It’s been two months and change, and let me tell you, a lot has changed. When I first arrived in NYC, I was immediately in love. It was love at first sight in a way that I had never experienced before. And while I was trying my best to remain calm and keep the butterflies at bay, I was nothing more than a tourist wearing an “I HEART NY” t-shirt, with a foam Statue of Liberty crown, stopping in the middle of the streets of Manhattan for nothing other than to stare at a piece of architecture that had curved in a unique way, or a person who seemed a vibrant color that I had never experienced before.
And then, life started.
Work got busy. Friends became less. The tornado of New York City took me to the deepest eye of the storm, because I got to a point where I turned to myself alone one night in my office past midnight and said, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
One of the worst things that happened, I think, was that I stopped writing. In a city of creative minds and talented energies, mine became dried up like a prune in the matter of a week. Both of my blogs were empty, and even worse, I wasn’t doing any personal writing.
But here I am, writing again, to tell you a little bit about what has happened in the past two months:
- My paralyzing fear of rats has diminished into barely a flinch
- Eating off a meal plan has gotten old
- Sitting on the terrace off my apartment never gets old, but it has gotten less frequent
- I have found a favorite spot in the city
- I’ve gotten lost on the train multiple times
- I’ve looked up at buildings and thought, “Wow, I can’t believe I live here!”
- I’ve looked down streets and thoughts, “Wow, I need to get out of here.”
- I’ve become accustomed to seeing homeless people on the streets, and although it’s now expected, there is still a pang in my heart every time I see someone sleeping on cardboard with no shoes
- I’ve tried new coffee shops, but haven’t found the best one yet
- I’m used to hearing about people meeting celebrities, although I haven’t met anyone famous myself yet. Although, I did meet the runner-up for Jenna in Waitress on Broadway!
- Speaking of which, I saw Waitress on Broadway for free!
- I fell asleep in Washington Square Park listening to the piano man
- I tried soup dumplings for the first time
- I’ve visited with family members who just happened to be passing through the city for some reason or another, which has been amazing
- I got a library card, and now am a proud member of the New York Public Library system
- I stopped reading, and then started reading again
- I started playing piano again, and am looking into piano lessons
- I’m thinking about taking French or Italian lessons…or hell, maybe both!
- I’ve spent some time away from myself, and am currently learning how to find my way back
New York City can be a danger, friends. It’s this HUGE life, with so many HUGE shoes to fill. But I am no Betty Garbo. I don’t even know who Betty Garbo is, or if she has ever spent time in New York, but for some reason, her name felt appropriate to write just then.
It has a habit of sucking people in, becoming drones. Work, sleep, repeat, maybe peppered in with some fun times, new restaurants, and maybe meeting a few new people here and there. But slowly, I’m making my way out of that cyclone.
Cheers to being back on the path!