Subways, sweet potatoes and an apartment that is way too nice

Since Wednesday, I have:

Spent a night at the International House of Columbia University

Hauled all my bags/luggage up and down subway stairs and finally moved into a new apartment

Walked all around Central Park, 5th Avenue, and Spanish Harlem

Eaten delicious southern cuisine at Amy Ruth's restaurant

Went grocery shopping and bought some pricey organic produce

Walked the High Line and explored Chelsea Market

Found my way home on the subway all by myself.

It's already been an adventure, and I love it! Sometime I'll try to post pictures (but that would involve me actually remembering to bring my camera with me, first).

Our apartment is so nice. I feel like we're being spoiled by this summer because if I end up moving here for good, there is no way I'll be able to afford a place like this.

I love seeing so many different people and walks of life, and exploring this huge island. There really is no place like New York, New York.

image via

swimming

This week I get to play catch up on all the responsibilities I skipped out on last week. Which means taking a test, learning at least a minute of a Viennese Waltz routine, relearning the foxtrot, loads of reading, and thinking of ideas for a commercial.

Oh well.

My room is clean.

My bed is made.

And I'm ready to conquer the world.

{Last week at this time, I was walking around the financial district, eating pizza at Grimaldi's and feeling like a real advertiser. I feel like I understand just a tiny bit how people who come back from study abroad feel. I feel no shame in saying I lived in Harlem for six days, and I'm allowed to miss it just a bit.

Someday, NYC, I'll be back.}

twenty-two

I'm back from New York.

Back to my own bed.

Back to {trying} to eat normally and not spend all my money on hot dogs and bagels.

Back to school.

Back to real life.

Back to doing my hair {maybe} and not living out of a suitcase.

I'm happy to be back.

But I'm definitely going to miss my east coast almost home. Even if it was only for 6 days.

I'll miss street food.

I'll miss feeling like I can spend as much as I want.

I'll miss the subway.

Oh and today, well, it's my birthday. The big 22. Which really isn't as old as it sort of feels right now.

But 21 was a great year.

And I'm looking forward to discovering the 22 year old version of myself.

Here's to life.

image via deviantart

new york

I wish I could post the few pictures I took (never been much of a picture taker, more of a picture moocher), but I don't have a camera cord with me so no luck.

This trip has been incredible. So enlightening.

When I first got to the city, I expected to be overwhelmed. with excitement. just high on life.

And I was.

But mostly, I just felt right at home.

I felt like, yeah, I could live here.

It felt comfortable and almost familiar.

Not in the sense that I'd been here before, because I haven't.

More like I felt confident in my abilities to get around and survive in the crazy concrete jungle.

I'll definitely have to write a more detailed post of what we did each day, but this is just a smattering of thoughts and reflections about the trip.

For now though,

Three things I loved:

-yummy bagels

-Shake Shack (!!)

-oddly enough, the subway. (what can I say, I'm a sucker for efficient mass transit)

Three things I didn't love so much:

-sharing a bathroom with about 20 girls

-the elevators at subway stations. they smell like urine.

-the stress of coordinating 28 opinions. love the group. just not the stress.

I will say that when we visited Wieden + Kennedy, it confirmed my thoughts that working at Wieden in Portland is my dream job.

Their culture just seems so perfect for me.

I'll write more later.

But New York, it's been great. So thanks.