Tori Donahue

Everyone knows I love food trucks. I love food trucks almost as much as I love free food. Back in the fall, I did a post on my favorite Boston food trucks. Since then, even more food trucks have popped up in the city and I’d be doing them an injustice if I didn’t give a shout out to my favorites.

First off, my #1 favorite food truck in the world, Clover, recently got a new truck down at Boston Common. The Brewer Fountain Plaza was recently redone in May (I was lucky to be at the ceremony for it) and Clover now has a designated area to give delicious food to the hardworking people of downtown Boston.

Secondly, one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area recently got a food truck. The Paris Creperie in Brookline–located a stone’s throw away from the Coolidge Corner Theater–launched la Tour Eiffel this spring. This unique food truck serves hot, yummy crepes all over the city. My favorite location is (of course) next to the St. Mary’s Bridge at Boston University. I never said I wasn’t biased. They’re also one of my favorite new Twitter accounts to follow. Why? While I was getting my crepe on the other night after work, the manager made sure to come outside, greet customers and engage them while they were waiting for their food. He asked us if we’d ever been to the store (my co-worker hasn’t been yet and I’ve gone so many times I could probably merit a loyalty card) and then proceeded to explain that if we followed the truck on Twitter, we’d get a free crepe the next time we stop by the truck.

Amazing.

Overall, this was possibly the best customer service and appreciation I’ve ever seen from a food truck–and that’s saying a lot, considering how often I frequent them. It’s great to see a truck not only engaging through customer service but also on social media. The free crepe deal is sweet, but ultimately the people aspect is even sweeter. Their Twitter account answers consumer questions and informs followers about new locations and successful days out in the truck. I will continue to happily follow @pariscreperie and encourage you to do the same.

And of course, make sure to visit the truck. Since it’s getting warmer out, I highly recommend the frozen Nutella hot chocolate. Mmmmm.

My spring break, broken down by the numbers:

• 4,529 candy bars
• 450+ tweets (approximately #missouligans)
• 198 photos taken
• 37 requests for “Mean Girls”
• 13 volunteers
• 10 air mattresses
• 8 days
• 6 states
• 5 community service sites
• 5 flights
• 3 hikes
• 2 Jesus vans
• 2 national parks
• 1 incredible Alternative Spring Break trip to Missoula, Montana

I wasn’t actually planning on going to Montana for Spring Break (hard to believe, right?). I had put myself on the waitlist for ASB after I was unable to register in time to grab a trip and subsequently forgot all about it…until I received an e-mail about open trips. Needless to say, I was excited and put my name down for almost every trip with an open spot. The Tuesday before we were supposed to leave, I sent in my deposit to head to Missoula, Montana for a week of hunger-related community service.

I was overjoyed at being able to go on an Alternative Spring Break trip, especially since this year marked my last opportunity to ever participate in one. After hearing all the great things about ASB, I knew I was going to have an amazing week.

On Saturday, March 11th, I woke up early to meet my group and head to Logan Airport in a van. It was great to see the other flying trips (San Juan and Flagstaff were the two I remember seeing in the lot) getting so excited to leave for the week! When we met up at the airport, I could immediately tell that I was lucky to have a fantastic group. From the get-go, everyone was so friendly and funny. The week was destined to be awesome.

We connected in Minneapolis and touched down in Missoula around 8 that night. During our time in Missoula, the South Hills Evangelical Church (SHEC) served as our home base–we were lucky enough to receive air mattresses, food and hot meals from the parishioners, which was incredibly generous.

On Sunday, we woke up with a purpose: go to Glacier National Park. Even though the weather in Montana isn’t completely ideal for seeing a national park, it didn’t matter to our group. We had such a great time in the van getting to know one another that the 2 hour drive went by in a flash. Once we arrived at Glacier, we ate lunch at Lake McDonald (which Frank so lovingly confused with the fast food chain…in front of our guide Becky. She was not amused). We hiked through the snowy park and saw lots of rocks, trees and lichen (ugh) but no animals. However, the park was gorgeous and I can only imagine how breathtaking it can be during the warmer weather.

