Are we in the tropics?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Today was perfect! There are no other words. C and I got up and went for a walk up to my favorite little cafe Nussbaum and Wu where we enjoyed brunch and iced coffee on a hot summer morning. It is so good to catch up with her after six months of absence!

After walking back from brunch and having our showers we decided to do a touristy type day.

On our way to the subway, I dropped in a place called Niko's, who I saw was hiring, and had an on-the-spot interview. While its not exactly the place I'd live to work for, at least it would be some type of income. I'm sure I'll be hearing back from them in the next day or two.

From here, we hopped on the express train and got off at 14st. I love the village! It is absolutely my favorite place to go. There are so many hidden neighborhoods and cobblestone streets. When there, I don't feel as though I am truly in Manhattan anymore but feel more like I'm in some European village somewhere. We made our way past some of my favorite, though unfrequented, spots. We walked by the Standard Hotel where suits flock during late hours and where I have been only once. It's definitely a hot place to go at night. From there we walked east and past Pastis, an awesome restaurant which I have visited only once but where I hope to go many more times (with someone who can afford it, preferably.)

I took C to over to Bleeker and showed her the famous, yet overrated, Magnolia Bakery and then over to Perry Street to see "Carrie's stoop." More impressive than the stoop, in C's opinion, was the quaintness of the street. You would never imagine such a small, seemingly secluded, street in the center of Manhattan. I would love to live in a brownstone of my own someday.

From here C and I made our way over to a place that I have never been; the "Friends" building! It is not far from Carrie's stoop, actually, and is a lot smaller than we both thought. Like the stoop, it is located in a quiet corner of the village and seems like a really cute place to live. Of course, everyone wants to live in the Friends building and I've heard it is nearly impossible to get a place there.

Another thing C wanted to see was the New York "Arc" that we have seen on Friends so many times. So after some research, we walked over to Washington Square Park and took some touristy pictures of it. I am surprised at how many people, young and old, were swimming in the dirty Washington Square Park fountain. But the day was incredibly hot so I suppose I might do the same....or maybe not.

I'll admit it. Our next stop was Crumb Bakery. Its not what you think! C had never been there and for the past few years she had heard me discuss it in great detail and I didn't want to be a bad friend and have her miss out on one of the most utterly delectable experiences of a lifetime! So we went to the Crumb by NYU and watched the students walk by while enjoying our red velvet and white coconut variations. They were so big that neither of us could finish them, which I consider to be a good thing.

Another thing which C has never really done was walk through Central Park. On our sugar high, we jumped on the Q train up to 59th street where we got off only to discover...it was raining. After a moment of discussion, we decided the best thing to do would be to face it. We were in New York! A little rain is not going to hurt. And it didn't. Central Park is lovely at any time, but I think I will definitely have to return during a rainy day. The crowds seem to clear out leaving the park bare. The grass is so green, the trees so twisted and old. Lush foliage grows up on almost everything and the lake is so peaceful with the pitter patter of the rain which hits it. C and I meandered our way through the denser pathways and felt more like we were in the humid tropics than the busiest city in the U.S.

By the time we got back to the real world, our feet were killing us so we went to see Knight and Day (fyi a movie in New York is $13....note to self: next time be on date) which was funny and entertaining, and then had dinner at a Upper West Side restaurant called Canteen 82, to which I will probably not return. The food was less than mediocre (especially for the city), and the service lacking. But, which all of the awesome food in the city, I'm sure I'll find a place I love. On the plus side, we got to enjoy a seat outside during the beautiful Manhattan summer. I love the city's hot summer nights!

Overall, this day was perfection and C and I had so much fun. Another fabulous day of my internship tomorrow! Good night, city lights.

A new brand of crazy...

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Wow what a weekend! K and I just got back from the Hamptons. It was so much fun! We stayed in a house which cost 38,000 to rent for the summer! So much money. We hopped on the jitney which arrived at midnight and then caught a cab to her friend T's house. From there, I had a shot of bacardi (gross) and a beer to wake myself up and then we headed to a local bar. I had so much fun dancing that I didn't even realize it was 3am before we left! Once back at the house we spend some time in the hot tub, but then I promptly passed out by 4am. My body is not used to partying like this!

