One Week Later
Today marks my first week anniversary of my arrival in New York City. While this particular milestone is generally of little importance overall, I can say that the past 7 days have been a time of learning, adjustment, and reflection.
I’ve learned a great deal about my surroundings thus far, from which trains I’ll need to take to get around town and what pizza spots around my apartment I like best, to the amount of money that I can expect to spend on groceries ($10 for two Bounty rolls and a box of Q-Tips? Really now?). I’m very glad to have settled down before the snow set in though, and at this point can only start bracing myself for the cold winter weather that I know will eventually hit me like a truck.
Knowing that the climate will soon take a turn for the worse has inspired me to go out and explore while I can, and every day that I’ve spent walking around the local community has been somewhat surreal to me. While I’m not exactly bending over backwards trying to stare up at the top of a local Manhattan skyscraper, adjusting to the “urbanness” of NYC is something that I find myself dealing with every day. Long gone are the days of suburban living (Yes, Paradise Hills counts as a sururb) where single-family houses line the street and cars are a necessity for getting around. In their places are small, cramped, multi-floor apartment buildings and a fleet of yellow cabs that charge $10 for a 2 mile-long ride. Due to the aged infrastruction and cramped environment around here, sanitation isn’t exactly top notch, especially when compared to the clean streets of Eastlake, Scripps Ranch, or Irvine. Still, what it lacks in cleanliness it certainly makes up for in life. Lower Manhattan (especially East Village and SoHo) really are as vibrant and energetic as people say, filled with small eateries, boutiques, and bars that can make for a great adventure on any given night. Sure, you may encounter a weird smell here and there, but finding a local drinking hole that sells Red Horse by the bottle more than makes up for it in my opinion.
Despite all this, at the end of the day, what I can never forget is my reason for coming here in the first place. I didn’t come to this city to drink every night or find girls to mess around with. I came to New York in order to study and perfect my craft. I came here to push myself to the limits, attain new heights, and keep working until every goal I’ve set for myself is nothing more than a sight in my rear-view mirror.
New York City is the merry-go-round, and the brass ring is in sight, folks. Now is the time for me to start making my play for it.
