BUT. I always enjoyed reading Lizzie (and Lizzy's) posts when they were away (even though they were in sweet places like Vietnam and Ghana), so I'm going to give it a shot.
Because even though blogging may be trite, keeping in touch with friends and family is NOT! Am I right?
Today marks the beginning of Day 6 here in the Big Apple. So far, I haven't really done anything terribly exciting, but lemme break it down for you:
- Day 1: Mom, Dad, and I arrive in a reliable Penske truck and get very lucky with parking. Truthfully, the minute I walked into my apartment, my heart SANK. The rental company said my room would be 11X13 and have a closet. It was/had neither. While this wouldn't be a problem, we brought furniture to fill a room that size. Because of that, some stuff got kicked to the curb. I was so incredibly thankful to have my friends Elise and Mike helping us - we couldn't have done it without them, and they brought a calming, happy presence to an otherwise stressful move. And sweaty. It was extremely sweaty. So much that we booked a room in Astoria to stay in because we wanted AC and there would have been no where for me to sleep except le floor. Also worth noting: today we went to a place called Dinosaur BBQ for dinner. I found NYC's Slows! SO GOOD.
- Day 2: Started off with a rousing trip to the Brooklyn Ikea for a wardrobe (remember, there was no closet! Surprise!). We got there early, and lined up with about 40 other people to be doorbusters. It kind of felt like a race... that we obviously won. I drove all around the city, and the highways on the sides of the island aren't so bad. It's when you get off of them into the city that you want to cry. Mom and Dad were kind enough to help me set up the place the rest of the day, and then the three of us plus Nico (my new roommate!) went to a great little Mexican place around the corner. Then I said a (teary!) goodbye to my parents, and spent my first night in the new apt!
- Day 3: I needed to explore my new neighborhood, and it had cooled off (slightly), so I went to Riverbank Park. It seemed like an abandoned amusement park. It had great views of the Hudson River, but creeped me out because it seemed so deserted. Then I realized it was the Tuesday after Labor Day, and most kids were back to school - of course not many people were there! I also walked along RiverSIDE Park - turns out, they're different things! - and back through my neighborhood. So far, it seems like I'm definitely in a lower-income area, but I never really felt threatened. Most people are just going about their own business. There are also a tonnnn of kids and families, which makes me feel better. And a lot of Spanish. I'm gonna be Mary from the Block. Or Maria Maria growin up in Spanish Harlem... etc. You get it. THEN Kelly came over and we drank my fancy bottle of wine that I've been saving for YEARS at her place! Kelly and I have been friends for years, and it's so exciting to finally be living in the same place as her! ALSO - Nico and I found the cutest coffee shop in our neighborhood - The Chipped Cup. Love.
- Day 4: Went to the Union Square Farmers Market and Chelsea Market with Elise! I'm obsessed with the Chelsea Market. We had a beautiful day for both of them - the Farmers Market had a ton of gorgeous produce, albeit overpriced (who's surprised?). Couldn't resist picking up a few things, though! One booth that baffled me was that the guy who sells local honey had it broken down by neighborhood - TriBeCa, Midtown, Hell's Kitchen, West Village, Chelsea, etc etc. That's nuts! Then, Elise and I schlepped our stuff to Chelsea Market - I. love. this. place. Elise said she and Michael bring all of their out-of-town guests there, and I can see why. Tons of cute little places to eat and shop, not to mention a huuuuge Anthro. Loved it!
- Day 5: As I'm starting to realize that hauling tons of stuff through the subway system is a lot different than loading and unloading it from your car, I guess I really felt the need to solidify that opinion today. How? By going to DSW, Zabar's (a Zingerman's-like deli), and Trader Joe's. All in one fell swoop. Of course, DSW wasn't in the plan, but I have to pretty much rehaul my shoe "repertoire," as Elise called it. Got a beautiful pair of boots! Then, Zabar's. I had heard of Zabar's, and really wanted to go in. It didn't disappoint! Got some fantastic olives and an awesome chai latte, among other things. Prices weren't too bad either! THEN - Trader Joe's. I had heard how crowded it could be, and it was. But what really baffled me was the fact that it was two floors, and to get between floors you took an escalator. SO DID YOUR SHOPPING CART. You pushed it into its own special escalator, and stood next to it on your human one. So cool! I gushed about it to the cashier, who at least had to be nice to me and not judge me for getting excited over an escalator. Her name was Ashanti. AND - I got my first audition in the city! Gig doesn't pay, but that would be fine - just trying to build the ol' network.
So that's probably more information than most of you would want to know, but there you have it. Gotta have a solid exposition, right? I'm into Day 6 now, and so far it has involved waking up and waiting for our internet guy to come and give us some internet!!! We're currently stealing our neighbors' wifi. Thanks, neighbor!
This whole thing doesn't really feel real yet - just kind of like I'm house sitting or something. I've been told it takes a while to really sink in. I've also been told the first 6 months are the hardest, but this week hasn't been so bad!
Just sweaty. The first few days were really, really sweaty.