Monday was officially our first day of service. We began our day at the Montana Food Bank Network, where we met our site coordinator, Jeff (sigh). He was awesome. We did a lot of food-related work during the day, including rummaging through 2,000 pounds of potatoes and making bags of Cheerios for distribution. Of course, we had to have a dance party during service–when we came back on Friday, Jeff already had a boombox waiting for us with the radio on.

When the day was over, our group went into downtown Missoula and rode the 2nd fastest carousel in the United States of America. I definitely never thought I’d do something even remotely close to that. With our visit to the carousel came the first of many inside jokes and catchphrases (“Spring break!”). That night, a SHEC parishioner made us tater tot casserole, the first (and probably last) time I’d ever eat potatoes deep-fried in a pan.

The next day, we hopped in God’s Lifeboat–that was actually written on our van–and headed back towards Glacier for service at the Flathead Food Bank. The Flathead Food Bank is not just a food bank, though–it’s an enterprise. The owners are currently trying to open a furniture store, which resulted in us helping them move things all across the display area. We also got to work with another part of their business, the Flathead Food Bank Thrift Store. The thrift store is a new addition to the food bank and we helped fold clothes, stack shoes and prepare the store during the afternoon. Of course, we couldn’t help but poke around the store a little, too. Most of us wound up buying flannels and sweaters we later dubbed “Montana chic.” My fabulous baggy sweater only cost $3! And all proceeds from the thrift store help benefit the Flathead Food Bank.

Wednesday was a ridiculously busy and epic day for our group. We visited two service sites in the morning and afternoon and continued with a tour of the University of Montana. In the morning, we worked at Missoula 3:16, a soup kitchen for the people of Missoula. They didn’t necessarily end up needing our help with serving food, so we helped clean the entire place (it’s really small) and then engaged in some casual Bible trivia with the owner. Overall, very interesting. In the afternoon, we worked at the Missoula Food Bank. This site had all sorts of food-related activities for us–my small group and I stocked piles and piles of juice to be prepared for distribution later in the week. My friend Alyssa and I also worked on assembling healthy snacks for children as a part of the food bank’s focus on childhood nutrition.

The University of Montana is almost the complete opposite of Boston University. It is located in a grassy, green, open area with lots of spread-out buildings and mountains in the background. BU, well, we have a street (albeit a really, really, really cool one). We were able to see the Hall of Champions, the UMontana football stadium and the gym, plus we had dinner at their Food Zoo aka dining hall. But before dinner we hiked, the “M,” the 620-foot mountain with an “M” on it that all UMontana students climb at least once. The hike was…interesting. Let’s just say I haven’t used my hiking boots in probably ten years before this trip. However, the view from the top was completely worth it. We all made it up the “M” alive and subsequently had a reason to celebrate. And we did celebrate that night by watching “Mean Girls.”

On Thursday, our group took a trip to Idaho to visit the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs. These are natural hot springs buried 1.5 miles into the Idaho woods. In order to get there, we hiked a narrow trail through the snow (obviously snowballs were involved). Not going to lie, I was afraid we’d see a bear or something crazy but we made it there safely. The hot springs were small but super exciting! I had never seen one before and it was really fun to get in a bathing suit in the middle of a snowy forest in order to sit in something that felt like a bathtub. The hike back was so scenic–the woods honestly looked like a calendar or postcard photo. Katie summed it up perfectly by saying, “If you googled ‘beautiful nature,’ this is the view that would come up.”

Our group visited the Povarello Center (or “The Pov”) in the afternoon, where some of us painted and others helped with clothing deliveries. The Pov is one of Missoula’s most prominent nonprofits and it’s obvious why. The people who work there are dedicated to their jobs and providing people who are struggling with a helping hand. It was definitely one of my favorite sites.

Friday was our final day of service–the week had flown by! We returned to the Montana Food Bank Network and Jeff had lots of work waiting for us. During the morning, we made piles of food boxes for distribution–almost all of them were taller than me. It was also a great morning because a local TV reporter came by and interviewed Lindsey (our chaperone and the Community Service Center director), Haley and Frank! Check out the story: http://www.kpax.com/news/boston-university-students-serve-montana-community/

During the afternoon, we assembled more Cheerio bags until it was time to leave. As a group, I think we all loved the Montana Food Bank Network and wished we could have worked more with them over the course of the week. The other sites were amazing, though, and we left Missoula with a well-rounded view of what it’s like to be hungry and living in Montana.

