[This summer a dream internship with Lucky magazine moved me from Austin, Texas, where I’ve spent all 21 years of my life, to New York City for the summer. Come along for the ride and follow me through this column as I take on all that the city has in store for me. I’ll share tips I’ve picked up along the way about everything from how to pack (stop, drop and roll people!) to dating to fitting in (or standing out) and so much more.]

A little over a month in the city and just when I feel like slowly but surely the things on my mental to-do-in-New-York list are being crossed off, I think of yet another “must-see” city sight.

Tip #19 – Make a list of the things you want to do before you leave the city. No, actually write it down.

Some of the things topping my list right now are visiting the top of the Empire State building, scoring tickets to Shakespeare In The Park and tracking down the famous Carrie Bradshaw walk-up apartment steps. Writing down my New York wish list (in pink gel pen) as cheesy as it feels really is the best way to ensure you experience everything you hoped to. I tucked my list in my wallet and when I had a few hours to kill a few days ago, I pulled it out and luckily a gelato place recommended by a friend was just a quick subway ride away. The last thing I want is head back home at the end of the summer and kick myself for not having done something so quintessentially New York as going to the Statue of Liberty. Sidebar: Most of the things of your list also make great first dates with a new guy you meet. Read More »

While diving into a giant slice of warm apple pie (the kind with the crumble topping) and a melty scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, I thought to myself,

“Holy sh*t, this is better than sex.”

And I totally meant it. That treat was pure heaven: creamy, sweet, indulgant…and I didn’t have to have awkward conversation with it after.

There aren’t many things I think that highly of, but I would give up sex for that dessert any day. (Or every day if it was fat free.) Like me, the rest of the CollegeCandy writers love getting frisky, but this week they weighed in on the very special things in life that are truly better than sex.

Olua: A good book. Call me a nerd if you want, but I’d usually rather be reading on an uneventful night than doin’ the dirty.

S.E. – Fordham: Gooey butter cake is way better then sex. It melts in your mouth, tastes like heaven, and is sweeter then any orgasm.

Kathryn S.: The thrill of the chase, because you can imagine “the perfect moment,” you don’t have to worry about “the morning after,” and because Chuck Bass instigated it on Gossip Girl.

Erica – Kent State: I don’t know why, but I am absolutely in love with pizza. I can’t tell you how many nights I have decided to skip going home with a hot guy in favor of returning to mi casa because I knew my roommates were going to order something from Pizza Hut. Read More »

I’m an avid dieter, but that’s really only because I’m an avid eater. My love for food is more passionate than I’ve been in some relationships, and that’s okay. Now I write about it and can share my concept of the Top Three.

The Top Three are the very three foods I would choose if I were given only that many to eat for the rest of my life with no detrimental effects on my health or waistline. Yes, I hypothesize random things like this on a semi-regular basis. Judge away. You can justify yours however you want, but here are mine and why I love them so:

1) Movie theater popcorn. I can’t say no. If I go to a movie and don’t overpay for that greasy, glorious popcorn, it’s not a real theater experience for me. I would substitute it for a meal. Clearly this is horrible for you, so my fix when I’m being calorie-conscious is to make 94% fat free and douse it in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray. If this doesn’t do the trick, and I’m really craving the grease, I’ll sometimes melt light butter/something to the effect of the low fat buttery spreads in a bowl and drizzle over my popcorn. Yes, I’m adding unnecessary fat, but at least I know how much I’m putting in and I’m controlling it. I don’t have one of the oil dispensers in my apartment, and therefore have to behave a little bit.

2) Ice cream. I could probably eat myself sick on Moose Tracks or anything Ben and Jerry’s. Read More »