My First Year in NYC

Today marks yet another post-graduate milestone: the anniversary of my Big Move to the BIG APPLE. It’s crazy to think that one year ago today my family was unloading all of my worldly possessions into the teeny-tiny-fifth-floor-walk-up in Alphabet City that so lovingly came to be known as Dowisetrepla. While this year has had its ups and downs, from making new friends and landing my first internship at a Big 6 (now Big 5) publisher to thinking of creative ways to stave off homesickness and the money woes that accompany working as a minimum wage intern, I can honestly say I wouldn’t trade any of it for any other experience.



But you might be wondering what I’ve actually accomplished in the last 365 days?
Well, I…

1. Learned that cockroaches can be immobilized with copious amounts of hairspray.
2. Learned that Yorkies not only like to “hunt” city rats, but they’re also quite skilled at sniffing out the above mentioned cockroaches.
3. Became one with the bus routes of the Lower East Side (begrudgingly).
4. Took the train in the wrong direction more times than I could ever count.
5. Got so lost walking around during the wee hours of the night that I had to take a cab in order to get back home (stupid phone battery life).
6. Found out just how many miles it is to run from Stuyvesant Cove to Battery Park and back again (about 8, depending on the route).
7. Found out just how many miles it is to run from 7th and D to the middle of Central Park and back (about 12, also dependent on the route).
8. Ran a 10k in the middle of winter—”Brrrrrr”ooklyn is right, but at least there was hot chocolate at the finish!
9. Finished a 5k in 22 minutes on a course that involved running up one of the steepest hills I’ve ever had the (dis)pleasure of encountering, and ran a half marathon in 1 hour and 45 minutes.
10. Ran a few other races and almost got a trophy twice (taking second in your age group by 9 seconds kind of stinks).
11. Enjoyed picnics with some really wonderful people on the Great Lawn.
12. Drank too much wine and talked about books and other nerdy things until 4:00 in the morning (also with some really wonderful people).
13. Learned how to do Finance (sort of).
14. Read a lot of great books.
15. Read a couple of not-so-great books.
16. Cried in the subway, in the middle of a tourist-filled square, and in front of a taxi driver—ALL IN ONE DAY—and didn’t care one bit.
17. Started a blog and kept it going for more than 3 months (though I know I could be better about writing more often).
18. Took on multiple internships while taking classes full-time (because I don’t believe in having free time?), and gained a lot of really great professional experience.
19. Met a lot of really cool people who taught me more about myself than they will ever know.
    and last, but certainly not least,
20. Got a real job so I will, HAPPILY, never have to be an intern again! (Though I will always appreciate the fact that interns are people, too.)

I think you get the idea. My first year in the city has been a wild ride, and I can’t wait to see what the next year has to offer.


P.S. This post was more than 500 words to make up for the last one, YOU’RE WELCOME.