10 Things Every Woman Needs Before She Turns 30

From graduating college to landing your first real job, a lot happens during your 20s. You'll have plenty of laughs, learn a lot, and probably have some "what in the world was I doing/wearing/thinking?!" moments. While the major accomplishments and hopefully-minor embarrassments may vary from woman to woman, there are several things each should have by the time she turns 30.

1. Money in the bank in case you want to be frivolous

What fun is putting all of your income toward bills? Yes, you need to be responsible, but you should also have some money for when you want to pay yourself. That means splurging on that tropical vacation during winter or buying the flattering jeans with a price tag that implies the denim is made of gold. I recently bought tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert and it was gratifying to hit the purchase button without hesitation because I knew I'd been saving up for something just like this.

2. A savings account for the future

Yes, you want to be able to have money to spend on something "just because" but you don't want to be living paycheck to paycheck, either. There are plenty of things you'll want to invest in down the road (a car, a house or bigger apartment, a wedding/honeymoon, babies, a doctorate program ... The list goes on and on). Skip the occasional Starbucks macchiato if you have to; you'll thank yourself later. 

3. Your own toolset (and know how to use it)

When I was in college, my mom gave me a tool set for Christmas. At first I wondered if it would end up being a dust collector on the shelf in my apartment, but I quickly discovered it comes in handy. Now I can hang up all my pictures, assemble IKEA furniture, and fix a leaky faucet without having to call anyone. It's like being able to change a tire; you don't ever want to have to do it, but you have the knowledge just in case. 

4. Confidence (and pride) in your body

By the time you reach 30, you should've found parts about yourself that you love and know you rock. It doesn't matter if it's your eyes stealing the show when you put on your favorite gold shadow or how your calves look when you step into those strappy black stilettos. Embrace these discoveries. And try not to kick yourself too much about your thighs; they really aren't as big as you think. 

5. A story about your youth you're proud to tell 

Sure you can regale people with the time you did too many vodka shots in college, but that only gets you so far. Your 20's are a good time to have some good experiences to share with others down the road. Plus, these memories may inspire what comes in the next phase of your life, because you sure aren't done living!

6. A sinfully delicious meal you know how to cook by memory

It seems like almost everyone has memories of their mothers or grandmothers in the kitchen using their hands as measuring tools and never looking at a recipe book. There's something charming and classic about this skill. 

7. An ex you can think of fondly but never want to rekindle with

I recently ran into someone I dated seriously in college and all those memories came flooding back. I spent some time resenting his new fiance but then it hit me; she can have him. That was a big moment for me -- realizing you can love someone from your past, but not wanting to be with them anymore. It's the way life should be. Plus, all those former flames lead you to the one that doesn't flicker out. 

8. At least one stamp in your passport; more if you can swing it

Your 20's are a time for exploring both personally and geographically. Go somewhere while you aren't tied down to a career and a mortgage. See the world and add these stories to your repertoire. And hey, if you haven't marked this accomplishment off your list yet, refer to number one on this list -- have some cash set aside for the next time you discover a good Groupon for heading abroad. 

9. Friends outside of social media

Let's face it -- you don't have 651 friends. And really, would you want that many anyway? Can you imagine making dinner reservations? At 30, you don't need the shady back-stabbers or all the drama that comes with them. Embrace the life-long friends you know will be there through both the good and the bad times and let the others go. 

10. An opinion about kids

Even if you're not attached at the moment, you should know by now if you want to add little ones to your life or not. Not only does this help you determine your goals, but it helps with your relationships. If you can't walk through the store without cringing at the sound of a squealing child, you know it's time to say goodbye to the guy who is picking out baby names. 

What would you add to this list? 

This story ran on PolicyMic. 

Want to Learn About NYC? Avoid the Internet.

Kenneth T. Jackson speaking in Union Square.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
New York City is one of the most fascinating and culturally rich cities in the world. With all the details and history of this vibrant metropolis, Kenneth T. Jackson feels it is essential to have a compilation of credible information about the city for people to reference. So he helped create one, "The Encyclopedia of New York City."