Saturday was hands-down our biggest day of the trip. We decided to make the trek to Yellowstone National Park, a destination almost four and a half hours away from Missoula. Worth it? Absolutely. When we arrived, we were shocked at the spectacular beauty of the park. Our first destination was the Boiling River, where we stripped down to our bathing suits (and underwear for the 11 of us who forgot) and went in the freezing cold/scalding water. It was such a beautiful place to visit and an even better one to experience, even if it meant being cold and burnt at the end. We continued our excursion by driving the van through the woods. This was our first experience with animals in Montana and it was everything we wanted and more. We got to see bison in bulk, including when they blocked traffic! We also took a trip to a waterfall and Mammoth Hot Springs, which were both beautiful. On the way home from Yellowstone/YOLOstone, we stopped and got dinner at the Montana Ale Works. The food was delicious and necessary for our group–we really, really love food. A lot. After heading to bed around 2 AM, we had a wake-up time for 5:30 in order to get to our flight on time.

We didn’t need it. Our flight on Sunday ended up being delayed almost 2 hours and we missed our connection in Minneapolis because of it. The airport consisted of lots of stressing, calling and reflecting–we filled out papers with our names on it and wrote what each person contributed to this fantastic trip. Even though it was a long day, we still managed to have a ridiculously fun time together. Perfect group (totes perf). We flew from Minneapolis to New York and literally ran through the airport like the scene in “Home Alone 2″ so we could catch our plane to Boston. Stressful? Yes. Entertaining? Completely.

Thank you Christa, Katie, Catie, Brittany, Maiya, Kayley, Haley, Rosie and Alyssa for being such fun fellow volunteers during this incredible week. Kudos to Frank, Amanda and Lindsey for making our trip organized, fun and completely “T.” I will always keep this week close to my heart–we bonded, laughed, sang, danced and shared constantly. WHOO! SPRING BREAK!

I love Twitter so much. It’s a great way to share news, ideas, information and everything in between. The catch–how many of us can truly censor ourselves to 140 characters or less? It’s definitely hard sometimes but there are people out there who make their characters count. My favorite Twitter accounts are:

• Mindy Kaling: The self-identified “writer/performer/shopper” has a ridiculously funny Twitter account. She tweets about men, jewelry, news trends and anything that pops into her head. Her tweets make me want to be her best friend. Also, read her book!

• Neil Patrick Harris: @ActuallyNPH was one of the first people I ever started 
  following on Twitter when I first made my account in February 2010 (!). Why?
  Because he constantly keeps things light (for example: “That Kirk Cameron is HILARIOUS” after his comments about gay marriage being “unnatural”). A lot of celebs take themselves too seriously on Twitter and this guy is always down to crack a joke. Also, he’ll tweet pics of extravagant meals, which makes me love and hate him at the same time.

• Not Tim Wakefield: Okay, so it’s not as relevant now due to Wakefield’s
  recent retirement, but this account does a great job of poking fun at Major League 
  Baseball, the Boston Red Sox and everything else happening in the world. He also has
  a slight obsession with Conan O’Brien.

• Boston Tweet: Dying to know what’s going on in the city today? Want a random historical tidbit about Boston? Do you like burritos in an almost unhealthy way and want to know where to find them? This is definitely one of my favorite accounts, mostly because of the burrito love…and all the great things to do in the city. So helpful! And Tom, the creator of the account, comes to speak at BU all the time (even though he went to BC, but whatever). 

• Zooey Deschanel: Okay, so this one really isn’t a surprise–everyone who knows me hears about my girl crush on Zooey Deschanel. But it’s totally justified through her Twitter account! She responds to fans’ questions while also adorably promoting her show and Hello Giggles blog. Oh, and sometimes she and I have the same thoughts…like this tweet: 
• Adam Scott: Best. Twitter. Bio. Ever (it says “dancer, poet”). Adam Scott is an actor who has appeared in some of my favorite shows and movies, such as “Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Knocked Up,” “Parks and Recreation” and so, so many more. He’s a hilarious, underappreciated comedian who tweets some of the best things I’ve ever read. 
• BU’s Dean of Students, Kenn Elmore: Dean Elmore’s constantly tweeting about life at BU. He’s one of the best adult Twitter users I’ve ever seen–he engages, encourages and has fun using social media. He also recently started following me on Twitter, which was hands-down the best day of my social media life. 

