Helloooo and welcome to the first installment in my little bi-weekly diary series. You may have already seen my first two posts about coming to New York and my recap of the first three days, but from here on out I’ll be posting every other Sunday about what I’ve been up to over the previous two weeks.
There will be the odd post about New York thrown in to the mix during the week on my blog but I’m conscious that I don’t want my life in New York to fully take over my blog as it’s a PR/Student blog first and foremost. My own life/where I am in the world takes the back seat. Honestly, my little #OCinNYC updates are mainly for my mum and dad.
Tomorrow marks my first day at my new job in one of the World Trade Center buildings. I’m a little nervous and scared, but I’m also quite excited. I’ve been sitting around doing nothing for the past two months now so I’m excited to get back into an office-type of lifestyle. It’s also a poignant time to be starting work this week as it’s the 18th anniversary of 9/11.
I was only four years old at the time of 9/11 so don’t remember anything at all, but my mum always talked about how she remembered hearing about it on the radio after dropping me off at my aunt’s after I had finished school. I bet she didn’t think that 18 years later little me would be heading to work in that very spot in New York.
What have I got up to?
It’s been seven whole days since I stepped foot in New York City for the first time and I can definitely say that I’ve got up to a lot in the short space of a week. I’ve met a lot of new faces, been told a lot of names (that I don’t remember) and been introduced to around 50 new people.
The nice thing about the Mountbatten Program that I’m doing is that you move to New York with a lot of other interns, meaning you’re always going to be around people of a similar age and you’ll always have friends to hang out with. I’m very lucky that I’ve established a good circle of friends quite quickly who are the loveliest of girls and keen to travel, go to Broadway shows and do lots of random things that will be happening around the city.
My little alcohol ban is actually going very well so far. I said moving over that I’ve finally got that university drinking culture out of my system during the last three months in Liverpool and am quite excited to leave it behind for a while and stick to the Diet Coke life. After all, I came to New York to work and explore as much of the US as I can. I didn’t come here to continue being a typical uni student, so I’m planning on living quite a mature year. We’ll see how long it lasts.
So far, I’ve explored different parts of Manhattan, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, explored the Dumbo area, walked around a tiny part of Central Park, attended my first comedy club night, my first off-Broadway show and stood in Times Square at night. I’ve also rode the subway, been horrified by the prices in my local supermarket, felt a little sick at the kind of bread they eat here and had too many $1 pizza slices in seven days.
This first week has mostly consisted of getting my flat in order (I’m waiting on my other four flatmates to arrive so have been by myself so far), figuring out the transport systems, how the grid-format works (it’s pretty genius) and what the five boroughs of New York are.
I’m living in Newport, New Jersey which means a seven minute commute to work for me and a cheaper monthly travel card as I can use the Path train instead of the Subway. My area is amazing as it’s right on the waterfront of the Hudson River with the most stunning views of Manhattan. How I imagine those that live in Birkenhead view Liverpool.
How I’m finding NYC
I’ll be doing separate blog posts about things that I’ve realised about New York and the things that I’m getting used to, but so far? It’s not actually as busy as I expected it to be. It’s quite on par with London but also quieter. The sidewalks (Miss USA has been activated) are much wider here which may be why it doesn’t feel so busy and crowded. But then again, I’m yet to experience 8am rush hour, so check back in when I post my next installment.
So far, I’m absolutely bloody loving it. There’s just something about America. I felt it when I was in Vegas and it made me want to come back so bad. The first few days here were hard and I was missing home and questioning whether I’d made the right move as it was definitely the biggest move I’ve ever made. Liverpool and London definitely don’t compare to my moving to New York all by myself at 22. But I have settled in so well now and feel very, very content.
I know my way around now, where things are, I have friends that I can go to at any time and are willing to do something all the time so I’m never on my own which I really love. But at the same time I like that I can also have my own time to write my blog and do my shopping and just do the small things without feeling like I’m missing out or should be doing some sightseeing. I have a full year for that.
I think I’ve definitely adjusted to the way of living in NYC in the past week and like the way Americans are very forward and straight-talking. Whether I adjust to the working culture is another story that will appear on here in two weeks. I’ve yet to work out how to pay with coins here as I can’t get my head around quarters/dimes/cents. Plus I’m spending money like it’s Monopoly money since it doesn’t even look real.
I’m ending my first week here with a very bad head cold. At the beginning of the week I had a sore throat and started to lose my voice. That progressed to me being violently sick at the kayaking pier in Brooklyn yesterday and my missing out on kayaking along the Hudson River. And now I have a nose like a water tap, puffy eyes and blocked ears. For someone that never gets sick, I’ve been hit like a train this week. I’m just hoping I get it all out of my system now so that I can enjoy the next 12 months healthily.
See you in two weeks!
Orlagh x
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