Jackson edited the book's second edition, which was released last month.

"The Internet, whether it's Wikipedia or Google, has killed reference books around the country," Jackson said last night at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. "Even the Encyclopedia Britannica is no longer in physical form. But with this, you can turn to any page and learn things you didn't know about New York City and know it's all true. You can't do that with the Internet."

The second edition has over 5,000 entries and 700 illustrations. Jackson says that even though it is called an encyclopedia, it should be on coffee tables in homes, not just on a shelf in a library.

"The idea is to reach a general public with this book," Jackson said. "Not just to reach a specialized library reference audience."

Jackson, who is also a professor at Columbia University, was part of the team that released the original edition of it in 1995. He says the editors saw that New York City has changed in many ways since then, from the World Trade Center no longer being a part of the city skyline to the implementing of the E-Z subway pass, all of which are reflected in the second edition.

"I think there's more information about one city between the two covers of this book than any book on any other city in the history of the world," Jackson said.

With all the information Jackson learned about New York City during his research, he says there was one thing that surprised him the most.

"I was surprised that New York was the oyster capital," Jackson said. "I found out that half of all oysters in the world are brought in from the New York Harbor. I think that's surprising."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Arianna Huffington: 9,000 Have Signed Up For Bus Ride to D.C. Rally

Arianna Huffington after speaking at the White Slab Palace.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Arianna Huffington said more than 9,000 have taken her up on her televised offer to bus anyone interested from New York to Jon Stewart's rally in D.C. later this month.

"I'm expecting more to join us," Huffington told NiteSide at "The Little Idea" rally at White Slab Palace in the Lower East Side Wednesday night. "I'm sure Jon Stewart will be there too but probably the day before."

Though the media maven shocked "The Daily Show" audience on Sept. 28 when she offered free buses from her offices in SoHo to the Oct. 30 "Rally to Restore Sanity" in D.C., she had an agenda of her own last night: promoting her latest book "Third World America."

"We aren't a third world yet but are an interjectory to be a third world because it gives it a sense of urgency," Huffington said. "I talk about what we need to do to revitalizing ourselves, the community, and the country."

She encourages everyone to remove funds from big-time banks and instead invest in their local counterparts as part of her Move Your Money campaign.

"While money controls politics, we are less in control than we should be," she said. "Ultimately, the ones who are in control are the ones who are giving the big donations and sending the lobbyists up on the Hill."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

NBC NiteSide NiteByte Posts

New York City:

NiteByte: Whitney Port Experiences Road Rage

Miami:

NiteByte: Kourtney Kardashian Takes Her Son for a Playdate in NYC

Washington D.C.:

NiteByte: Reality Starlet Krista Johnson Finds a Great Deal

NBC NiteSide NiteByte Posts

New York City:

NiteByte: DJ Samantha Ronson Gets Philosophical

Washington DC:

NiteByte: Socialite Pamela Sorensen Finds Love in Paris

NBC NiteSide NiteByte Posts

New York City:

NiteByte: Lydia Hearst Called it an Early Night

Miami:

NiteByte: Khloe Kardashian Takes a Vegas Vacation

Washington DC:

NiteByte: Socialite Pamela Sorensen is Forced to Tweak Travel Plans

NBC NiteSide NiteByte Posts

I started this week off with three NiteByte posts, one in each of our three NiteSide markets.

New York:

NiteByte: Socialite Gillian Hearst Gives Nighttime Tips to Beat the Heat

Miami:

NiteByte: Singer Jon Secada Says Goodbye to Miami

Washington DC:

NiteByte: Reality Starlet Krista Johnson Reflects on Childhood Memories

Inside the Sunset Cruise Benefit Aboard the Yacht Atlantis

New York City skyline at night, taken from the Yacht Atlantis

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend a benefit for the Friends of Animal Rescue. It was aboard the Yacht Atlantis, which was docked on the East River and then took off for a cruise, bringing all of us to see the sparkling lights of the city and the Statue of Liberty all light up at night. It was stunning and an outstanding experience.

