First Week in NYC

Aug 6

Roaming Around

After roaming around Times Square, The Rockefeller Center, and many other tourist hotspots, I realized that the most memorable moments I had in the first few weeks I spent in NYC were during explorations of small local shops and unique hidden gem restaurants.

I enjoyed hopping from cafe to cafe sitting at the mini table outside, sipping my refreshing iced coffee.

I visited China Town and picked up a bag of preserved ginger, which intrigued me. This ginger was delicious! Needles to say, I finished the bag of ginger within two days of purchasing it.

I was riding the metro with my boyfriend and we were on our way back from touring around Times Square. Everything seemed to be going quite smoothly in the train car I was sitting in until a man on the far side started screaming at the top of his lungs and growling until he was all any of us could hear. He kept screaming for a while and my boyfriend and I eventually decided to get out of the car and move to another one. At the next stop, we did just that (with about ten other people from our car) and were then able to watch the screaming man from the windows in the car behind it. I watched as the man pulled out a small capsule and started taking bits of powder out of it and snorting it off of his finger. I turned to my boyfriend and we both realized that the man was snorting cocaine. The man didn’t just sit still though...he got up a few times and started jumping up and down. He then actually opened up the door to the space between the two train cars and started jumping up and down in the space outside between the cars. I can’t tell you how concerned I was that he would come into our car, but I tried to keep it cool and got off as soon as we had arrived at our stop.

Central Park is way bigger when you get lost in it. I have gotten so lost in the park before that I can’t even tell you where in the park I had gotten lost. It all blurs together into just a frantic passing of trees, people, and dogs.

One night, I went to a meet-up of people who just get together every week to play board games! I had a really fun time and am excited for the next event that I can join. It was a free event and I met a nice girl whom I followed on Instagram invade I want to go out with her again. I must say, it did take a bit of coaxing of myself to go out today. I think it was mostly fear that this game night was going to be canceled or that not many people would show up. And honestly, my fears very well could have become reality, but I am so glad I went anyway. I desperately wanted to meet people.

Making friends in NYC is different than any other city because the people here are always networking. No matter where they are or what time of day it is, everyone is always thriving to make new connections.

The transition the city makes from day to night is unbelievable. The lights go on and the party life turns up! Though this can be an amazing thing for many social people, for others who are trying to find themselves and where they fit in while living in this city, it can be a bit challenging to just go out and find things to take part in. Many people come to the city because they hope to find their own niche and purpose. The infinite number of opportunities in the city really do make this possible.

Like the lyrics from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s song “Simple Man”

Oh don't you worry you'll find yourself

Follow your heart and nothing else

And you can do this oh babe if you try

All that I want for you my son is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man

Oh be something you love and understand

Baby be a simple kind of man

Oh won't you do this for me son if you can

Not only are the instrumentals of this song just spectacular, but Skynyrd’s lyrics speak the truth about life. Being your true self as long as you understand why you are who you are. Being your true self in New York City can be easy if you take the time to find yourself first. Don’t go into it blind. Take quality time to self-reflect and decide who you are or who you want to become. You aren’t going to successfully sell yourself to others if you can’t sell yourself to yourself first.

Misconceptions

There are also a few misconceptions about living in a populated city.

John Mellencamp proclaims in his song “Small Town” that he could be himself in a small town.

Well I was born in a small town

And I can breathe in a small town

Gonna die in this small town

And that's probably where they'll bury me

Don’t confine yourself to just one place in this world. The Earth is huge with endless possibilities. Don’t limit yourself, instead, live limitlessly.

All the lonely people in the city cause the issue that though there are so many people who could belong somewhere and have friends, they don’t take advantage of such opportunities or don’t know where to start. So many people here are overwhelmed by the city that instead of it helping them put themselves out there, it isolates them even more than before. Some do take advantage of the densely populated city, but are also under constant pressure to be on their game 24/7.

My knowledge of the city has already been tested in multiple ways, one of which occurred when my phone died while I was still walking solo on the High Line in Chelsea. When trying to find my way home to the Upper West Side, I frustratingly got onto the wrong metro line and rode it north toward Brooklyn...thankfully I realized only after a few stops that the metro was going the opposite direction of my apartment. I nervously leaped into action and found the closest map to where I was sitting on the metro. I must have definitely creeped out the poor woman who was sitting on the bench in front of the map because I took forever to figure out where I was headed. After second-guessing myself about a hundred times, I finally reassured myself that no matter what, I would eventually find the correct way home. It took me almost two hours to get back to my apartment that day–when it should have only taken me about 30 minutes.

Back to John Mellencamp’s lyrics in the song “Small Town”...

I’ve seen everything in a small town

In NYC, there are always new places and hidden gems to discover!

The Weather

Also, the weather here is so unruly. One moment it can be 85 degrees, clear, and sunny. The next minute, it is pouring rain and freezing. I waded through a river to cross the street just seconds after it started pouring rain. Walking into the metro completely soaked from head to toe was such a first-timer experience. Sitting on the metro and watching each wave of people gingerly stepping in, trying not to slip, with the look of shock on their faces.

“I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain!” – I overheard a mom say to her eight-year-old son.

As I got out of the metro, people were lined on either side of the entrance, trying to wait it out. But to their disappointment, this storm continued for at least a few more hours. Many buildings even lost power. What a day to have a picnic in Bryant Park. Next time, I will need to look at the weather forecast.

It is adventures like these that I am looking forward to the most in later months living in NYC.

Check out the blog about what I get up to in the first month here!

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