My Magical Winter Night On Broadway

“Life’s not worth a damn till you can say I am what I am.” – That’s the message I took away from last night’s performance of the Tony Award winning show for Best Revival, La Cage Aux Folles. And what a beautiful message it is. I took myself on a little impromptu date last night, and what better way to treat myself then to go to the place I love most: The Theatre: The acting, the dancing, the singing, the set designs, the stars, the glamour. All of it transports me back to the days when men in top hats and women in gowns would walk along Broadway and treat it like the night on the town it’s meant to be.

La Cage Aux Folles was a show I had to see before it was too late. The two main leads, Kelsey Grammar (Frasier, Cheers) and Douglas Hodge (Tony Award winner for his role as Albin in La Cage) are both leaving the show on February 13th, and I have heard so many wonderful things about both of their performances. I took the subway uptown to the TKTS booth where for the first time in my life, there was no line. Zero. I walked right up to the man behind the glass panel and asked for the cheapest ticket to La Cage. “Seventy-six dollars” was the man’s response. I asked if that was the cheapest they had and he answered politely enough that those were the only tickets left. I deliberated for a minute, but I had to put my credit card back in my wallet. While I understand that seventy-six dollars is a steal for Broadway, especially a show as wonderful as this, I only planned on spending between forty and fifty and couldn’t go higher.

I walked away from the booth disappointed for the first time in a while and considered heading into Sephora to spend my theatre dollars on makeup when I saw the Longacre theatre on 48th street lit up pink and black. I decided to go to the box office and see if they had a lottery for unsold tickets, after all a blizzard was looming. I waited in line behind the director of the show who was casually chatting about Harvey Feirstein and Jeffrey Tambor, the two men who will be replacing Hodge and Grammar – I love when I get to be within ear shot of people like this! When it was my turn, the kind ticket usher informed me that there was a student rush and tickets were still available. He asked if I had a student ID, a little suspiciously I might add (technically, I could still be in college!), and I showed him my Ohio State Id that has no expiration date – thank you OSU. I received a ticket for $36.50. I was ecstatic! My show dreams were going to come true!

The show was magnificent. Since I don’t want to spoil the fun, you can read a plot summary here. But I will share that the transvestites in the company have amazing acrobatic tricks up their sleeves (or should I say corsets ☺) – you will be impressed. Jumping into floor splits could not have been easy! The show focused on love, family and acceptance. I laughed so hard I cried and my heart melted and melted some more. Hodge and Grammar truly deserved all the accolades they have received. The two are superb, and played such a wonderful couple. You would have thought they had been together for twenty years the way they worked off of one another. Anyone who is in the area and has not seen this show yet, do so now. It may be my favorite show on Broadway.

La Cage Aux Folles also has the honor of giving me my best Broadway moment to date. I sat in a box seat on the side of the theatre, about twenty feet from the stage, and during the first act, five additional young people joined me. During intermission, they all decided to find “better” seats in the orchestra, but I was quite content. So there I was, all alone and a tad vulnerable I have to admit. During Douglas Hodge’s song, “The Best of Times,” he sat on the stage and sang to the audience. He took the hand of a viewer in the front row and serenaded him. Then as he paused, he looked up to my box where I was sitting with my hand placed on the railing watching him with such admiration. He waved to me and smiled. I waved back, smiling wider, and the entire audience in the orchestra seats turned to look at the lone person waving to Douglas Hodge. I was so thrilled, and 100% pleased to announce that since I took a risk and sat alone, that wave was meant only for me. So thank you Mr. Hodge for making my evening so magical.

My night ended with a little magic of another sort. A winter wonderland formed while we were inside the theatre. I have not been the biggest fan of the snow lately, but somehow last night, when footprints hadn’t soiled the sidewalks and cars were not racing through the streets, I looked up at the trees on my block covered in snow, slipped and slid to my apartment door, saw no one around but myself and thanked my lucky stars for being able to have such a wonderful night in New York. Below are a few pictures I took of Times Square and my block last night. 11pm and not a soul in sight.

State of the Union = Party Time!