These are not the only twitter accounts worth following, but they are some of the ones that brighten up an otherwise cluttered newsfeed. If you’re not already on Twitter, I suggest getting one–even if you don’t tweet, it’s a great way to follow stories and news!

Did I miss any noteworthy accounts? And out of the ones I listed, who’s YOUR favorite tweeter?

As we all know, Boston University has gone through some serious media scrutiny over the past week. Campus morale has been low and we’ve seen plenty of news reporters and negative articles to keep it that way.

Although I may not be happy with what has happened at my school over the last few days, it does not stop me from loving the place I grew as an adult. BU has given me the opportunity to grow as a worker, student, leader and most of all, a person. During my 3 1/2 years here, I’ve seen firsthand how much the professors, administrators and students care about one another. This has not stopped.

Unfortunately, poor decisions have been made by a very select percentage of our student population. Our administration has been nothing but transparent and open with these issues–representatives issued media statements immediately and have made sure that news outlets, including BU Today and the Daily Free Press, contain all relevant information about what is going on here at BU. Instead of shying away from attention during a tough time, administrators such as our Dean of Students Ken Elmore have reached out to BU students. His weekly Coffee and Conversation group talked about sexual assault and the issues facing our campus this past afternoon, allowing input and discussion from students and administrators across campus.

Obviously not everyone is in agreement about these issues and that’s fine–we’re a campus with a diverse student population that contains many opinions, one of the many things I love about the school. But before you accuse the school of wrongdoing or promoting a negative culture within its student body, ask yourself, “What would my life be like without BU? What has this university done for me?” BU opens many doors academically, professionally and intellectually for its students. Please don’t forget that during these troubled times.

Last night, all Boston University seniors had the 115 Days Until Graduation Party at our student union. Needless to say, it was amazing–but it was also kind of a slap in the face. We’re all graduating soon and there’s so much at BU and in Boston that I still haven’t done! I really don’t know where I’ll be next year (although I’m definitely going to be sticking around the city for the summer for my internship).

Like many other seniors–I’m sure–I’ve started considering what I should do during my final four months at this awesome school. So here’s my BU Bucket List, aka a list of things I want to do at BU and in the city before May 20, 2012.

1. Participate in Alternative Spring Break. ASB is something that is quintessentially BU–service, fun and togetherness. I’ve never participated in a trip before and I’ll definitely be registering this Sunday, hopefully to go to someplace super exciting!
2. Ice skate at Agganis Arena. It’s been a while since I’ve put on a pair of skates, but I want to lace up and hit the ice at Agganis at some point this winter. It would be great to get a huge group together and play on the ice for a while.
3. Go to the Back Bay Ball. The Back Bay Ball is BU’s all-school formal held at a hotel every year. I’ve never been and have always heard the best things about it. Everyone gets dressed up for a night on the town filled with good friends and good music. A must!
4. Visit the top of the Prudential Center. I’m from Boston and I’ve never been to the Top of the Hub. I know, unbelievable. I need to get there, even just for a quick drink, on a nice day when you can see the whole city.
5. Go to Foxwoods with my class. One of the most popular senior events is a day trip to the famous Connecticut casino. I’ve never been before and I definitely want to try my luck there at least once in my life–so why not with my closest BU friends?
6. Explore more of Cambridge. Last fall and this past summer, I got to spend a lot of time in Cambridge but it still wasn’t enough. I’ve got to explore more of Harvard Square, especially Bartley’s Burgers–apparently one of the best burgers I’ll ever eat. And Central Square? Barely been there. Time for me to hop on the Red Line and go.
7. Have fun with my classmates. A cheesy (but true!) given. Over the past three and half years at BU, I have met some of the best people I know. We need to have lots of fun these next few months. And I know we will.

