaining the news to all of my friends. Of those of you who find this and read it, I hope you understand.

As for the few weeks I have left in Istanbul, I am planning on spending my time reuniting with old friends and perfecting my Turkish language and cuisine. I'm kicking it off tonight with a Rakı Sofrası, cooking up some Meze and hosting a colorful jamboree of harmony chaos, fun, sadness, and laughs with a few friends in Istanbul with that cloudy Turkish national drink, raki, in celebration of my new exciting job.

In The Know - The Onion News Network

Minnesota

A few of my favorite things About Minnesota... AND some other fun facts...

1.Fearless of weather conditions. - Even at 40 below, people are still excited to ice fish, ski and snowboard, or cross country ski. At 110 degrees they say take a hike around Minnehaha Falls!

2. Modesty with money. - You never know if your sitting next to a billionaire or a bum.

3.It's the land of 10,000 lakes. Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline, more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. Who needs the coast when you can walk two blocks from your house to find the nearest lake or head up north for a weekend get-away to a cabin on a lake with a weekend full of waterskiing, sailing, wakeboarding, tubing, and fresh-water fishing?




Other fun facts...

Minnesota has been ranked one of the most livable states nationwide in the last nine years, ranking first between 1997 and 2003 and second in 2004 and 2005, according to Morgan Quitno Press.

Minnesota ranked as one of the five healthiest states in the country over the last 10 years (1996-2005), according to Morgan Quitno Press, based on a variety of economic, social and health-related factors.

Minnesotans are politically active. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 79.2 percent of Minnesotans voted in November 2004, giving Minnesota the top spot over runner-up Wisconsin.

In 2005, Minnesota ranked No. 3 among states in the well-being of its children, according to the annual Kids Count report.

Minnesota has more miles of paved bike trails than any other state, offering easygoing biking through scenic corridors.

Minneapolis-St. Paul is the 13th best place for singles, according to Forbes in 2005.

Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, more than any other state.

Minneapolis has more golfers per capita than any other city in the country.

The first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant in the United States were done at the University of Minnesota.

The first Intercollegiate Basketball game was played in Minnesota on February 9,1895.

Rollerblades were the first commercially successful in-line Roller Skates. Minnesota students Scott and Brennan Olson invented them in 1980, when they were looking for a way to practice Hockey during the off-season. Their design was an ice hockey boot with 3 inline wheels instead of a blade.

Polaris Industries of Roseau, Minnesota invented the snowmobile.

Twin Cities-based Northwest Airlines was the first major airline to ban smoking on international flights.

Nobody celebrates St. Patrick's Day like us Irish-Americans

This could have quite possibly been the best St. Patrick's day I have yet to celebrate. I had absolutely no idea people went so crazy over it right in my own backyard. Every year on March 17th St. Paul drowns in green beer.

This year The Onion Minneapolis went on a mission to visit as many of our Irish Pub clients as possible. To pull it off we had to break up in to two teams to cover both Minneapolis and St. Paul and reconvene at the parade. We rented an escalade as our get-away vehicle and hired an intern as our designated driver for the day.

My team started off with an traditional Irish breakfast and Irish coffee at O'Donovan's and crawled on to Grumpy's NE for some soda bread compliments of the bar owner's mom who airmailed 30 hand-made fresh loafs to the bar in Minneapolis from her home in Chicago. Then we made our way over to O'Gara's in St. Paul where everyone went crazy over our Onion "Kiss me, I'm too drunk to care" buttons. From there we did the Irish Jig through the following bars in no particular order: Sweeny's, The Happy Gnome, McGovern's, The Dubliner, and Shamrocks. All along the way I kept running in to new and old friends from periods of my life. I even had a chance to hang out with my bro and his friends for a bit at the McGovern's Beer tent.

Here are some pics of the event...

My 25th Birthday Bash

I had an absolutely wonderful birthday weekend. I think it was one of the best ever. Last year I had just gotten back from Istanbul and felt like I had no friends at home. I just went to dinner and got a free pizza with my family to celebrate my 24th. I remember Martina,my Italian friend, had always said that the odd numbers are always better.



So last Friday Sefer sent yellow tulips to me at work which was soooooooooo super sweet, kicking off a wonderful weekend!



Then that evening after work I had a few close friends of mine over for some Middle Eastern/Medetarrainian meze (hummus and pita, greek olives, and Iranian dates) and wine.



After a quick chat we headed out to a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant called Jerusalem for food, drinks, and belly dancers. It was absolutely delightful! It was so much fun to be able to expose many new and long-time friends to a new culture with food, atmosphere, and entertainment. Many new and long time friends participated in the event out for that and it was so much fun to introduce them to each other and have them experience that type of cultural atmosphere and food.
























After dinner we headed over to U Otter Stop Inn, a total dive in Northeast Minneapolis, where I was to crown the King/Queen of Karaoke. That was a blast! The best part about it was that so many friends from such different social circles were all there and I finally got the chance to introduce them to each other. I had so much fun and from the feedback from others it seems like everyone else did too. I finally felt like I have some real friends here in Minneapolis (*warm fuzzy*). Even a group of people and their significant others from my office showed up for the competition. I crowned my a quite deserving colleague, Rob Shellman, the king that night.

















































































Saturday my best friend had a bridal party slumberparty which was even more fun! I got to talk to her sister forever and we all shared our stories about love, marriage, children, friendship, romance, etc. We had quesadillas and margaritas. Yummy!

Sunday my Dad took my family out to dinner for my birthday at this awesome Mexican restaurant, Salsa A La Salsa. There was great live music from some dude playing guitar and singing songs in spanish. My dad ordered a Carona and my bro and I got Margaritas. The food was excellent! It was the most fun I have had with my family in a long time.


Then to top it off, the king of Karaoke gave me two free lift, rental, and lessons to Welch Village for my birthday. So Monday I took one of my closest friends to the slopes to teach him how to snowboard. After a few too many runs down the bunny hill we got sick of it and he switched to skiis and we skied/snowboarded until the sun went down. Plus it was like 50 degrees so we got to ski/snowboard in t-shirts and sun glasses!

I had an absolutely wonderful time. I feel so lucky and loved. This is what makes leaving Minneapolis to follow my dreams more and more difficult. I have never felt like I have had so many friends that really love me. The whole weekend was probably the best birthday weekend I have ever had. Love you guys!

The Onion Minneapolis

It's been almost exactly one year since I returned to Minnesota from Turkey and India. Since then I have been working for one of my favorite newspapers and brands; The Onion, www.theonion.com.

Since I've started I have absolutely LOVED working here! The best part is that it is a smaller company, especially our office, so it gives our work team sort of a family feeling. We do a lot of going out to support each other's promotions which is very condusive for bonding. On and off the field is a great time with The Onion. Here are a few pics from the last six months I've been here. You can check out all of them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlgoergen/sets/72157594544963787/.

Onion Softball Tournament: The Onion Minneapolis organized a softball tournament with other local radio and print media in town. It was a perfect day for a tournament. Summit supplied the ice cold beverages to keep us hydrated or dehydrated throughout the day. I won MVP and received a softball with the entire office's signatures as a memento. Sefer even got to give a crack at the game and did quite well I must say. Twas a fun day.



















One of the ad agencies we work with in town started out as an agency for agriculture. Once they moved downtown The Onion Minneapolis decided to give them an appropriate gift for Christmas.












The Onion out on the town...










We can not survive without The Onion Newsies...