First things first. After reading this article on yahoo about Kim and Snooki’s courtside meet-up at Saturday night’s Nets game, I am extremely proud of my reporting skills. Even the Ugg-wearing girls in the front row seats are pictured. So if anyone had their doubts about yours truly, you now have proof that I am an honest blogger through and through ☺

Tonight, one of my all time favorite annual broadcastings will take place. Being the nerd I am proud to be, I have not missed a State of the Union address in years. I plan my schedule around it, pop the popcorn, warm up my vocal chords for the cheers and boos that will inevitably come out and prepare the people that may be forced to sit in the room with me as we listen to our President speak about the state of our country and what the future holds. I treat it like a sporting event and an awards show at the same time. When I see Michele Obama’s gorgeous dress, I ooo and ahh and comment on the color and style; I start naming politicians as they enter the room (C-Span has great coverage), and I get a surge of excitement when I hear the Sergeant-at-Arms state, “Mister Speaker (wow, it's been Madam for so long), The President of the United States!”

And apparently, I’m not alone. The majority of the politicians in the audience act as if they are spectators at a hockey game as well. It’s always fun to watch the people directly behind the President, and it's even more amusing during a year like this when the Vice President and Speaker of the House are members of two different parties. One person stands and applauds while the other sits with a sour puss on their face. Wait till you hear the election of this past November mentioned. The roars will be deafening from the Right side of the room. I just hope John Boehner doesn’t start crying again. I must say, I’m going to miss watching Nancy Pelosi leap out of her chair during every slight mention of “distribution of wealth,” “national healthcare,” and “right to choose.” She’s always amusing no matter who the Vice President is. Speaking of, exactly who is the Vice President again? (Just kidding Joe, you know I find you endearing).

It is my personal belief that everyone in this country should watch the State of the Union address. I also feel every student should be required to take a civics class at some point during their high school years but I digress. It doesn’t matter how you lean politically – I find myself in the odd position of being fiscally conservative and socially liberal (a libertarian/independent of sorts) – but it’s very important to understand how your Government works since they are making all of the decisions. As the President addresses congress (the 435 members of the House of Representatives and the 100 members of the Senate) tonight, he will discuss the problems, successes and noteworthy events that have occurred in the past year and what needs to continue/discontinue in the future (note: This is where the fun begins. What one party considers a huge success another party will consider a dismal failure. Stimulus packages and healthcare anyone?) The economy, healthcare, the shooting tragedy in Tucson and continued terror attacks across the world will no doubt all be addressed tonight.

I know everyone does not place politics as #1 on their top favorite things list as I do, so I try my hardest not to get too crazy. Note the term “try.” In previous years, I have given myself a three strike rule when watching the address with my roommates, meaning I get three outbursts before I have to leave the room. As they will tell you very quickly with an annoyed tone, three strikes quickly turns into five, six, and seven when a President starts saying things that prompt the Joe Wilsons of the world to shout “You lie!” I just can’t help it. Do you watch your favorite sports team receive a bad call by the Refs and not get into a tizzy? I didn’t think so. Well tonight, my new roommate H will be watching the State of the Union with me for the first time. I bet my roommates in Columbus are facebook messaging her warnings as I type. Thank God, she is not as into politics as I am, but I will try my hardest to be reserved, respectful and not throw my popcorn at the TV. And to anyone within ear shot of my apartment, I will applaud loudly when President Obama mentions the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t tell. Equality is always something to celebrate.

Happy State of the Union watching!

Kim K, Snooki, and KateCFerg...What A Trio.

Happy 100th post to me!!! I really wanted post #100 to be noteworthy, so I decided to step out into the cold and explore my beautiful city this weekend. Who knew that the great experience that would translate into a blog post would take place in Newark, NJ of all places. Last night, M and I had tickets to the Nets game. The team has been so horrible lately, that our tickets cost 8 dollars. That was a splurge compared to the 35-cent nosebleed seats we could have chosen. So I made my way from Manhattan to enjoy some basketball at the Prudential Center.

When we arrived, M and I made jokes on how we could care less about this game. During the few times I watch the NBA, I focus on the Knicks and the Lakers. The Knicks are my dad’s team and the Lakers’ home games always have plenty of celebs to oogle at. Who on earth goes to see the Nets?! Half the arena was empty, and the courtside seats were filled with Ugg wearing little girls – most likely the daughters of the players and a few of their lucky little friends. But then I received a text from B in Columbus informing me that Snooki, according to her twitter, was heading to the arena to watch the game as well (You must live under a rock if you are unaware of Snooki’s existence, but she’s from MTV’s Jersey Shore). Okay, not bad. Getting a glimpse of Snooks and her boyfriend would definitely appease me for a quarter. M and I started searching.