Am I missing anything? What do you have on your BU bucket list?

Since “30 Rock” starts its 6th season next week on January 12th, I figured a love note would be the best way to celebrate the return of such a fantastic show.

Dear “30 Rock,”

Thank you for being an epic, funny ray of light in a TV universe full of gross reality shows (I have already written a post dedicated to my disdain for “Jersey Shore”) and programs about vampires, which I will never like or understand. Before all tweeting Americans saw Alec Baldwin as a Words with Friends addict, approximately 3.6 million viewers were already aware of his cringeworthy hijinks as Jack Donaghy–if only Sanchester, Massachusetts were real, am I right? In case Tina Fey couldn’t get more awesome from “Mean Girls” and “Saturday Night Live,” “30 Rock” turned her into a comedy goddess and idol for all awkward, sparrow-loving, German-speaking girls across the world (I think).

“30 Rock,” you made every boy wish he could have his own Werewolf Bar Mitzvah and every girl unashamed to embrace her “Jenna” side.  You made me appreciate people I didn’t know very well when I heard them slip quotes like “I’ve got something on my mind grapes” or “Verrry wool” into a mundane conversation. One of my favorite things about you is the increase in viewership for certain Kim Jong Il-related YouTube videos–from one of my personal favorite episodes, “Everything Sunny All The Time Always”– after his recent death.

On January 12th, I’ll be sure to spritz on some Enormé, grab my night cheese in my Slanket and enjoy the return of my favorite TV show. Thank god you were easily watchable on Netflix during this seemingly endless gap.

Love,

Tori

With Christmas only a scary sixteen days away, I’ve been racking my brain for gift ideas. What could my family, friends and co-workers want that I’m pretty sure they don’t already have?

After taking into consideration that this is New England and I still am a college student, here are the best ideas that (very little) money can buy:

1. Anything even remotely involving Tina Fey. Her book “Bossypants” was one of my favorites of 2011 and her show “30 Rock” hasn’t been on TV since May, leaving plenty of time for people to catch up with it via DVDs if they have never watched before. It’s very, very hard to go wrong with a gift that guarantees laughs.
2. Cool apartment necessities. Gone are the days of cramped dorm rooms and stick-on posters (although don’t judge me for still having a whiteboard outside my door). Since most of us live in apartments now, home furnishings actually make sense as a gift! A small vacuum, cute photo frames and a coat rack (winter’s here!) are some great, not-so-expensive ideas to make an apartment into a home.
3. Alcohol (duh). Now that we’re all finally members of the 21+ club, why not utilize your seniority and get someone a nice bottle of wine or champagne? Of course, you could always go the college student route and just buy cheap beer…in bulk. Either way, I doubt you’ll get complaints.
4. Fashion-over-function scarves. Since everyone seems to wear scarves now–no matter what time of year it is–this is a foolproof gift. Most retailers sell scarves that look great and can compliment any outfit (they might not do a lot to keep you warm but that’s fine). Everyone in Boston already owns a big, bulky scarf or six, so a fashionable one is a welcome wardrobe change.
5. Anything trendy in pop culture. An ironic “Breaking Dawn” calendar that you can burn later? Sure. Or maybe a more useful gift, like a copy of “The Hunger Games,” the insanely popular book series? Check. Last but not least, you could always pick up “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” soundtrack for someone on your Christmas list. It has 39 tracks so they definitely won’t be bored easily.

Hope these suggestions help with the last-minute Christmas shopping!

Although Halloween hasn’t actually happened yet (minor technicality since it’s October 30th), we’ve been scared enough already here in Boston. With biting cold, crazy wind and–oh right–a snowstorm that has caused hundreds of thousands of power outages in Massachusetts, we’ve survived a very atypical Boston Halloweekend.

