7 Thoughts I Had My First Weekend in the City

My first day in New York, on the roof
of my building.  I'm shouting for joy
internally.

I don't think I can recall the exact moment when I decided I wanted to move to New York City. For as long as I can remember, and as far as my friends and family are concerned, it was something that I always wanted to do. New York just always felt like a really good fit for me: I love big cities, I love being around people, I enjoy the weather, and after multiple failed attempts at passing my drivers test, my fondness for public transportation grew. However, such a lofty dream felt impossible for me (I suppose I was always a bit of a realist), so I categorized living in New York under my long list of "Things that would be nice but will never happen in a million years." However, when the opportunity arose to finish my college education at The King's College here in Manhattan, I latched onto it and didn't let go. The next two years of community college felt like a blur, because all I could think about was how awesome New York was going to be, (I also partied a lot, so that might have contributed to my memory loss). But even after living here for one-and-a-half years, I can still recall every single detail of the weekend I moved in.

Here are some of my immediate thoughts from that weekend, from the time I left for the airport to the moment I settled into my new apartment:





1. ...I hate LAX

It's the worst. It's impossible to find anything, parking is terrible, and there's even traffic on the freeway at 4:00 AM. I mean, John Wayne and Long Beach Airport are so much better, so why don't any flights to JFK leave from there?

2. L.A is really pretty when the smog cloud isn't there.

I have a very complicated love/hate relationship with L.A. It holds many great memories for me (midnight runs to Pink's, going to tapings of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, and seeing my favorite bands play at the Greek Theatre), but also some very terrible ones (getting stuck in traffic, people being bad at giving directions, the terrible pollution, and that one time I got into a car accident on the way to see the Book of Mormon). Yet when people here in New York bash L.A, I stick up for it, because for all the grief it's caused me over the years I really do miss that place.

3. I'M FINALLY HERE!!! ...now what?

Landing at the airport and seeing the skyline on the way in was a truly remarkable feeling, which in turn was followed by crippling anxiety after I realized I had no clue how to get there. Trying to figure out the best way to get to the city from JFK while you carry around all your stuff really isn't very fun, especially when you don't have the subway quite figured out. To be honest, I didn't really believe I'd make it this far.

4. Oh man, what if my roommates are weird?

Because I moved to New York for school, I had an apartment with other fellow students on 34th street. The thought that we wouldn't get along or that they could possibly murder me in my sleep didn't occur to me until I was on may way to Manhattan. It seems silly to think about now considering that these two are some of my closest friends (I'm even going to be a groomsman in one of their weddings), but being suddenly struck with terror at the thought of living with potentially crazy strangers is a feeling I soon won't forget.

5. Ugh Mom, you're so embarrassing! (please don't leave me)

Having my parents there to move me in was both annoying and very much appreciated. I didn't really feel homesick for Orange County when I initially left, but the thought of being away from home started to hit me when my parents were getting ready to fly back. Yeah they were a little embarrassing, but that's just what parents do, and I was sad to see them go. It just goes to show you that home isn't just a place, but the people you love. After all, they are part of the reason I have such fond memories of California in the first place.

6. Ok I got this. Nothing can stop us froOH MY GOD THAT'S A HUGE COCKROACH!!!

First night in the new place and we saw a cockroach in the apartment. It was a monster. We threw books at it until it died, tossed it in the trash, and then took the trash outside. We then found several more under the sink. It was a bloodbath. There were no survivors.

7. This is my life now.

Once my parents had gone, my stuff was somewhat unpacked, and my roommates and I had slain the monster cockroach and her demon hoard, I went for a little walk around Herald Square. It was the first time I had a moment to breath in a while, and it was all starting to hit me. I live here now. Everything I grew up with in my own backyard, the beaches, the rolling hills, Disneyland, and all my friends, were now were 3000 miles away. In this calm before the storm (before starting classes, unpacking, and learning how to live on my own), I thought fondly about the home I had left, while being filled with excitement about the home I was about to build here.