As we were looking for our too-tanned guidette, a thought occurred to me. Kim Kardashian has been dating Chris Humphries, a Forward for the Nets, for quite some time. I also realized that she had been in town this weekend promoting her new show Kim and Kourtney Take New York. Well, lo and behold, not two minutes later in walks our girl. Wearing gorgeous white pants (she would) and a black top, her long brunette locks were flowing and her booty was shaking. The picture below this post is a far away shot of Kim leaving the game (Notice the girl in the white pants…that’s her! - Click on the photo to make it larger). She was accompanied by a few friends, one being Jonathan Cheban who has his own show on E as well and has been on many episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. M and I were in utter shock! There she was! Kim Kardashian and I were in the same room (sort of). She was quite a distance away, and the big security guard blocking the entrance to her section was not going to let this fan get by for a photo no matter how much I begged, but she was in my sights the entire game. At halftime, She ran over to Snooki and gave her a hug. She then had Snooki take Jonathan’s seat and Jonathan and Snooki’s muscle headed boyfriend knelt down on the court. The two ladies then took pictures with their own personal cameras. As a lover of all things celebrities, it was so much fun to watch. I forgot a basketball game was occurring.

The game ended up being closer than people thought it would be. The Nets lost by one point, Chris Humphries had a great game and Kim walked out with her posse to go enjoy the rest of her night. I was going to ask her if she could give me a ride back to the city in her limo, but she left before I could catch her. Late last night when I got back to my apartment, I went on twitter and saw Snooki had written a little message to Kim:

Sn00ki: "@JonathanCheban @KimKardashian So nice to see you guys tonight! Love you bitches! Xoxo"

Kim replied with: “Love u snookaroo! Hang out in Jerz soon!”

I couldn’t help but feel as if they were tweeting to me as well. After all, I was hanging out with them too. Oh and I guess a few thousand other people joined us for the fun. ☺

Here’s to another 100 posts…thanks for reading all of my ramblings. Follow me on Twitter!

Kick, Punch, Right Hook, Left

So far today has been a productive day. I don’t have too many of those on my days off, so when they come, it is cause for a celebration…once all the work is accomplished of course. As you can see, I updated the blog today. I felt some new pictures were needed – A little light to help us get through the long, harsh winter still ahead.

I also got my booty to the gym this morning and attended a cardio kickboxing class. I run five miles three times a week (during a good week), and I kept telling myself “This will be a piece of cake.” As I was stretching my ligaments with fifteen other girls (I’m pretty sure five of them were the models in the high-end designer ads in last month’s Vogue), in walked our instructor. The first thing I noticed was a large bump protruding from her stomach. A pregnant woman is going to be teaching me kickboxing? I thought I joined a New York City gym. I was a tad disappointed some size 0 Barbie doll with rock hard abs wasn’t standing in front of me. Oh well, I would see how it went.

Five minutes later, this self-proclaimed “in shape” blogger, was wheezing, panting and cursing the day she ever had one shred of doubt for the prego instructor. How the hell was she able to kick so high…and all those punches had to be disrupting her fetus. I felt as if her eyes were on me the entire time. I was clearly the newbie of the group, kicking when others were blocking (bringing your knee up to your chest) and punching when others were giving a right hook. At one point she told the group to get water if needed and I swear she was directing this order only to me. I took a quick gulp of my water bottle and kept mustering through. It was the hardest 55-minute class I have ever participated in. I hated Alison (the instructor with child), the female martial arts expert with the black spandex standing to my left and ALL of the songs that refused to end throughout the class. It was an embarrassing experience to say the least, but the competitor inside of me will not be defeated. I will be back next week to prove to these Upper West Side workout fiends that I belong. I don’t care if I die in the process. I felt great afterwards, and if I keep this class up, those extra pounds keeping me warm this winter are going to melt off just in time for spring.