On Saturday we were all up by ten and headed to the beach. Wow, it is so beautiful, but I thought that east coast beaches are supposed to be warm? I spent time laying in the sun while K played beach volleyball with the boys (it hurts my hands!) and then we relocated to a bar right on the water so that everyone could watch the world cup game. While the boys drank beer, I ordered myself a bowl of ice cream, which I think was a much wiser decision.

Once the game ended, the disappointed boys (Ghana beat US by a point), K and I made our way back to the house and napped. Here's the thing about staying at a house full of guys: it's dirty. So dirty! I was afraid to walk without my shoes on, and don't even get me started on the bathrooms!! How can they live like this? My friend KS told me it was going to be like a frat house and boy it was. Apparently, T lost a bet and as a result had to down six bottles of Smirnoff ice. In good fashion, he rose to the occasion, got down on one knee, and chugged six bottles in eight minutes. After which he promptly projectile vomited off of the balcony. His buddies were screaming with laughter and delight. I was running in the opposite direction.

That night the boys had a little get together at their house where I played my first game of beer pong and flip cup (and was unimpressed by the results). At midnight when everyone left to go out, I decided to sit out and sleep instead. I was just way too tired for another 4am night.

At around 6pm, K and I took the train to Penn Station and the 1 back up to the west side. It was such a beautiful night that we decided to go and have a drink at the Boat Basin, a lovely cafe on the water not far from our apartment. We enjoyed a pelligrino each and recapped the weekend. One of the boys from the weekend, J, had told us that he had slept with a girl in a porta potty outside of a club one night. K and I were talking about this story and laughing so hard as we left the restaurant. At some point, I realized that there were two men behind us, so I turned and apologized for the crudeness of our conversation. One of them said, "that's ok, by the way you are so beautiful, whats your name?"

I shook his hand and told him my name and he was intent on getting my phone number...but being very creepy about it (a 40 year old should probably not be chasing a 20 year old). He just kept telling me that he needed to get my phone number because I was so beautiful. So he took out his cell phone and it was frozen! He couldn't type anything into it. K said, "maybe you should take this as a sign and if we see you at Boat Basin again it will be serendipity..." but the guy (whose name escapes me) said, "No! I'm not letting her leave without her phone number." Desperate, he grabbed his friend's phone and I gave him a fake number. The men turned the corner and left, and K and I burst out laughing. We were just making fun of him when all of a sudden, we heard someone calling my name. We turned around at the guy was running (!) up the street. "His phone didn't work either! His phone didn't work either!!" So I gave him my fake number AGAIN and K and I quickly swept into our apartment and proceeded to laugh for a loooong time on his behalf. She said to me, "That's a new brand of crazy!"

So tonight I'm just unpacking, settling down, doing laundry, and waiting for my friend C to arrive. I'll be spending the day with her tomorrow!

Good night Manhattan!

My life has begun!

Friday, June 25, 2010

So yesterday was my first day interning, and boy have things changed since I moved here! First of all....

I met two guys during intern orientation yesterday. One attends Northwestern and is a film student as well. He is working in the production division of the same department that I am and he seems like a really cool guy. He mentioned that he is working on writing and directing a film and that he is looking for help. Basically, he and I agreed that I would edit his film and perhaps work on set. I think he and I will get along well since I have a lot of experience working on independent sets and on all aspects of production. I'll call him "A." Another guy I met, N, wants to get involved in this film as well, and may have a location for us to shoot on. I am so excited to have met these guys because its cool that I am getting to know some of the local independent film community, however small that might be.

Two nights ago, I met up with my old friend, D, from the media company where I intern. He and I went out for drinks to catch and and get to know each other all over again. I forgot how much I enjoy his company. We had drinks at a local bar around the corner (including a shot of something called a slippery nipple...which, by the way, I recommend) and then dinner at 10pm at a place on the Upper West called Monaco, which served pretty decent pasta (though their wine was very overpriced.) He is such a sweet guy, really seems to care about me, and has so many connections to the industry. I asked him about my friend J, who is moving here in late July. I suppose I should tell you about my friend J.