I created a photo gallery, which was leading the NBC New York website today.

NitePics: Inside the Sunset Cruise Benefit Aboard the Yacht Atlantis

Meet the Party Captain: Luxury Cruise Helmsman Fred Ardolino

me and Captain Fred Ardolino at the yacht's helm.

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

Capt. Fred Ardolino has been at the helm of his luxury yacht The Atlantis for countless number of formal events -- but the swank sunset cruise held on board the sleek vessel last night was among his favorites. 

Last night, the Friends of Animal Rescue hosted a cruise around Manhattan where patrons sipped cocktails and bid on a silent auction to benefit animals as Capt. Ardolino navigated the East River alongside the glittering skyline. 

"I'm an animal lover, too," Ardolino said during the cruise. "I have enough of my own: three turtles, two dogs, fish all over the place and a bird."

The 150-foot custom cruiser was designed by Ardolino and boasts three massive decks, a dining salon that can fit 300 guests and amenities that include a Jacuzzi, VIP suite, and custom fish aquarium. He has hosted weddings, benefits and even events for the USA Olympic basketball team aboard his ship. But this benefit was different. 

"The people that are here are animal lovers and they wanted to do what they can to find a quality home for them and many times it's out of their own pockets," he said. 

He added, "An animal is a true friend. He doesn't care about what you look like or where you are. He's just going to be loyal to you."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

President Barack Obama Greeted by Protestors on his Visit to Cooper Union

Joseph Kohn standing with signs outside of Cooper Union on Thursday.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

MANHATTAN—While President Barack Obama addressed leaders in the financial industry at a conference held at Cooper Union on Thursday, groups of protestors and activists stood outside of Cooper Union, all hoping to send their own messages to the president.

“We came here today to tell Obama that we want to live in peace with our neighbors,” Joseph Khon, 22, said. “We want him to stop dictating foreign policy, especially in Palestine.”

Khon and other members of the group Jews United Against Zionism arrived at Cooper Square before the president came and even though Obama left Cooper Union in the mid-afternoon, Khon and his group stuck around.

“Not only does the president need to know about our message, but so do other people,” Khon said. “According to our teachings, everyone should be working together in peace.”

Other members of the Jews United Against Zionism joined Khon in holding banners with their message printed on them in hopes that the president would notice what they had to say. But they were competing with many others.

Stacee Evarts, 36, held a poster with the words “Stop Harming Mother Earth” in block letters above a printed picture of the Earth that was surrounded by hand-drawn hearts.

“Today is Earth Day and all Obama cares about is money,” Evarts said. “He needs to get his priorities in order and make changes to save our planet.”

Evarts said she believes that this is a problem that affects everyone and is surprised that Obama is not doing more to help solve it.

“He has kids so he should want to look to the future for them and their kids,” Evarts said. “If we don’t have a planet for them to live on, money won’t even be a concern.”

But Devon Conoley, 20, had a different agenda.

“It took forever for me to even get to this point because of the traffic and now security won’t let me cross the street,” Conoley said as he watched the president’s motorcade of black SUV’s go by. “Yes it’s great that Obama is here, but I wonder if he can write me a note saying he’s the one who caused me to be late to work.”

USA Today Reporter Stops at Nothing to Deliver the Story of the Destruction in Haiti

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

MANHATTAN— The image of a woman lying dead on the floor of a nursing school in a Port Au Prince hospital in Haiti still haunts USA Today reporter Marisol Bello.

“I couldn’t bring myself to look at her face,” Bello said. “After I saw her, I just backed out of the room.”

Bello, 38, is a national desk general assignment reporter for USA Today and covers disasters and major breaking news, so it wasn’t unexpected when her boss came to ask her to cover the earthquake in Haiti, which killed around 230,000 people and devastated the city.

“People like to tell me that when they see me coming, they know something bad has happened,” Bello said.