Jazz in the City

Last night, this music lover took in some Jazz at Juilliard. Have I mentioned how much I love my new roommate? H scored us free tickets to see two Jazz ensembles perform at Paul Recital Hall, and I was blown away. First and foremost, I never thought the day would come when I had connections to Juilliard, a school that always seemed like a mythical land where insanely talented people lived and breathed their art. It was one of those places I’ve always heard about, but never thought I’d be able to explore. But explore it I did. H took me through the hallowed halls where I heard drummers and harpists practicing behind closed doors, Opera singers conversing, and dancers (some very good looking young men) hanging out in their rehearsal rooms. It was as if I had died and was thrust into some sort of artistic heaven. Between T working in television and H working in music, attending the Emmys and the Grammys shouldn’t be too far off, right?

The show itself was wonderful. I’ve heard Jazz before and even had the pleasure of performing it at Lincoln Center with my Show Choir during my senior year of high school, but this entered a new field of spectacular. Most of the members of each ensemble composed their own pieces for their group to play. I have a great respect for composers. They can hear tunes in their heads and know exactly which notes will fit together to create beautiful music. It is a talent that I could never master, and my level of admiration for people that can create things I simply cannot is very high.

The first ensemble group was much smaller, but just as powerful as the second, and had a tenor saxophone player who was chosen to fill in for a member who had fallen ill the day before the concert. He nailed every piece he had to play simply by sight reading the music. Talk about gifted. The second group included one of H’s friends (who has recorded his own album) and a pianist named Jonathan Batiste, who at just 24 has performed at Carnegie Hall a few times, collaborated with Lenny Kravitz and Harry Connick Jr., released his first CD at the ripe age of 17 and is said to be a future legend in the making by multitudes of stars in the music industry. And I got to witness his piano greatest for free.

So here I am. Rubbing elbows with the stars of tomorrow (my roommate is a celebrity in her own right), and thanking my lucky stars that I am able to see these wonderful performances simply by hopping on a 10 minute subway ride. If Jazz left me feeling this enthralled, imagine what seeing Shakespeare’s Henry V in February is going to do. Mixing my love of literature and drama – I may need to be resuscitated.

Another Healthy Year

Once you live on your own, it seems like every month your expenses become greater and greater. First you’re only paying for groceries and rent, then the utility bills are due, then you’re paying for dinner a few nights a week, a cab here and there will cost you, a monthly metro card (higher fees and all) is a necessity, that pesky Netflix bills seems larger, a new college loan bill begins dinging your account, you think about joining weightwatchers online, then you buy new running shoes, new work clothes, spring is coming so it’s time for the new anorak jacket you’ve had your eyes on and before you know it, you really need your internship to go full time before your savings runs out…and you didn’t even purchase the Chloe perfume you were so gung-ho on buying at Christmas.

Then there’s the gym membership that you tried so hard to put off. The other night, I joined the New York Sports Club. My bank account has suffered another fatal blow. Running in the freezing cold until my lungs couldn’t take anymore and taking two hour walks around town bundled up from my nose to my toes wasn’t cutting it. I could not stop the inevitable. I had to join a gym. I missed kickboxing classes and elliptical machines. I even missed my dreaded treadmill. But most of all, I missed feeling my phalanges while working out, so I handed over my credit card, took one long deep breath, and slipped on my running shoes.

My reaction to my new gym is the same as my reaction to any new experience that I have yet to embark on…sheer terror. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to show my sweaty, panting face at a place where everyone, even the old guy on the elliptical next to me, is in better shape than I am. This is New York after all. Models and actors walk among us normal people everyday. Actually, I think one was using the kettle ball across the room. I decided to take it slow and get used to my new surroundings. The gym was crowded, but what location isn’t in NYC? My membership allows me to use any NYSC in New York, so my first venture was to 73rd and Central Park West – it had the best reviews. My first ever spinning class tomorrow (that should be entertaining) will also be held there, but cardio kickboxing on Friday will be at 94th and Broadway. I’m all about getting the best value. One gym doesn’t do it for me. I need five within a 1 mile distance to choose from.