J and I have been good friends for over a year. He and I dated a little over a year ago, but it just never worked out between us so we decided to be friends. He and I had a fairly professional relationship since he acted in a few of my short films, but he has remained one of my best friends. It has always been a dream of his to move to New York and I support him 100%. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one supporting him; his family seems to have forgotten about him, which is a shame since he is such an awesome person. He is a very talented songwriter/musician, though he has had no musical training, and I think with the right ambition he could go far. The "right" ambition. Or any at all. Most of the time I feel as though he is happy being where he is which depresses me. He could be anything he wanted. But sometimes he seems content to sit still and wait for things to happen to him, rather than trying to make things happen for himself. I guess moving to the big apple will be his first step in the right direction. He deserves it. More to come on that subject later.

I was so excited to see my friends at my prior internship! I missed everyone I worked with before, especially my superior "KS." KS and I are very similar. She is this beautiful, driven, awesome girl who I so aspire to be. She is very smart and seems to be a pro at knowing how to move up in life. She knows what she wants, and I think she will help me to get where I want. I guess I just feel that it is rare to feel such a connection with another who you don't know very well. She is a very talented and driven woman who is helping to guide me into finding a path of my own. Don't get me wrong, I love this company and look forward to revisiting everyone in it, I have just been most excited about seeing KS again. She and I shared a really interesting conversation over wine and tapas tonight. She said that attractive women have the lower hand. People expect them to be unintelligent and useless. She said that she has had to work really hard to get where she is and that I should expect the same; men assume attractive women are not as intelligent. We'll show them!

One of the wonderful things about my internship is the people we work with. One of the reasons I wanted to come back was because I thought I could spend more time with the editors and learn more about photoshop, flash, after affects, and other computer editing programs. Because I have interned here before, I think I will have more opportunity to learn new programs as well as to cut my editing reel together for future employers.

So what am I doing this weekend? K and I are hopping on the Jitney out to the Hamptons. She has a friend there who has a summer share with 12 guys (that's right...12!) and we are going to stay and party with them for the weekend. Hmmm...that's a lot of testosterone...whish me luck!

Overall, I think I have made the right decision for myself. I am learning new things, meeting awesome people, rekindling old friendships, and moving up in life. I feel so much happier than I did a week ago in that I am finally doing what I love, even though I am yet to find employment.

Finding a job has been more difficult than I thought. Sometimes I wonder whether or not it would be better to intern with this media company full time or part time but with a side job. I'm not sure. All I know is: I can do better than to pour people coffee everyday. My degree is worth more than that (right Dad ;) )?

So in conclusion: I have three dates with men next week, one dinner with my room mate, and one with my friend/superior KS (who I hope to spend increasingly more time with).

Next weekend is the 4th of July and there are many options.

I could go with my room mate, K, to her friend's rooftop party, I could go with K to the Hamptons or D.C., or I could go to Montauk with my friend KS.


Now, on a more personal level...

I went to a bar last night with my room mate K and met a bunch of her old friends. Most of them are very nice, and I so enjoy meeting new people in the city. But, I met this once guy called B who is a published author currently attending grad school at Columbia for creative writing. AND he's a personal trainer, AND he wear glasses, AND hes shy. This all means that he is a sweet guy and not a jerk, like so many other guys can be. Apparently he is really into local and independent theater so when he asked me for my number to take me to a unique film, of course I gave it to him.

Nearing the end of work today, D asked me if I was available to have a drink. Sadly, I was not, so he and I made plans for next week.

On top of all of these exciting plans, C (one for my best friends from high school) is coming to New York tomorrow so I am spending the day with her in the city on Monday. YAY! I miss her so much. She is this really brilliant young woman who is working for teach for America far outsife of her California home. She is the kind of friend I will always love forever, which is probably why I am so excited to see her.

Overall, my internship has been a success (for the past two days that I've actually been working,) and I look forward to a continued success in the upcoming weeks.


Hmm...what will I do next....who knows?......its New York!

A day in the city

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

So I had my first interview yesterday. No, its not what you think. While it would have been great had the interview been with some hot shot company, it was not. I interviewed for what I thought would have been a server position in a cute wine bar. After a 45 minute commute to midtown east, it turns out that the "wine bar" is actually more like a tiny coffee cafe which also happens to have some wine bottles at the counter. I think there were about five tables inside the place. Maybe. So you can imagine my disappointment when I walked inside. Everyone who was working was really skinny, had a lot of tattoos, and seemed to glare at me a bit. Of course, I was dressed in business casual.

