The shrill, blaring horns of annoyed yellow taxis cut through the overlapping conversations of New Yorkers on the sidewalks, hustling and bustling toward their livelihoods, as I rise up from the underground. It's a scene that, five months ago, I couldn't quite picture myself being a part of. But now, those sights and sounds of a city have become a part of my every day life.
When I think about the JMP that arrived here in February, I feel as though she's come a long way in a short period of time. I faced change head-on, when in the past my typical reaction was to hide and avoid it at all costs. But with any change comes some minor (and major) adjustments. And compromises. Life in New York City couldn't be any different than the quiet and leisurely life I had in Ohio. There have been many, many challenges I've found myself having to adapt to... many of them alarmingly difficult for such an introverted person, but each one being something that's typical of living in a big city.
The Morning Commute: Getting to work in the morning now is a far cry from the way it used to be: a quiet, 15 minute ride in the Mustang, either with heat blasting in the winter or windows down in the summer, leisurely sipping my coffee and not really fighting with any traffic whatsoever. It was my time to chill out and prepare for the day.
Now, it's the exact opposite -- standing on a loud, packed subway car, oftentimes with barely any room to even shift my weight from foot to foot. I had to get over my "personal space" issues real quick, because it's not uncommon to be smashed up against another person, especially if I'm fighting to get on one of these over-flooded trains. And the only chance of actually getting to sit down is if the person sitting directly in front of where I'm standing happens to get off at a stop prior to crossing the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan, which is quite rare, because everyone is going to Manhattan for work. The standing doesn't really bother me as much as it did in the beginning, perhaps because it's just what to expect. I am at least fortunate not to have to transfer trains; I can ride a direct line from my neighborhood right into the area where I work, which is a luxury a lot of people don't have. But needless to say, once those doors open at my stop, I'm ready to pour out into the station along with the rest of the general population and rush off to my office… but not before stopping for what I call a "cart coffee" and usually, most often, a donut as well.
The Crowds: It's something everybody knows -- it's crowded here. New York is the most densely populated U.S. city, with more than 8.4 million people packed into an area that's only 305 square miles in size. I knew all this before I came here; I had visited a few times, and had a feel for the amount of people that live here. But fighting all the crowds on a daily basis can definitely get tiring, especially for this quiet introvert. No matter where I might turn, there's not really a silent corner in the city… There are always people everywhere, and at any time of day. I don't stay out extremely late very often, but when I do, I find it quite amusing the sheer amount of people that are in the stations and out riding the subway around the 3:00-4:00 AM hours. Even more amusing are the types of people that are out at that hour… You never know what kind of entertainment you're going to get on the train ride home.
Driving of course is something that should be avoided at all costs… which is fine because most residents don't have cars anyway, myself now included. While I did still have my car here during my first couple of months, I drove around the city (but only when I had to), and while the experience may not be as bad as say, getting all of your teeth pulled out, or like, placing your hands directly into a bonfire or on a grill or something, it's certainly right up there with things you should just not do. While walking around one day, watching the daily mayhem taking place around the intersection of 34th Street and 7th Avenue, I concluded that walking in New York isn't much different than driving. First of all, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is on a cell phone while they're out walking around, whether texting or having a heated argument with their significant other (these are fun conversations to listen in on), and these people are not paying attention to where they're going whatsoever. Secondly, there is the abrupt braking in the middle of the sidewalk for no apparent reason but for some reason I'm sure related to whatever they were doing on their phone. Thirdly, people walking painfully slowly, holding up all traffic behind them. Also I should note here how, once you start trying to pass these slow walkers, they suspiciously start speeding up and even veering into your lane. And finally, random and unwarranted turns without warning, cutting off a myriad of other people and oftentimes causing collisions. So there you have it: driving = walking = awful.
The Food: I don’t have to go into detail about the amount of amazing restaurants that line the blocks of this city. I’ve relied a bit on the suggestions of others for their favorite places to eat, but I’ve also wondered a lot on my own and found some food that I’ve gone crazy for and can’t wait to have again. Between the street carts, coffee shops with amazing pastries, pizza parlors, and burger joints… not to mention Magnolia Bakery which I can just go to any time I want to, I've had a bit of difficulty controlling my out-of-control appetite. When I moved here, I was looking forward to being able to walk a lot since I’m not much of an exerciser, and foolishly thought that the increased walking would help to cancel out the extreme increased intake of calories and junk food I’d be eating. Well come to find out that’s definitely not the case, and I’ve ended up coining the term “the New York 15,” which basically means that much like a freshman in college is supposed to gain 15 pounds in their first year, this New York freshman has probably gained that much weight in only her first few months wondering among all the restaurants.
The Backpack: I haven’t carried a purse since like, 2002. I get by relying strictly on my pockets, which are usually sufficient for carrying the mere three things I have with me at all times: my phone (which also has a compartment for credit cards and ID), my keys, and a tube of Chapstick. Coat weather makes it even easier to carry such things, but I often do struggle in warmer months since carrying a phone and keys around can sometimes be bulky in tighter-fitting pants. Since in New York, and especially since I started working, I’m finding it necessary to carry more items around with me on a typical day. This usually includes but is not limited to my laptop, an umbrella (you just never know when the skies are going to open up on you), apartment keys, a coat or sweatshirt, iPod (yes I still listen to music on these antiquated devices), and a greek yogurt for breakfast.
I got by for the first 2 months without a bag of any type. BUT, I did have multiple pockets in my winter coat to house all my belongings. Once I started working, I struggled a bit, trying to stuff the yogurt into the pocket of my lightweight blazer. The thing about New Yorkers is that nearly everyone is carrying a bag of some sort, because there are many things one needs throughout the day when you’re leaving early in the morning and likely getting home late at night without the opportunity to “run home” if you forget something. So, I bought a backpack. I was uncomfortable wearing it around for the first few days, as it felt very foreign and very out of my norm. Plus I felt like it made me look like a 12-year-old school boy. But everything about New York has been foreign and out of my norm, so perhaps in the grand scheme of things, a backpack is really more of a minor adjustment. Like everything else, I make it work.
The Laundry: Forget the washer and dryer I swore I was going to have in my next apartment; I’m now going down the street and around the corner to do my laundry. It’s no secret that laundry is a major inconvenience here… a lot of people in fact have a much worse time with it than I do! Carrying laundry down 4 flights of stairs in my current apartment and dragging it down the block is definitely a pain, but then I come back, up the 4 flights of stairs, wait 45 minutes, down the stairs again to run and put everything in the dryer, then back home for another 45 minutes, rinse and repeat. One week when I was working a lot of overtime and simply didn’t have the time to go through all the hullabaloo, I decided to take advantage of the drop-off service, which I have to admit is a glorious thing. It did take me a moment to get used to the idea of it though, especially since it's an odd yet rather humbling feeling to know a stranger has been folding your underwear…
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