She left her home in Washington DC the day after the earthquake.

Bello connected with the world relief agency World Vision and imbedded with them. Their first stop was to help give aid at what was considered to be one of the best hospitals in the city.

When they entered the nursing school wing of the hospital, where she came across the woman on the ground, she described it as eerily quiet in comparison to the rest of the city, where the streets were filled with screaming survivors and piles of bodies. In the midst of it all, Bello stopped to remember she had a job to do—report the stories.

“Feeling it wasn’t where I was at that moment,” Bello said. “I was trying to find the best method to tell the stories around me.”

Reporters in Haiti were working around the clock to get as much information as they could to send back home. Stories weren’t hard to find and people were more than willing to share their experiences with journalists. But problems arose when it came time to send stories back since Internet connection was about as scarce as food.

“Imagine if you didn’t have a working computer or email,” Bello said. “One time I typed an entire story from my blackberry, which wasn’t easy.”

Bello managed to get all her stories back to her editors and stayed even longer than she originally expected.

“Some of the things I’d seen were so daunting,” Bello said. “But I figured I’m here; I have to tell these stories.”

New York University journalism graduate student, Lauren Gerber, spoke of the dedication Bello shows for her job.

“She went through atrocious things that even some really resilient reporters might not be able to handle,” Gerber said. “She wanted the story to help the people.”

Bello explained that seeing so much death and destruction eventually wore on her brain and she had an emotional breakdown during her reporting trip in Haiti.

“I don’t know how you could see those images and not get emotional,” Gerber said. “That emotion is what really drives the story.”

Despite the challenges she faced in Haiti, Bello ended with a positive result.

“It was the single most amazing story I’ve ever covered.”

A Quick Holiday Travel Spot on ABC News

While I was at the Newark Airport in New Jersey, reporter Phil Lipof from the ABC affiliate in New York City interviewed me for a package he put together about holiday travel. It was interesting for me to be the one answering the questions instead of asking them.

Here is the story that was on the news that night.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=7176543

Traveling Miles to Cheer on People Running Miles in the New York City Marathon

Doreen Phillips came to cheer on her friend running in the New York City Marathon.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

Doreen Phillips came all the way from Atlanta, Ga. for the New York City Marathon and she's not even running in it.

This isn’t the first time that Phillips has traveled over 800 miles to come to the marathon. She has done this for several years. Her travels to the marathon originally started as a way for her to reconnect with her hometown of Brooklyn, but the past two years she has come to support a particular marathon runner: her best friend in Atlanta.

Phillips, 44, came to cheer on Christopher Reeves, named after the actor he shares a name with and who suffered from a spinal cord injury. He was running on behalf of the Christopher and Dana Reeves Spinal Cord Research Foundation.

Phillips wore a shirt with the words “Team Reeve” and held a sign with the same phrase. Running in the marathon is one of the ways Reeves is working towards bringing awareness to spinal cord research and to help people with these injuries to get the help they need to get better.

Reeves’ involvement was inspired by his brother, who is serving in Iraq and has seen many people suffering with spinal cord injuries as a result of being in combat.

As Phillips stood on the sidelines, checking her phone for word from Reeves, she cheered on the other runners, especially anyone with their names on their shirts.

“People are running by, and I don't know who they are, but I still cheer,” Phillips said. “I just want them all to do really well.”

When the text came that he was close to where she stood, she hoisted her sign into the air. As he came into view, her screams and shouts got louder than they'd been all morning.

“Woo hoo!” Phillips yelled. “Yay Chris!”

When he found her in the midst of the large crowd, he leaned over the barricade for a quick hug. There was just enough time for her to tell him she was proud of him and she'd see him at the finish line before he was off running again.

“You can do it! Keep going!” she shouted.

She cheered and clapped for him until he was long past her standing point in the crowd.

“That's my best friend and I am proud of him.”

Burmese Hunger Strike at United Nations 2009 General Assembly

My first experience shooting and editing video at NYU. Check it out and let me know what you think! :)