Settling In

I’ve been here for about a week now and am settling in just fine. Side note: Don’t be fooled by the fact that my first blog post was Saturday. I wrote the post on my flight to NY which was Wednesday, but it took me a while to get the new blog up and running (Thanks Drea for helping me) so although I wrote it on Wednesday, I wasn’t able to post it until a couple days later.

Here’s a brief recap of my first week in NYC:

Wednesday – I arrived in NYC at about 7:30pm, got picked up from the airport, dropped my HEAVY bags off at the apartment, and went to dinner with my Tio Martin. We went to a Mexican restaurant down the street called Vamos! and it was delicious. We of course had celebratory/welcome to NY margaritas! ;)

Thursday – Because my Tio Martin is getting over a cold and wasn’t feeling so hot, we didn’t do much on Thursday. We slept in, ate brunch at the apartment (the yummy Mexican bread my abuela sent with me from KS) and I spent most of the afternoon job hunting while Tio Marty slept (He felt much better after he got some good sleep and is now well). Thursday night we made dinner and had a movie night. I know what you’re thinking, we MADE dinner? LOL, neither of us are chefs by any means, but contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers do cook and don’t ALWAYS order in or go out for dinner. Or at least some of them cook, it may be rare, but it happens. Another side note: Although I referred to “us” as New Yorkers, I don’t actually consider myself one…yet. Yes, I live in NY right now, but I am not a New Yorker for many reasons. I just don’t have that big city attitude (I'm a true friendly Midwesterner), although I might develop it eventually, who knows! My Tio on the other hand, is most definitely a NYer! (He admitted it wasn’t until he had lived in the city for a couple of years that he considered himself a true New Yorker). Just in case you were wondering, we ordered “500 Days of Summer” and “All About Steve” through TV OnDemand and both were entertaining (if you like comedies). I would recommend seeing 500 Days, it’s an unusual semi-romantic comedy that doesn’t fit the proto-type, which is why I liked it...Happy endings aren’t always realistic.

Friday – We spent Friday afternoon just hanging out at the apartment. I spent a lot of time applying for jobs online and then got ready to go out for Happy Hour. I’ve been to NY several times so I was well aware of the fact that Friday night Happy Hours are a MUST. We went to a bar in Chelsea (the same one I go to every time I visit) and then to eat at a Thai restaurant. It was my very first time eating Thai food and I loved it! So many people have told me that if you like Chinese food, then you’ll love Thai food, and they were right! It was delicious! One thing I love about NY is that it is so diverse and there is such a variety of everything, especially food. There is nothing you can’t get here and I’m excited to try new things! I’ll keep you updated on any new foods I try, not that I’m a food critic or anything, but I always find it interesting to hear about the things people eat because it’s always so different than what you are used to.

Saturday – Tio Marty had some errands to run on Saturday so I spent the day solo. I slept in (which considering I know it won’t last, has been so nice to do lately), applied for a few more jobs, watched “Sex and the City-the movie” because it was on TV, and then did a little bit of exercise/exploring. Even though it’s cold here (30s), I went for a jog around the neighborhood to 1, get some exercise and 2, explore the area. I know what you’re thinking, people jogging around the city are nuts. With all of the traffic and hustle and bustle of the city, I agree, people are crazy. I’d be scared to get ran over because let me tell you, people DON’T stop when you are in their way. You REALLY have to pay attention to “Walk” signs because if you don’t, you’re road kill. The neighborhood I live in is very unique in that it is an actual neighborhood (kind of like a campus) so I didn’t have to run in the streets, instead I get to run on windy paths, kind of like at a park. It's called Stuyvesant Town (aka Sty Town), located in the Lower East Side and is Manhattan's largest apartment community, an entire neighborhood unto itself set on over 61 landscaped acres. It's literally a "city within a city," the only one of its kind in NYC. The center of the "town" is called the Stuyvesant Oval and around the oval are different buildings such as a Lounge, a Study, a Fitness Center, a Film room, etc. It's like being in a park with a big fountain in the middle, windy paths to walk your dog, go for a jog (which I plan on doing a couple times a week), etc. There are playgrounds, basketball/volleyball/tennis courts and everything you can possibly think of. It’s the best of both worlds because it’s a really safe community with so much to do (Sty town has multiple events that take place monthly, like movie/game nights that allow you to friend your neighbors), but as soon as you step out of the community “gates” you are in the East Village with instant access to downtown. Here is a link to Sty Town: http://www.stuytown.com/#/events?gallery, check it out, it’s pretty awesome!

Sunday – For Superbowl Sunday we drove to Westchester County, about an hour outside of the city. My Tio Martin has friends, Wendy and Josh, who live out there and invited us to come eat and watch the game. Although I am not a huge fan of long drives, this one I did not mind. It gave me a chance to see more of New York. We drove along the Hudson River for a while and then upstate into the mountains. It was a scenic trip that I enjoyed. Upon arrival I met Wendy, Josh, and their 3 kids, Alex (4), Will and Jack (2-year-old twins). The twins took a while to warm up to me, but Alex clung to me instantly. Before I even sat down he said, “Wesa, you want to see my cars?” It was so cute, but a little sad because it reminded me of Jaxson. He calls me Wesa so I associate that name with him. I miss him and sweatpea (aka Audrina) so much. (Skype date with them this week for sure!) It ended up being a good game and although I didn’t win any money (I always enter a football pot, and never win, lol), I was very happy the Saints won. Who dat?! ;)

Monday – Once again, I slept in today (I am still adjusting so I think it will take me a while to get into a more regular sleep routine). My Tio Martin and I lounged a bit, ate, then got ready to "go to work." You see, he works in the antique art industry and buys and sells mostly Asian antiques so he doesn't have a typical 9-5 job. He is able to work from home a lot, but today he needed to go to Christie's Auction House (famous auction house in NYC, if you've ever seen The First Wives Club, you know the one I'm talking about) to preview an auction that starts tomorrow. I went with him 1, because it was something new to do and 2, because I wanted to learn a little more about Martin's job and his passion/expertise for art. It was actually a really neat and interesting experience. Ever since I took Art History in Spain and toured famous museums like the Prado, I really enjoy and appreciate art. After leaving Christie's we went to a small bakery near Rockefeller Center to grab a cappuccino, then jumped on the subway home. I was excited to purchase a metro card considering I've never bought one before (previously when I visited, my Tio Martin would just use his then pass it back to me so I could use is too). Now, we are at the apartment just relaxing and watching TV. And I of course am updating my blog. Hope you're enjoying it! ;)

Ok, so I know I said a brief recap of the past couple days, but you know me, when am I ever brief? LOL, I’m a talker, not to mention detail oriented so I like to describe every last detail. Overall, it has been a good first couple days in New York! Like I mentioned before, I have applied for some jobs and have already received 3 call backs. I have 2 interviews tomorrow and 1 phone interview on Wednesday. Wish me luck! I appreciate it and will keep you posted. XOXO!