Ready or not, Here I Come…!

Ready or not, Here I Come…!

Packing up and leaving was hard. And emotional. I probably cried more than I should have, seeing as how I wasn’t going to a remote land in the distance…it’s just New York City! “The greatest city in the world” I kept getting told. For some reason, I was more apprehensive about this than I was about moving to Costa Rica (or was I?). It was probably the prospect of leaving comfort and so much love for unknown... Luckily for me, I have family and a few friends and acquaintances in the city, so I wouldn’t be alone. I also found a great apartment with a friend, and possibilities of part time work. So it wasn’t all that bad! It was all falling into place so perfectly. I had nothing to worry about. But the big city is so scary! Costa Rica was a small place, relaxed, beautiful… it is quite a change from warm, tropical Costa Rica to freezing, high-strung NYC. In the end, I gave my two-week notice at work, purchased a plane ticket, packed my bags (the night before, of course), and left! I did it. Whether I was ready or not, I was on my way to living in the “greatest city in the world”. I would really find out whether this statement proved true or not…

Goodbye SD friends <3

Leaving the sunshine behind...

So I arrived, at 7:35 am on a Tuesday. Rush Hour, my cousin remarked as we took the 1 hour public transportation (subway) commute back to his apartment. It was quite an introduction to the hustle and bustle of this vibrant city. Subway trains jam-packed with people going, well, everywhere. I also had two large, heavy bags, one carry-on bag, a pillow, and a purse. Maneuvering through rush-hour crowds on the subway with all that luggage was, interesting (to say the least). But we made it, sweaty, exhausted, and hungry. My cousin has lived in NYC for several years now, and I’m sure he could navigate the city with his eyes closed (although that would be extremely dangerous with the way people drive here!). So my first couple days were great, as I had a tour guide of sorts. But then I was on my own; naturally, he has a life and things to do.

“Exploring”

I needed to learn how to get around, so I set off. I am, after all, a grown-up who can do things on my own (right?). I had three days of “exploring” time before the start of my full-time internship. Off I went, to yoga, to meet a friend for coffee, to meet a friend for dinner, to go shopping (my San Diego boots, it turned out, were not NYC-puddle proof). And as I should have expected, I spent the majority of my time getting LOST. Inevitably, I walk the wrong direction (is it East or West? Which way is uptown? Downtown?) EVERY TIME. It is quite frustrating. And everyone is always RUNNING. To where? I do not know. It’s not like there isn’t another train arriving in two minutes. Yet, they run. And I found myself start to do it, too. But it was stressing me out. Why the rush? This place is pretty much the antithesis of Costa Rica and all it represents (which I learned to love, after initial frustration at the slowness of all things). So I have made a conscious effort to slow down, be deliberate and thoughtful in my movements (maybe I would get lost less). I relaxed and breathed a little better, but I still get lost. I always manage to turn the wrong way, and people running every which way confuse me further! But I think I’m starting to get the hang of it…or at least I have accepted that I will almost inevitably walk the wrong direction. That is how you learn to get unlost, right?

Settling In

So, time to start work! The reason I came here. I was starting to feel like I was just on vacation, free time abound. That, however, changed when I began my full time internship in an open-plan office with no windows. I have been working since I was 18, but never full time as I was always a student concurrently, so sitting in an office for eight hours was more tiring than I had expected! Of course the first day was mostly administrative, getting my badges/clearances, etc. but I was also given a very long list of documents and publications to read the following week, to be adequately up to date on the work that UNDP Gender Team does. Luckily, my first day was a Friday, so I had the next two days off; win! Most of my previous work experience has consisted of dynamic, interactive jobs (although my formal education has trained me to read, analyze, and research) so the sedentary, brain-intensive life of a UNDP intern was, like I said, far more tiring than I anticipated. By the end of each day that first week, I was so low-energy and mentally sapped that I went straight home. No more blasé meandering for this girl. The numbing temperatures didn’t persuade otherwise.

After my second week, I moved into an apartment with a friend and her roommate; finally my own space! Maybe now I would be more inclined to really get to know the city? Maybe. But then there was a blizzard, and the weather was frightful. Although, for someone who has only experienced snow on intentional vacations TO the snow, snowflakes falling gently from the sky as I went about my business had a certain loveliness to it. The powdery, freshly fallen snow was beautiful on the trees and parks, and snowflakes are much more pleasant than rain! The wind, however, was icy and bone chilling!

Now that I was in my own space, I needed to settle into my new home, which meant lots of shopping; too much, in fact. For a city where shopping is the thing to do, it was surprising to me how few useful stores there were around. I am used to a Target, Ikea, Costco, and mall after mall within 5 miles of each other. Not here! Mostly pricey boutiques, at least in my Upper East Side neighborhood. Another peculiar annoyance: no real grocery stores. What? San Diego has hundreds of farmer’s markets, grocery stores, fresh produce, etc. everywhere. And Costa Rica accustomed me to the weekly fresh produce market, and fresh tropical fruit smoothie stands on every corner. In NYC, things are different. The stores are tiny, exorbitantly priced, and low quality. Then, my roommate introduced me to Fairway. A real, 2-level grocery store with fresh produce as far as the eye could see; I felt like a kid in a candy store, or at Disneyland. Needless to say, we spent more than two hours loading up the cart, and spent far too much money. But I was happy. I love having a fully stocked refrigerator of delicious food and ingredients to make tasty things; it makes me feel cozy and at home. We proceeded to deep clean the refrigerator and cupboards, and make a delectable late-night meal while we drank wine. It was delightful. And I finally started to feel like I was settling in snugly.