https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4 New York en-us 2017-09-27 13:47:04 UTC 2025-01-21 19:03:38 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Balance.png mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/191683148 I look forward to finally meeting you and living vicariously through you this week! I'm excited to learn about your life as well as life in San Diego through these daily journals and I hope you learn from my descriptions as much as I learn from yours. 

I guess I'll start by telling you about myself. I was born in Poland, grew up in Brooklyn, and moved to Staten Island where I currently reside. Living in Brooklyn is really a difference from living in Staten Island in the sense that Brooklyn is a lot busier, almost as if it is bustling with energy. On the other hand, everything in Staten Island is further apart from one another and a lot less lively. Since most New Yorkers don't know where Staten Island is, we call it the forgotten borough.

Although you can probably tell from the fact that I was born in Poland, both of my parents are fully Polish, but I do have Hispanic relatives. Our personalities are all different but our love for family, music and good humor brings us together (or they just drink a lot and forget that they're mad at eachother). I have 2 older sisters and only live with one of them at the moment because our personalities are overwhelming when we all get together. 

Despite my crazy family, I'm mostly laid back and love to experience new things. I'm almost always listening to music and trying to teach myself how to play it (even though I'm probably better off leaving it alone). Every weekend, I try to escape from the chaos of the city and travel upstate. While I love spending time with friends whenever it's possible, I appreciate being able to take in the city on my own, go running before sunset, reading and I'm always trying to learn or do something new.

I'm also really passionate about the criminal justice system and science, which is why I in my sophomore year majoring in forensic science here at John Jay. 
Other than being really nerdy, I have a strong appreciation for art and all things unique.


