September 7, 2009
"I am now a New Yorker," is what first crossed my mind as the plane hit the ground today. I was nervous/excited/petrified at what this 13.4 mile stretch of jam-packed city there was out there, ready for me to explore. Instead of cabbing it from the airport, I take the bus. Twelve bucks is all it cost me for a quick 30 minute drive through Queens into Manhattan. I thought to myself, "I can easily live on a budget here." Yeah, until I go apartment hunting.
My friend Valerie, whom I am staying with until I find my humble abode, and I go a block off of Times Square for a studio apartment available for rent. What a good location right? For a reasonable monthly rent? Nope. I feel like I am walking into part of someone's garage. It is dirty, small, and the broker is a schemer. Him and Valerie do not get along. Her persistence was greatly appreciated, by me. Not so much by Whitney. He didn't like "her negative energy" as he said. We are hurried along to leave, but later unlock my phone to a text saying Whitney wants me to be his friend on Facebook. Ha!
I feel a little bit like Sex & The City already today. As we lay out on the rooftop deck, drinking wine (yes, but it's Labor Day), talking about men and all of the mistakes we have made, I come to find a calming sense inside this large metropolis. Surrounded by honking cars, birds chirping, and cabs racing by, the building has a calming effect, sitting stories high above the busy sidewalks of Midtown Manhattan.
Lincoln Center is a great place to go shopping. Valerie, her roommate, Dee, and myself enter Bed, Bath & Beyond, in which I quickly find to be three stories tall. As I am aimlessly walking around the large store, I notice a cart full of interesting items. As I begin to rummage through, a man comes up, looks at me funny, and walks away. I am shopping through his cart of things he has already picked out to purchase. Oops!
Off to "Salmon Mondays" at a sushi restaurant in Midtown. A sushi roll for only $3? You can not get much better than that. Although typically crazy New York incidences did not cross my path today, it was a great way to end the start of what is sure to be an adventure.
Note to Self: When beginning a new adventure in your life, let go of negative aspects of your past. It will only slow you down and distract you from the great opportunities life has handed you. You can only go forward, so brush it off and move on. Enjoy the ride while you can!