So this is it. The one year membership (really hope my job doesn’t relocate me somewhere else!) that will assist me in losing the 15 pounds I’ve been carrying around since I was 13. It won’t be easy. I’ve only ever been about 3 pounds lighter than I am right now since I became a teenager! Unlike some who put on a ton of weight and then work to lose it, I’ve never known myself as an adult any lighter than I am right now. It will be fun to see my transformation, and it will take a lot of time, dedication and discipline. So here’s hoping that the new gym is the final gigantic step I need to take to finally get to exactly where I want to be. Wish me luck at Spin tomorrow…I’ll need it!

And The Award Goes To...

I have a confession to make: I’m obsessed with Hollywood – Probably more so than a supposedly sane individual should be. I love everything about the film industry: The glamour, the writing, the movies themselves. Everything. So it should not surprise you to discover that the Award’s Season is probably my favorite time of year. Last night, the Golden Globes aired, and I sat on my couch with a smile on my face that one should only reserve for Christmas morning…What would Natalie Portman be wearing to accentuate her baby bump? Would Helena Bonham Carter look outrageous? (yes). Would Ricky Gervais be as funny as last year? (not so much). I even turned off the Jets/Patriots game. That’s right, football for the first time all season took second fiddle to something I consider to be much more important. So there was me, my not nearly as interested guests and the HD tv waiting to see who the Hollywood Foreign Press would award the honors to.

I watched two hours, that’s right two hours, of red carpet coverage (my favorites of the night were Catherine Zeta Jones, Eva Longoria and Mila Kunis…my least favorites were Christina Aguilera and Julianne Moore). Then I watched as award after award went to actors and actresses, directors and writers who I thought more than deserved their awards. This season has been especially enjoyable since I have seen many of the movies nominated. Natalie Portman, in my humble opinion, was the only possible winner for Best Actress in a motion picture drama. Her portrayal of a tortured ballet dancer in Black Swan put her in a league all her own. The Social Network was also one of my favorite films of the year. I was glad that such a current and popular film won so many awards (Best Picture was a stretch, but I’ll have to wait until I see The King’s Speech later this week to make a truly accurate judgment). I remember a few seasons ago when No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood won all of the awards. I usually see the movies that most people skip out on, but those films are still on my “movies I need to see” list – I just have less interest. Last year’s Hurt Locker was only okay for me…a good film, but not Best Picture quality, so it is good to see a high grossing film getting notoriety. As far as television goes, being a total “Gleek,” I was very pleased with the three Golden Globes Glee received. I cried as Chris Colfer took the stage in shock and awe to accept his award for playing loveable and openly gay Kurt on the show. He does such a wonderful job week after week and it was so deserved, and he looked so genuinely grateful. Have I mentioned how warm and fuzzy these shows make me feel?

The Academy Awards are now six weeks away, and I’m very excited to catch up on the movies I still need to view. All I hear are wonderful things about The Fighter, and some of my favorite actors make up the cast. I’m still waiting for Amy Adams to win her Golden Globe – she is just so talented. I am very pleased with Christian Bale’s win last night since I have literally seen him in everything he has ever done prior to this. Anyone remember Newsies? I can’t wait for him to pick up his first Oscar as well. With the Oscars comes an entirely new red carpet full of high expectations and missteps, and I cannot wait. I find talented people extremely attractive, and I can only hope that one day I will be fortunate enough to perhaps write a screenplay and attend these prestigious awards in my own beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown. Or, I could always quit my job, move to LA, star in a movie and attend one of the shows as a best actress nominee…a girl can dream, right?

Forced To Go Vegan...

This past weekend, I was forced into a semi-vegan existence. I have allergy testing this coming Thursday, and the doctor gave me a list of foods/drinks that I’m not allowed to consume starting five days before the test. On Saturday (my 5 day starting point), I decided to look at the list thinking the only thing I would be giving up was Benadryl, bananas, and alcohol…boy, was I wrong. Here is the list that I read that morning…

Alcohol, chocolate, milk, shellfish, bananas, eggs, papayas, strawberries, certain nuts, fish, pineapple, tomatoes, anchovies, canned foods, eggplant, fish, mackerel, processed meats, sauerkraut, sour cream, tuna, wines, avocados, ciders, fermented beverages, herring, melons, salami, sausage, spinach, vermouth, yeast extract, beer, citrus fruits, fermented cheeses, jam preserves, plums, sardines, some oriental foods, tomatoes, vinegars, yogurt.