]]> 2017-09-27 14:20:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/191683148 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193784107 Because I cursed myself with 8am classes, I start my day at 5:40 in the morning and rush to catch the 6:40am ferry to Manhattan. Most of the time, I wake up late, I'm late for the ferry and have to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Even though I'm half awake this early in the morning and annoyed by how rushed I am, I usually have some decent views of the sunrise over the city that I can see from the ferry terminal.]]> 2017-10-04 10:46:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193784107 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193813843 When the ferry docks, I still have to rush to catch the 1 train, which takes me to busy Colombus Circle. I'm always overwhelmed with the feeling of relief after a long commute as well as the beauty of the sudden appearance of these towering structures that are hidden to you as you're enduring a 20-30 minute train ride.]]> 2017-10-04 12:33:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193813843 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193814193 Since a regular cup of coffee in the morning is absolutely powerless throughout the day, I rush to Starbucks before class (the city has one on every corner) and pickup three shots of espresso. While its convenient, it still takes time away from my race to get to my 8am class before attendance is taken.]]> 2017-10-04 12:34:05 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/193814193 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194105962 On breaks I usually try to get work done with some kind of scenery in the background. Today I chose to sit at the "Jay Walk" with the view of many unique skyscrapers. Although I usually don't drink more than those three shots of a espresso a day, I needed a pick-me-up so I got my favorite chocolate at the pharmacy across the street, picked up coffee and continued to be productive because once I get home, I tend to procrastinate.]]> 2017-10-04 22:20:58 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194105962 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194106075 To end my day, I take the ferry back to Staten Island. I usually don't sit outside because the deck is swarmed with tourists, but for the purpose of this assignment, I did. I usually ignore the view so that I could either read an future assignment or talk to friends since I see it so often.
I got home around 6:00pm and was so tired that I just showered, finished a lab report and went to bed.]]> 2017-10-04 22:21:52 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194106075 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194555973 Today I had class at 3:00 so I drove into the city with my sister who works in the area. There was a lot of traffic, which is always the case in the city. The parking is especially a problem so I kept her company for an hour as she circled a block probably a thousand times. When I left her I picked up coffee so that I'm not tempted to disappear from my lab class later on in the day to do exactly that. ]]> 2017-10-06 05:15:48 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194555973 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194869861 Today I traded the 3 shots of espresso in a paper cup for a normal cup of coffee in my favorite mug because I finally got a chance to sleep in. I usually lay in bed for 10 minutes and look at posts on instagram or respond to texts until I feel that I'm ready to get up. If no one is in the kitchen, I go downstairs and continue to do the same thing as I wait for coffee to brew. ]]> 2017-10-07 01:07:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/194869861 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076152 I also took a short run to a park called Fort Wadsworth that lies right under the Verrazano Bridge (probably one of the most unnecessarily expensive in the world). I visit it so often and there are so many events that take place here that I almost forget it used to be an army base. I try to run everyday or at least on days that I don't have school because I generally have too much energy or stress and running kind of relieves it. Once I get to the top of the forts I either reevaluate my running playlist or figure out what I have to do for the week while sitting on a ledge and taking in the views. Sometimes I just come here with friends and food.]]> 2017-10-09 02:16:31 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076152 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076221 Being the first day that I had time to make a home-cooked meal this week, I set up the ingredients and waited for my family members to get home. Even though my roots are Polish, I get a lot of Italian and Asian take-out food because I generally don't have the time to cook a meal and that's where my food influences normally come from.]]> 2017-10-09 02:17:22 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076221 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076337 Today I left my house at 6:00am and ended up in Queens. Having a lot of family in law enforcement, I end up in Queens when someone's taking a test to be taken into the NYPD or when someone is graduating from the academy. ]]> 2017-10-09 02:18:21 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195076337 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195733664 Today is the last day of the Ethnology project and it's probably one of the most boring of them all. I woke up with the reminder that I have a lot of unfinished assignments so I took my work outside and finally enjoyed some sun after all the rain.]]> 2017-10-10 17:35:03 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195733664 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195739205 Some of the traffic was caused by closed off streets from an incident that happened that morning. Although I did see news channel crews along the blocks and more activity in the area, I did know that what had happened was a serious incident until I opened the trending videos on snapchat.]]> 2017-10-10 17:45:02 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195739205 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195739670 One thing that I hate about taking the ferry back home from the city to see my friends is that I leave the place with a lot of potential for plans to a place where there isn't much to do. 
One thing that is essential to my commute is headphones. Whether it's morning or night, the trains and ferries are usually full of loud conversation and music is the sole thing that lets me just focus on one noise that whole time. In the morning I usually update playlists for the week based on what genres I'm in the mood for and for my commute back, I try to keep my song choices upbeat to make up for my lack of energy.
I got home around 7:00pm and wasn't really hungry because I bought myself a sandwich around my school earlier. Even though I was already comfortably in bed by 9:00pm, two friends that I haven't seen in almost a year wanted to make last minute plans to just drive around and we ended up at a Staten Island boardwalk.]]> 2017-10-10 17:45:55 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195739670 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195740562 Another characteristic place in Queens is St. John's University where most cops take their exams before entering the field. The campus is in the middle of a busy area but doesn't fail to capture the essence of a forming school. While my cousin was taking her exam here, I explored the area with my other cousin and found that there were a lot of places to eat at, but they would all be closed until 10:00am.]]> 2017-10-10 17:46:46 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195740562 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195744390 By the middle of the day, I was starving so my cousins and I decided to go to an Albanian restaurant since it was most convenient. The main thing a "foodie" like me loves about NYC is that there's a restaurant for every craving on almost every corner of every street and a lot of them are absolutely authentic to the culture. I ordered a greek salad and an omelette with spinach, sausage and mozzarella.]]> 2017-10-10 17:52:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195744390 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195886679 Most mornings I have no time to make a decent breakfast and when I lived alone over the summer I got used to finding ways to get less perishable food because it's so expensive so I have a protein shake almost every morning to start my day. It makes my life a lot easier because I don't have to worry about getting as much out of my meal later on in the day when I'm busy.]]> 2017-10-11 06:04:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195886679 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195886762 Since it's raining and humid outside, I spent the day in department stores and ended up buying a Buddha to decorate my room. I bought it not only because it caught my eye, but also because I brought home Buddhist trinkets once from a hidden Tibetan museum in Staten Island and my mom completely lost it, because she's VERY religious lol.]]> 2017-10-11 06:04:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195886762 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887211 While the nyc marathon pretty much takes place right outside of my house, I still choose to wait until later on in the day to go for a run. Most people would assume that it's exciting to watch a race take place right outside of their house, but those who actually do, hate it. Getting out of my own block becomes an obstacle course with the closed off streets and it's even harder to get back in.
While I do sometimes see deer on Staten Island, I have never seen so many at a time at Fort Wadsworth and had to take a video of them before they were scared away.]]> 2017-10-11 06:08:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887211 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887372 I was distracted by a hawk that circled over the area.]]> 2017-10-11 06:09:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887372 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887713 The rest of my day consisted of going running, finishing assignments and watching American Horror Story so it wasn't very eventful. Thanks for keeping up with my seven-day journal and I hope it gave you at least an idea of what life New York is like!]]> 2017-10-11 06:11:40 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195887713 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195889908 Since it's Columbus day, class is cancelled and I get to lay in bed with the dog I babysit. Staying in bed in the morning is almost impossible, because I feel guilty that I'm not being productive. Comparing today to the other days of the week in which I'm required to wake up at 5:30am, it's a lazy morning and I feel like I need to get something done.]]> 2017-10-11 06:23:15 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195889908 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890287 It's raining again and there isn't much to do so my friends and I opted for the famous New York pizza with the very thin crust. ]]> 2017-10-11 06:25:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890287 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890368 I slept over my sister's apartment tonight and this window is actually the reason why she is overpaying for an apartment in NYC. I rarely see her because she is always working so her work schedule gets in the way of my school schedule. When I do see her, we order food and watch movies.]]> 2017-10-11 06:25:36 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890368 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890896 To stop myself from feeling so guilty for pigging out, I went running again and caught the sunset. ]]> 2017-10-11 06:28:05 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195890896 mag_kuczek https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195891052 To end the night, I started on my endless list of assignments and left The Godfather playing in the background so that I don't get too bored or feel like the task is too monotonous.]]> 2017-10-11 06:28:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mag_kuczek/1qon4e5koxe4/wish/195891052