The woman who interviewed me was nice enough and seemed to enjoy my answers to her questions, although being from Santa Rosa, she seemed a bit put off at the fact that I am originally from a quaint little Bay Area town. Anyway, the interview took all of five minutes. I'm sure she will call me back to come in, but I will not be working there. I can do a lot more with my time than make cappuccinos.

Disappointed, I decided not to hop back on the subway but instead to explore the east side of midtown. I made my way through the city streets taking in all of the beautiful buildings in the area. I walked right by the Empire State, which was fun. As I made my way uptown, however, I entered a dangerous area. Chanel, Dior, Burberry, and Versace all called my name! Instead, I simply window shopped and admired the beautiful gowns which were displayed. I wonder where one might wear a strapless, ruffled, long red gown? I don't care I would have found a place!

It was at this point I realized that my feet were killing me so I passed the Plaza Hotel and Central Park South over to Columbus circle where I caught the 1 back uptown. I felt relief to finally get back into my apartment where I realized my right pinky toe was completely bleeding from my shoes. That's walking around in New York for you.

I borrowed a book from K called "White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good." I felt like an intellectual read. So I changed out of my business casual and made my way over to Central Park where I found a somewhat secluded spot to lay in the grass and read. Peaceful! I could hear music from an orchestra that was playing nearby, the trinkle of a fountain, and the occasional human voice. For about 45 minutes I laid there reading when a man came and asked me where 6th Ave was. I pointed him in the right direction and he thanked me but then sat down next to me.

Now I think this is where the city is going to help me toughen up a bit. I am so afraid of being mean to people! Even when they make me uncomfortable. (Well unless I'm under the influence of vodka). He kept asking me all of these questions and I had a hard time understanding him (he spoke broken English and was obviously from South America somewhere). That's when I began the excuses: I told him I was meeting my boyfriend in a minute and that I was having dinner with my room mate. Yet he kept asking me all of these questions. He told me he could get me a job for 500 an hour (doing what I wonder). It was at this point that I dialed my mom and told him I had to go meet my boyfriend. I just got a totally creepy feeling from him. Perhaps this exchange will help me learn how to be straight up and honest rather than try and be so nice. K said to me later, "isn't it interesting that we think that lying to them in the moment is being nice and that being honest is being mean?"

After the creepy exchange I walked back uptown through the park and made my way back home. I had told my landlord's sister that I would help her move her file cabinet out of the stairwell. I actually really enjoyed "I's" company. She is very nice and gave me $25 (my first earnings in the city)! And on the upside she said she may have more errands for me to do (ok!).

At this point K arrived home and the two of us hopped on the subway downtown to Chelsea to meet her parents and their friends, who are visiting the city, for dinner. God I love Chelsea. I really need to go there more often. We passed several interesting places including a place called "Rawhide." Ha! There were so many tall, good looking, and immaculately dressed men! I would watch them get closer and then here them say something like, "whatever that bitch is hot," and then I would know. Damn. Why are all the good ones gay? Men in mesh shirts and short shorts passed us left and right. Lovely scenery actually. We finally settled on a Vietnamese place which was decent, though it is a bit hot out for warm, spicy food.

I do love New York at night. It is so warm! I love not having to worry about bringing a jacket. I don't actually mind the humidity because I feel like its good for my hair and skin, though during the day it makes you sweat a lot. Gross.

So that was just another unemployed day in New York. My internship begins the day after tomorrow and I am so excited for that!! But for today, I think I'll get up, go to New York Sports Club, figure out the laundry situation, and then...who knows? Perhaps I'll go spend the day in beautiful Greenwich. Or visit the Met. Or poke around the galleries in Soho. Or just go for a long walk in Riverside. Whatever it is I choose to do, I'm just so lucky to be in New York.

Opportunities left and right

Sunday, June 20, 2010

So today is day five. Almost all of my boxes have arrived and I'm feeling much better now that all of my things are here and organized. I have officially joined a gym, switched my bank account over to a New York bank and made a home for myself. The only problem is that I don't yet have a job.

I know its only my fifth day and I'll be okay for a little bit without employment-but it sucks to watch K get up every morning, put on her business casual, and walk out the door for work everyday. And I understand I'm lucky to have open days in Manhattan in the summer and I've taken advantage of them.

Central Park is beautiful. The other day I spent some time at a rare and used bookstore and I bought a book about New York in the 60's. I spent an hour or so reading it in the park and drinking an iced coffee. Sometimes I had to put the book down to watch the people walk by; there are so many interesting people here.