If your mouth is agape after reading this list, imagine what I looked like when I had to decide what I should eat for breakfast. My favorite items are “certain nuts” and “some oriental foods” – hmm vague enough? If I had celiac disease, I think I would be dropping dead in the next few hours. English muffins with vegan butter have saved my life. Thank God I live in the most diverse city in the world when it comes to food. There are vegan restaurants (but I can’t eat tomatoes) all over the place. I have been chowing down on hummus, dry cereal and apples. Last night, I had a frozen “Amy’s” dinner that was lactose free, gluten free and vegan – It was actually quite yummy, but talk about a complete lifestyle change at the drop of a hat. I grew up on meat and potatoes. My parents are going to see my food choices this Wednesday night when I head home for my test and regret their encouragement of my move (I can hear the hippie comments now). Of course, I can eat all things that are bad for you – French fries aren’t on the list, bread is a go and I’m pretty sure I can eat all the chips I want. Awesome. I want pineapples back in my life!

I’m using this experience to test out new foods. I don’t think I could ever go completely vegan, becuase I enjoy cheese too much, but perhaps I can make simple adjustments in my diet to live a healthier existence. Meat is unnecessary and hummus has tons of protein. Dairy is not good for you either – I found dairy free ice cream that tasted great (almost like the real thing). I’m sticking with plain vanilla until my testing, but once that’s over I’m going to try the cookie dough option. My roommate informs me that there is a bakery near our apartment that has tons of vegan cookies and cupcakes that are tasty as well. I’m trying to cut back on sugar, but a little treat here and there never killed anyone. There are also Indian restaurants that have plenty of vegetarian delights in the area…I’ve never had a falafel. Since my food changes are for health reasons and have nothing to do with morality, eggs will still be a part of my diet and I’m not going to fret if milk is used in a recipe or on top of my morning cereal. I’ll try all food once, so we’ll see if I can keep this up for a week or two. Thanks to my Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor for throwing me to the vegan wolves. I’m still not sure I want this, but what better time to try something new. And the added perk is the couple of pounds I’m sure to drop from munching on lettuce, grapes and black bean soup all week.

I Forgot How Much I Loved Walking

Update: The roommate returned today from her homeland and brought with her Peanut, her adorable kitty (who’s actually 14) from her home to come live with us! I’m ecstatic. Peanut is perfect. Oh and Peanut happens to be the exact same type of cat as my LOML (love of my life) Bubbles – I’m telling you, this apartment-ship is meant to be.

Today, the snow came again. It was nowhere near as bad as last week’s Armageddon-like blitz, but I’ve seen enough snow in my day to last me a few years. Is it spring yet? Since I was too nervous to go running on the wet streets (a broken leg is the last thing I need), I decided to walk to my blood work appointment at Columbus Circle. I’m afraid of potential stalkers, so I’ll tell you that I live between 100 and 110th street on the Upper West Side. Columbus Circle begins at 59th and my appointment was on 58th. So I walked the 50ish blocks to the building, had three vials of blood taken, grabbed a coffee from Starbucks and walked back. I figured a 100-block workout was a pretty decent way to start off my day. It may not have been a 6-mile run through Central Park, but I was able to experience all of the beauty (and money!) surrounding the UWS. I walked by some pretty nice prep schools and many beautiful residential buildings. One of the great things about living in NYC is being able to discover everything that surrounds you. I walked by the Museum of Natural History, the San Remo, and the Dakota (where John Lennon lived and was killed). I really enjoy my neighborhood and loved my walk in the falling snow, even when it was hindering my vision. I cannot wait for the weather to get a tad nicer out, because I have a feeling I’m going to be walking quite a bit, and there’s so much I still have to see. I cannot wait until my excursions of the Upper East Side begin – talk about another planet. I may even take another journey tomorrow to pick up M from Penn Station. I figure what’s another twenty blocks. I’ve been really into exercising for the last year simply because it’s such a great way to clear your head – oh, and I guess it is good for you too. I could really get used to this walking thing – but it will never beat that run through the Park. That was just perfect.

