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Tom Cortese’s Story
20 places in 26 entries • 57 family & friends
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Montauk, NY 11954, USA
Where are you having Thanksgiving this year?
19 months ago
Montauk, NY 11954, USA Rachel and I will be traveling out to my parent's house in Montauk for Thursday and Friday dinners and then will spend Saturday and Sunday with her parents. We'll be fed very well by our two mothers.
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University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
What's a frame-worthy photo of you and your siblings?
21 months ago
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA Visiting Greg in his freshman year, College dorm room.
Tagged in this entry: Damien Cortese , Gregory Cortese
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Montauk, NY, USA
Tag a photo of you and a close friend in your element.
21 months ago
Tagged in this entry: Julian Cummings
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2101 I St NW, The George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC 20037, USA
When have you felt homesick?
22 months ago
1998
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2101 I St NW, The George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC 20037, USA
Immediately upon heading off to college.
I thought I was lucky that my roommate-to-be had apparently pulled out to join the Coast Guard instead of heading to college. I got a letter from the University saying I had the dorm room all to myself. But, as it turned out, it was pretty lonely not having any roommates when you first arrive to college. There was no one to jump into the new experience with. No one to argue about where to put the TV or who was the one being too messy. I think this contributed to me feeling homesick.
Luckily after a few weeks I did end up making some great friends in the dorm building and eventually even scored a few roommates. After that, homesickness melted away quickly. :)
Tagged in this entry: Mollie Byron , Jenn Jue
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Napeague Meadow Rd, Amagansett, NY 11930, USA
What's something foolish you've done?
22 months ago
1998
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Napeague Meadow Rd, Amagansett, NY 11930, USA
Drag racing at night on a narrow street. I was about 18.
We were about 6 people in 4 cars. Not nice cars. Not fast cars. Just our used old cars. One car (Julian's) was severely handicapped, "speeding" along on just 3 of its 4 cylinders. (It's debatable if there was any real racing going on that night!) We lined up 2 cars at a time at one end of the street and had a third car at the opposite end marking the finish line with headlights.
The consistent winner, Russell in his mom's red Chrysler LeBaron convertible, was crushing the competition in style. Then the cops showed up. Apparently they were tipped off by frightened residents. Somehow the officers decided we weren't worth their time. We weren't drinking, we were barely "racing", and I think we seemed fairly harmless. We certainly were't the hard-core drunk driving, speed racing, up-to-no-good kids they were expecting to find. And, shockingly were just told to drive home and stop being stupid.
Tagged in this entry: Alex Cohan , Julian Cummings , Chris Pedersen , Russell Wojtusiak , Damien Cortese
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George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC, USA
College graduation
24 months ago
May 2002 • George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC, USA I graduated in May of 2002 with plans to move from Washington DC to NYC and complete graduate school applications. Then I got offered a full time job with a non-profit called Ashoka in DC where I had been a part-time employee through my senior year in college. It was an opportunity I decided I couldn't turn down, so I stayed put. I ended up living in Washington for 10 years including my college years. Who knew?!
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George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC, USA
Where did you go to college and why did you choose that school?
24 months ago
1998
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George Washington University, Washington D.C., DC, USA
I went to The George Washington University in Washington DC.
As a high school student, I was really into politics and public policy. On my college application forms I noted that I wanted to graduate college to become a lobbyist on the Hill. And I focused my college search on the top three DC schools. Georgetown, GW, and American. Georgetown totally rejected me and GW, being right in the heart of the city just blocks from the White House, seemed like a place I'd enjoy spending four years.
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28 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, USA
How did you get engaged?
26 months ago
May 8, 2011
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28 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, USA
I imagined proposing to Rachel on the dunes in Montauk overlooking the ocean as the sun was preparing to set. A small card table draped in a crisp white table cloth, a simple bottle of prosecco, and two plain glasses would all be ready at the preordained location. We would arrive by foot, I would kneel and let my intentions be known, and we would share a celebratory drink as our families and friends emerged from their cover in the surrounding area. ...But this is not how it went down!
Instead, I proposed to Rachel in a Country Club in New Jersey -- in a dinning room filled with families there to celebrate Mother's Day. We had a table set for 15 at the Maplewood Country Club. Rachel's grandparents, Joy and Jerry, had arranged the dinner and graciously invited my mother, father, and grandmother to join. It was a treat to bring the grandmothers together. And once I learned that our parents and grandparents were going to be together around one table, I was suddenly convinced that my perfect opportunity had created itself and it was up to me to seize the moment. I would just need to pull a plan together quickly then summon the courage to speak from the heart in front of a larger than anticipated audience.
The timeline was condensed. I already had the ring. I had just purchased it after plenty of research, 6 days before the proposal would take place. Mother's day was supposed to be the day I asked Rachel's parents for their official permission, then I was going to be able to work on picking the right time and setting for the engagement. But in one phone call, which luckily took place on Cinco de Mayo after Rachel's parents had been out celebrating with Margaritas, I managed to secure their blessings and sketch together the basic plan.
It all went down without a hitch. Her father provided the lead-in by announcing that he'd like me to give a toast to mother's day while our families enjoyed dessert and coffee. I gave my toast and then converted it into a proposal. Rachel was completely caught by surprise and so were most of the people at the table, save for our parents. It was a perfect moment that seemed infinitely longer than it actually was. And it was a moment that will be with us forever.
Tagged in this entry: Rachel Eckenthal
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East Hampton, NY, USA
Share the weirdest photo you've taken.
26 months ago
2000 • East Hampton, NY, USA I was driving down the highway with my friend Laurin and we saw this giant Jesus poster. It just seemed like something we needed to take a photo in front of.