While having nothing on the schedule is refreshing...I'm feeling refreshed enough. I'm ready for work. I'm feeling restless and beginning to worry. The sooner I get a job the sooner I start making connections and moving my life forward.

On the upside, I have a job interview with a small wine bar tomorrow. The commute is a little farther than I'd like but it seems like something that would be up my alley and would make me feel like less of a bum. Also I was talking with K's friend KT and she said she knows a Broadway producer who may be able to get me a job working in theater. That would be nice. Also I had brunch with my friend E who knows someone who is working on a new HBO series featuring Kate Winslet. She is going to set me up to have lunch with her. That would be awesome! It seems as though there are opportunities left and right, so the sooner I get out there the sooner they will come my way. Wish me luck!

A cat on the subway?

Friday, June 18, 2010

This is New York City so anything goes. You can have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at 3AM delivered to your apartment if you so wish. I've seen men dressed in drag at 10AM, women wearing bathrobes and curlers in their hair on the subway, and even once a man walking a cat on a leash in Riverside Park . It takes a lot to shock a true New Yorker.

Yesterday evening I was on my way to a Yankees game with my room mate and her friend F who is himself, a born and raised New York City boy. Everything was business as usual until the B train stopped at 85th street and a man got on with a cat. Now this cat wasn't in a kennel or pet carrying box. The man was simply holding the cat in his arms. This poor cat was obviously terrified. His eyes were almost completely dilated and his owner must have been in pain because his claws were digging into the guy's shoulder with a death grip.

At this point, K, F, and I were holding back our laughter- I think I even heard K snort once. Even F, who has seen a lot of weird stuff in the city, was shocked by this odd couple.

Now this man was no ordinary man. He was probably in his 60's and was a bit frumpy. His belly protruded over his khaki pants ( though it made a good "seat" for the cat). As if this scenario wasn't odd enough, the man soon began kissing his cat all over- the mouth, ears, head, paws and so on, until he finally deboarded at 116th street. As he moved through the subway crowds he was saying, "good boy, good boy."

Just another day in the city.

A jar of peanut butter and a doorman

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Shopping for groceries in New York is very different from shopping for groceries in other U.S. cities. Because the markets are all right out your door, you can shop for what you want each day instead of each week. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do. I am not good of thinking of meals and I don't generally have the patience to cook something. By the time I get home from my day I'm hungry and I just want to eat- not wait an hour for something to cook.

Yesterday I had my first shopping experience in New York. I bought some berries, soymilk, bannas, bread, and peanut butter. Once home, I realized that all that left me to eat was peanut butter on bread with berries. Ok. I took the plastic off of the peanut butter and tried to open the jar. Wasn't happening. I ran the jar under hot water (at the bathroom sink, as that's the only one) but still I could not get that damn jar open! By now my frustration was growing as it had been about ten minutes I had been trying to get this stupid thing open. My resolution? Ask the doorman. The jar of peanut butter and myself rode the elevator down to the first floor and asked "W" if he would kindly open the jar for me. He gave me a very odd look and easily opened the jar. I grinned with relief and embarrassment, tipped him, and returned to my room with my tail between my legs. Embarrassing? Yes. But you can bet that peanut butter sandwich was freakin' awesome.

A word about airplanes...

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

So I've arrived! Day one as a resident of Manhattan. Very exciting. I've been spending my day getting settled...a trip to the market...one to Duane Reade. Now all I have to do is wait on the ten or so packages my mom and I have sent. It was really difficult to sleep last night due to excitement, but my flight was exhausting....

I crammed myself into an incredibly luxurious window seat in coach (or "steerage" as my little sister calls it) and was thrilled that the flight wasn't delayed...yet. After four hours of smooth flying we landed in Chicago only to wait on the runway for about an hour and a half during which time I made conversation with the handsome stranger sitting next to me. Turns out he is a NFL player for a Bay Area team. Alright! Successful AND cute! Turns out he was on his way to his home town of Mississippi and absolutely hates cities. Oh well.