Meet and Greet

Now that I’m a resident of this beautiful city, it’s time to make friends. That’s my new, New Year’s resolution. I met my New Jersey friend last night after work and we went to a cute Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks from my apartment. She’s probably the most outgoing person I know, and I started to chat with her about making friends in NYC. What surprised me was her response. She spent some time here last summer in order to be closer to her job and stated, “For such a large city, it’s unbelievable how lonely you can feel.” This response coming from her shocked me. She’s that girl that can walk into any bar and become friends with every person in the room in five minutes. I felt a lot better about myself, because while the lonely girl in the city feeling has not plagued me yet (I’m still looking around with my mouth open wide at every turn I take when I get off the subway), I fear it may creep into my life in the next couple of months unless I make some changes.

So I’m doing what I have to do to make new friends. I recently logged onto meetup.com – a site dedicated to helping people like myself find buddies in the city. You’d be surprised how many relatively normal people are facing the exact same situation I am. Most of the posts on a group titled “The New to NYC Group for Young Adults 20-25” were “Just moved to NYC from ‘fill in the blank’ and I’m looking to meet new people.” NYC is huge – 8 million people call this amazing place home, but so many of us are not walking into bars alone on Friday nights or walking up to strangers in coffee shops. What do you even say in those situations? “Hi, I’m new to New York. Be my friend?” I feel that’s not the best first impression to give others. What’s great about meetup.com is that it focuses solely on your interests, so you’re able to meet like minded people. I joined a writing group and am currently on a waiting list to write for an hour with others at the Starbucks at the Empire State Building next Wednesday. There is a meet and greet next Sunday downtown near Washington Square Park for 20-somethings new to the city. Hopefully one of these groups will supply me with a new crowd of friends who will help me explore the city.

While I’ve always tried to be as friendly as possible, I don’t think anyone would call me the most social butterfly. I tend to stick with my wolf pack (forgive the overused term), and don’t branch out too often. My goal is to change this about myself. There are billions of interesting people in this world, and I have to meet up with a few of them if I’m going to make sure I don’t fall into the ice cream and Netflix Friday/Saturday night routine. I’m lucky I still have friends living close enough to come into the city and have dinner/go out with me on any given weekend – M is coming up on Saturday for a fun-filled, Black Swan viewing night (although since I’m having allergy testing done next week and can’t drink alcohol starting Saturday, it probably will be an ice cream eating, movie watching Saturday night – eh, oh well) I’m not sure how the brave souls who move into apartments alone with no roommates or friends in the area survive. Networking is the best way to take advantage of all situations whether it’s bar hopping or job changing, and I plan to network quite a lot in the next couple of months in order to settle down in my new home.

PS: Anyone who has friends in the city who want a fun, young red-head to go out with one of these nights, give them my name! You receive extra brownie points in my friendship book if that friend happens to be an attractive, single man. ☺

Good Morning NYC

Good morning New York. I just woke up for the first time in my new apartment – I’m finally home. Yesterday, my family and I went through quite the production to pack up our SUV and rental van with all of my furniture and bins for my new place. We finally made it up to the city at around 3, and then went through the entire production again as we unloaded – it’s not so easy carrying a heavy dresser through the streets of Manhattan.

After my family left, I had my moment of “Oh Jesus, I’m really on my own now.” A few tears came, I played Taylor Swift’s “Never Grow Up” – it seemed fitting, and then got excited. I am in New York to stay, and I plan to own this city.

My roommate will not be returning to our pad for a few days, and so last night was my first night in my new apartment completely alone. Since I was exhausted from my move, I stayed on the couch and watched movies and some fun TV. I watched the end of Garden State – I thought it was a sign, and I kept up with the Kardashians for a while. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to do sleep-wise since I once spent the night alone in my apartment in Columbus, and I was convinced a stranger was outside my door (I was *this close* to grabbing the bat under my bed and running out swinging). However, I had the best night of sleep in my own place. I left my door opened since the heat in my room heats the entire apartment, but I think because my new home is smaller and cozier, I knew no bad strangers were in my house.

Unfortunately the weather is not my friend today. The rain will stop at around 1, so my Central Park run will be postponed till afternoon – I get to run for the first time in the park. Hooray! Exploring may have to wait until tomorrow after work, but I’m here now, and all I have is time.