1. Grocery shopping is hard.
On my first attempt to buy some basic grocery items, I didn't bring a tote bag with me, so I just used the plastic bags at the store. I made it about 20 feet out the door when the bag in my right hand ripped open dropping several items onto the busy Brooklyn sidewalk. I reach down to pick them up when the bag in my left hand decides to follow suit, sending a bottle of conditioner rolling towards the street. Sometimes you just need to take a moment and laugh at how ridiculous you look in certain moments. I decided to put what I could in my pockets, hold the conditioner in my left hand, and attempt to carry the remaining items in the torn bags by holding them by the bottom. For some reason I decided that was my best option, rather than admitting defeat and going back to ask for more bags. Miraculously, that worked. Seriously, I don't know how. I was gradually losing grip on the bags and I think if I had had another block to go, I wouldn't have made it. So, double bag, or bring your own out here.
2. It is possible to get a girl's phone number.
After my first day of work, Matt and I went to what is apparently an oddly placed tourist trap in The Village called Jekyll and Hyde. Every so often, a pre-programmed "special effects" show consisting of lighting, animatronics, and a sound system with a bad connection would engage. There was also an area where you could pay $2 to be harassed by an "actor." After bonding with the bar tender about how shitty the bar is, we went next door to an Italian place with rooftop seating and $5 mojitos and margaritas. Unfortunately the roof was full, so we sat at the bar waiting for a table. Fortunately, the bar tender was cute and fun to talk to. We'll call her Amy. She was from North Carolina, but wants to move to China to teach English, followed by an isolated village in Alaska... because she likes extremes, and might be a little bit crazy. The host informed us there were tables available, but seemed to understand we we're going to be moving from the bar. For some reason, her bar closes at 11, so she gave me her phone number and we met up for another drink in SoHo after her shift ended. During this time I started to get the sense we might not actually be compatible. See, she was a communist, and I'm a libertarian. She was kind of a hippie, and I have an a job in a high-rise office building in the financial district. I just moved to New York; she hates it here. About 3/4 of the way through finishing our drinks, she said "let's go" then immediately got up and left. Outside, Amy proclaimed "I can't stand to be in a place with air conditioning." Again, might be a little crazy. We walked to the subway station where we talked for another twenty minutes or so before saying our goodbyes. I don't think we'll see each other again for a number of reasons, but it was a fun night, and a nice confidence boost for life in my new city.
3. My office building has a great view.
4. My apartment does not.
5. My job is pretty great.
I have a hexagon office.
And a desk which goes up and down for both sitting or standing positions.
And free lunch.
And Ping Pong.
And a lounge.
And I've gotten about a week's worth of t-shirts, two hoodies, a jacket, a polo shirt, pens, etc with company logos on them. And we get free metro cards, and we work flexible hours, and they paid my relocation expenses, and they have great general benefits.
Perhaps even better: I'm working on a product I believe in.
6. What I drink hasn't changed; what I pay for it has.
7. Having someone else do three weeks worth of laundry costs $14, and is well worth it.
8. Don't fall for the "healthy" all-natural cereal.
Seriously, I know you're looking at this box thinking, "wow, that looks delicious. I want some of that." It's a trap. You will be so disappointed, and wish you had a box of Captain Crunch instead.
9. This is what I would look like if I had glasses, and a cat.
10. You're not a real Star Trek fan unless this is what you find when cleaning.
11. Leaving my house was hard
Apparently five years is long enough to get emotionally attached to a building and some rooms. It started to feel real the day before when I was taking everything off the walls and patching and painting over the holes. All of the posters and pictures which had made my house feel so comfortable, and noticeably mine, were gone. The next day, so was I. Before I left, I took some pictures to remind me of the state in which I left it forever (a mess).
Last week my mom sold my truck.
And on Friday, the movers came, packed my stuff and took it away.
So that's it. The Boise Chapter of my life is officially closed.
12. I feel like I belong here.
The question of "how are you?" has always been difficult for me, and my typical response is as short and thoughtless as the question itself. The best thing I can say about my life in New York, so far, is that I feel like I'm doing something again. I am hanging out with people. I'm making money. I'm even spending a little time on a side project. I like my life here. I think I'll like it even more when I have a place of my own.
Thanks for reading. The next post will probably be more of a story than a list, but a list seemed appropriate for this post. Lastly, it seems only fitting to leave you with some photos of the journey itself...
Boise
Chicago
New York