So here are some lessons we can take away from this crazy, snow-filled weekend of Halloween 2011 (in no particular order):

1. Dressing up as a sexy Eskimo for Halloween may not actually be a bad idea after all.
2. Snowball fights just look cooler if there are pumpkins lit up in the background (instead of Christmas lights).
3. Even though many of the bars/schools/restaurants/businesses in Massachusetts shut down due to snow-related issues, it’s assuring to know that the parties never will.
4. In Boston, it is possible to go from a 90+ Columbus Day weekend to a 30 degree Halloween just 3 short weeks later.
5. I firmly believe that hipsters enjoyed this Halloween more than others just because they got to wear their beanies about a month earlier than usual.
6. It’s not the worst idea to pack your winter jacket/boots/gloves in your suitcase after a quick jaunt home over Columbus Day (or Labor Day…or any) weekend.
7. Don’t even try to “snowproof” a homemade costume (i.e., something made out of cardboard or similar materials). As we all saw this weekend, it’s a waste of time.

October 23rd, 2001 may not have stood out as a pivotal day in our lives but it definitely should. Why? Because that was the day the first iPod EVER was released to the public.

Just a few days ago, the iPod celebrated its 10th birthday. Even though I was only 12 when it first came out, I remember being fascinated by the 1 kid at my middle school who was lucky enough to own one. The first generation iPod might not have been the sleekest, coolest product out there but it was way more efficient than CD players, stereos and the now-defunct Walkman.

I was a proud 15 year-old owner of a pink (!) iPod mini (does anyone remember the gold ones? Or when U2 made an iPod?). Fascinated by the fact that all of my music could fit onto a little tiny device with a black and white screen, I brought it everywhere with me. Sadly, the mini’s battery didn’t last that long–by my junior year of high school, it was pretty much dead. But my first foray into digital music literally changed everything about how I listened to the songs I liked and took them with me everywhere.

Once my mini died (I still have it to this day because I couldn’t part with something I loved that much, even if it doesn’t work), I bought the 80gb iPod classic so I could store songs, photos and video on one color device. Not only did it survive my senior year of high school, my iPod made it through my first three years at BU, including my very iPod-reliant study abroad period in Madrid.  Apple has really done a great job with improving the iPod battery over these past 10 years. It is a day-to-day product that lasts far longer than the average electronic device like a smartphone and even some laptops. While I do not own an iPhone yet, I’m not opposed to getting one when my phone is due for an upgrade next year.

Basically, this post is a dedication to the iPod–I don’t think I would have been able to survive high school, college and study abroad without one. It’s a product that has changed all of our lives in one way or another and we have a whole corporation to thank for it.

What was your first iPod? Can you imagine life without portable music? And how is it already 10 years old?

Over the summer, my friends Chris and Alison introduced me to the (many) food trucks in Boston. After recently completing my study abroad program in Spain, I was eager to try new foods and avoid spending lots of money. Food trucks were the perfect solution.

Now you can’t go half a mile without seeing these trucks on BU’s campus. In the city of Boston, they’re in Cleveland Circle, Fanueil Hall, Copley Square and the South End at SOWA Open Market.

I’ve been lucky enough to eat at Clover (a vegetarian truck), Bon Me (delicious Vietnamese food), The Dining Car (best bread ever), Roxy’s Grilled Cheese (gourmet grilled cheeses for around $5) and Kickass Cupcakes (need I say more?). Each one is totally unique and awesome, but my favorite is definitely Clover. Their chickpea fritter is the greatest food truck product ever. It’s a sandwich filled with pickles, onion, hummus and all sorts of vegetarian ingredients–I’m not even a vegetarian, but I totally appreciate Clover’s meat-free approach to food.

What makes these food trucks so awesome?

1. They’re cheap. You can usually purchase a sandwich for $5-6 dollars and you get more than your money’s worth. The portions are filling and delicious!
2. Can you say “not the dining hall?” Eating at a food truck is a great alternative to dining hall food, which varies from day to day. And if you’re like me and aren’t the greatest cook in the world, these options make for a cheap night off from almost burning down your kitchen.
3. You’re supporting local businesses. The people who work at the trucks are Bostonians who love food! What could be better?
4. They care about their customers. Food truck workers are used to every kind of request. They care about consumers’ opinions, rants, raves, suggestions and food preferences PLUS they’re willing to listen and change up the menu if need be. Clover, Bon Me and the other food trucks all have Twitter accounts and websites where customers can engage with those serving and making the food. Bon Me Ralph is definitely my favorite.