Once we FINALLY pulled into the gate and passengers were deboarding, I decided to take the opportunity to use the restroom. Of course, everyone knows that airplane bathrooms are uncomfortable small, but I took uncomfortable to a new level. Once inside the "bathroom" I reached for what I thought was a toilet seat cover above the toilet. It wasn't a toilet seat cover. Oh no. I found myself clutching another passenger's dirty tissue! Disgusting! I quickly shoved the tissue back into the garbage from which it was plucked by my unassuming hand. After washing my hands, I saw that there were no (or at least I could find no) paper towels with which to dry my hands. Note to self: tissues are a poor substitute for paper towels. Little balls of tissue had formed all over my damp hands and it took three or four more tissues to remove the original tissue debris. Thinking my bathroom troubles were over, I shoved the door open. Of course, the door hit the pilot...pretty hard I must say. After many apologies I was finally able to make it back to my seat...where I waited through another two hours or delay before the plane was able to take off in the direction of Manhattan.

Other than the delays, my arrival was relatively smooth. My luggage was first out (which never happens) and my car found me right away. The trip to my Upper West Side apartment building was pleasant and brief. I tipped the driver the appropriate amount and bounded to the door of my new building!!!.....which was locked....and the doorman was MIA. Hmmm....I was supposed to get my key from the doorman. I called K. Then I called her again. And again. AND AGAIN! I started to panic. For thirty minutes I tried desperately to reach my friend, but she slept through my calls. I was near panic and about to hail a cab to take me to a hotel when the doorman showed up and let me in. Thank God!

The building I'm living in is beautiful. It is prewar, so it's older and the elevators kind of scare me a bit, but the tiling in the entryway makes me feel like I'm walking into a museum or something. I was a bit intimidated as the elevator doors opened onto floor eleven. By this time it was about two in the morning. Making as little noise as possible, I snuck into my new home. Wow! It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

I wasn't going to wake K up, but I figured she deserved it for not answering my calls. Lightly, I ticked her foot and she woke up immediately. Oh sure, a slight touch on your foot and you wake up but a million phone calls and I get nothing?! We spent the next hour giggling and catching up. She said to me, "I have fun plans for us tomorrow night. Have you ever heard of Tortilla Flats?"

When I was an intern two years ago Tortilla Flats was the restaurant/bar I most frequented. It was there that I met all the "priviledged" men who took me to fashion shows, expensive dinners and hot clubs.

"Have I heard of Tortilla Flats? I'm queen of Tortilla Flats!" I can't believe K hasn't been yet!

And so I've been in the city less than a day and already crazy plans are in my future. I wonder where tonight will lead?

Three Days Left!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Its been a crazy few weeks. I graduated from college, had knee surgery for a torn meniscus (22 is way too young to have knee surgery by the way), and am now packing and getting ready to move to the city. I'm so excited! I'll be living with my best friend from high school and interning with a media company for two days a week. From there I hope to find a real job (which pertains to my degree in film). For now, I think being a server or dog walker will have to do. At least I'll have fabulous legs from all the walking.

My friend (I'll call her K) and I will be sharing a studio apartment on the upper west side. Yay for living in one room! We're gonna have a blast. The best thing about K and I is that we love to laugh. I think we can laugh our way through any situation, which is good when you're sharing such a small space. Neither of us like confrontation and we can talk through anything. We both like to work out and eat well....most of the time. Well she always eats well. Me? I have a special place in my heart for chocolate. But what normal girl doesn't? Together I believe we will embark on many crazy adventures!

The packing is going well. So far I think I've sent ten packages over. That's right. They are full of jewelry, perfume, the essential coffee maker and magic bullet, and, of course, shoes. The first thing I thought about when learning the size of the apartment was "where will the shoes go?" Ok, so I'm a bit of a shoe girl...I have quite a few pairs. When I was moving back from college I counted eight pairs of black stilettos. Does a girl need that many? Probably not. I'm not very good at putting together chic outfits but I can make any boring outfit fantastic with a good pair of Michael Kors. And I'm sure K will be excited about that because she gets to borrow everything! K and I have an agreement: She gets the bigger bed, but I get the bigger closet. I think I got the better end of the deal.

It will be weird moving away from home and I'm really going to miss my family, but this is my big chance to be out on my own and follow my dreams. For the first time in my life I don't know what the next step is. Will I get a job? Will I make enough income to support myself? Will I make good friends? Will I date anyone? Let me rephrase that: Will I date anyone worth dating? Will this be a true Sex and the City experience? Or will it be more like Rent? Only time will tell. And I'll be filling you in on everything.