Tagged in this entry: Laurin Fedora
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Montauk, NY, USA
Growing up, who did you most admire?
26 months ago
1986 • Montauk, NY, USA My brother Greg. He always took care of his younger brothers, he was a beach lifeguard and the captain of the HS wrestling team. He was so cool.
Tagged in this entry: Gregory Cortese
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Middletown - Pelham Bay, NY, USA
What's your favorite recipe?
29 months ago
Middletown - Pelham Bay, NY, USA Grandma's cannoli!!!She uses vermouth in the dough for the shell to make them an airy, light, crunchy pastry. Then the cream is 1 lb fresh fresh fresh ricotta cheese with 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix and add chocolate chips. Then stuff into the fried shells with a spoon. Watch the video for a full demonstration of the proper technique!
1 Comment
Hana, HI, USA
Do you have any photos of you doing something you love?
29 months ago
December 30, 2009 • Hana, HI, USA I love being in the ocean under the warm sun. Nothing beats it. Nothing is more freeing than being just a speck in the vast, open sea.
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Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 92328, USA
What's the fastest you've ever been caught speeding?
29 months ago
August 2010 • Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 92328, USA Driving out of Death Valley, eager to get to the air conditioned oasis of Las Vegas, I was rocketing down the open road (turns out no one visits a place called "Death Valley" in late August) at 125mph. Then I passed a cop. Apparently it was a 65mph zone. Whoops.
3 Comments
West Orange, NJ, USA
Describe a typical family dinner today.
30 months ago
West Orange, NJ, USA
Growing up, family dinners were always a time when the whole family got together around the dinner table. My mother always cooked -- ordering food was considered sacrilege. I remember there being something different on the table all the time and there were only a few standard repeat dishes.
I definitely remember my parents going through a semi-vegan stage. We had all sorts of "satan" based dishes for a short while there. But then we were back to the more typical mediterranean style fish dishes and the occasional meatloaf (stuffed with mozzarella cheese!).
2 Comments
Bronx, NY, USA
Coro Militare di Mascalcia Pinerolo
30 months ago
Bronx, NY, USA Grandpa... Tommaso Cortese... is listed 5th row down, 3rd column from the left. This framed poster, and war relic, is hanging in Grandma's house above the chair in which Grandpa used to sit. I took this photo while visiting Grandma's house over Christmas 2010.
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Middletown - Pelham Bay, Bronx, NY, USA
Jamaica
Describe a memorable family vacation.
30 months ago
December 1997 • Jamaica Family trip to Jamaica between Christmas and New Years. I don't think we had ever taken a family trip before that.
1 Comment
Ditch Plains, NY 11954, USA
Me in my alternate life as a true native Italian boy
30 months ago
Ditch Plains, NY 11954, USA I feel like this is a photo of a young native Italian boy who never left the shores of Sicily.
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Montauk, NY, USA
Greg life gaurding
30 months ago
Montauk, NY, USA ...here's one reason I thought my older brother Greg was the coolest dude growing up.
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Prospect Park, 95 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA
What do you love most about your home?
30 months ago
Prospect Park, 95 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA
I love where my home is located: in the city near great shops, restaurants, and most importantly lots of seemingly busy people. I love the feeling of all those people just moving around, living life in fast-forward. But my home is also next to a nice big park where I can run, bike, or just wander away from the busyness and let life slow down to a near-pause.
I love what's inside my home too: obviously my loving girlfriend, our cozy bed with crisp white sheets, and a kitchen that is always in use. Our home is a place where I could relax but rarely do as we are almost always in motion and our home always feels alive--never stagnant--so I feel alive too.
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Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, USA
Share a picture of you in the great outdoors.
31 months ago
September 2010 • Yosemite National Park, CA 95389, USA This was take by Rachel while I was drying off in the sun after jumping naked into a freezing cold lake at about 9,000 feet just after a night of snow flurries.
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Smokey Mountains Dr, Gallatin, TN 37066, USA
What was your most epic road trip?
32 months ago
2001 • Smokey Mountains Dr, Gallatin, TN 37066, USA Junior or senior year of college, myself and 3 other friends took a trip from DC to the Smoky Mountains on the TN/NC border. The drive took us 12 hours and I insisted (because it was my own car ... and I'm male) that I drive the entire way with the min number of stops. By the time we got to the National Park entrance where we were going to set up camp, we realized it was snowing in the mountains. So as we drove further up the winding road the snow was coming down heavier and heavier and the car was having significant trouble maintaining traction. Slowly but surely we got the ~12 year old 1988 Mazda 626 to climb that mountain where we found ourselves to be the only people actually pitching a tent in the blizzard. We stayed for 4 days and it continued to dump on us the entire time switching periodically from snow to sleet to rain. We loved every minute of it.
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Washington, DC, USA
Describe your first job and how you landed it.
33 months ago
May 2002
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Washington, DC, USA
My first career job was with a global non-profit organization called "Ashoka: Innovators for the Public" based in the Washington DC area. I ran a team that responsible for providing a host of services to the many country offices and departments within the organization. I was with the organization for 3 years and met some of the most interesting people from around the world while I was there.
Interestingly, I had been interning for that same team at Ashoka through my senior year of college and was planning to head back to the NY City area for the Summer, get an odd job, and finish applying to graduate programs in the Fine Arts. To my surprise, when I told them I was leaving, Ashoka offered me a full time job heading up the team. After some consideration, it occurred to me that a full time job was probably much more valuable than a masters degree in the Fine Arts. (Really -- what the heck was I going to do with that degree!?) So I secured myself an apartment and found myself on a career track that kept me in Washington for almost 6 more years.
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