"You can't start a new chapter if you keep re-reading the last
one"
Alright, heres the beginning of a hopefully very interesting blog. To
explain why this started:
I spent the last two years at Central Washington University studying
Theatre, where I met some of the most incredible people in the world. However,
I suppose fate didn't have it in it's hands that I spend the rest of my days in
Ellensburg, Washington so it threw a nice curve ball of making it into my dream
school- Tisch School of the Arts. So I packed up my oversized closet and
moved to New York City- but I promised good friends that this blog would be
made so they can keep track of me and whatever crazy antics might ensue.
Wonderful! Now that you've read the Reader's Digest version of my life
you're all caught up. To move on to the good stuff...
I moved on Wednesday. A tearful goodbye to my Labradoodle (Tofu), one
suitcase, a box, and a one way ticket to JFK. It was a big step for a control
freak like me... No place to live, student loans not finalized, just a whole
bunch of courage I didn't have. But I did it!
I landed and found my way to Harlem where I'm crashing on my friends
house and it suddenly started to sink in...
- · Oh my god, I'm here for good.
- · I'm blonde and defenseless and I live in Harlem
- · This isn't vacation, its now survival
- · Why are all the dogs so tiny? (I miss my Tofu)
- · I'm a poor college student trying to live in the most expensive city in the world
- · It's as hot as Satan's armpit in this city
- · Well at least the food is good…
This life will not be Gossip Girl, or Breakfast at Tiffany's but instead
a lot of falling on your face and picking yourself back up. I'm used to that.
The last few days have been full of quirky people, some rude, some
positively clinically insane. But people you will only find in New York City...
For example, Crazy Muffin Lady. This breakfast b*tch had a sour look on
her face the second I walked in for coffee. Its five o'clock am west
coast time, I just need something to munch on before I tackle craigslist.
However, this is no easy task. Her case holds OVER FOURTY DIFFERENT KINDS OF
MUFFINS. How's a girl to choose? It takes me a second or two and no one is
behind me yet this woman cannot handle having me waste her time. "Which
one would you like ma'am." "Which muffin ma'am" "Ma'am can
I help you?"
"GET OFF MY BACK MUFFIN LADY!" I quietly thought to myself as
I settled quickly on a whole-wheat triple berry.
*You'll come to notice in this blog I have the problem of thinking of a
lot of things I am never brave enough to say...
After that lovely adventure, I take sanctuary in one of the most
glorious places in the city. The Rockefeller Center Anthropologie. Two giant
floors of lovely things I cant afford and one crisp clean resume in my hands. I
will work here and life will be beautiful (metaphorically and literally due to
all the things I'll own). I hand over my lacking-experience resume on hand
picked stationary, give them my best customer-service giggle and smile and go
on my marry way. This city's got nothing on me.
THIS CITY'S GOT EVERYTHING ON ME. After 1) almost being pick-pocketed
(made sure to elbow the guy in the ribs as hard as I could and cuss him out),
then 2) being stood up in the rain by a broker, then 3) being dragged from
tiny, filthy apartment to apartment. My future roommate Nyna and I were close
to giving up hope. Funny how this city can shatter any optimism in such a small
amount of time.
However, life is funny in the way it seems to give you a little hand out
right when you need it the most. Eating some lovely veggie dumplings in a
little hole in the wall in the village, Nyna and I were reviewing tomorrow's
trek into Gramercy for more apartment suffering. But at just that moment the
sweetest British couple piped in with some words of wisdom about the
neighborhood. Some pieces of advice turned into a dinner conversation, then
into late night chatting. It's great how much this happens in the city. We
talked about everything, from their fridge magnet-destroying cat, to our lives
in theatre, to a homeless Indian man in a hot pink bikini and all the other the
crazy things this city offers. At the end of our perfect conversation with Adam
and Betsie, he leaned over and simply stated, "Don't worry, you will find
your perfect place, but sometimes fate waits to give you good things until you
absolutely need it the most. When it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
After that we could have a nice walk home with frozen yogurt and hope
restored.
One nice fateful conversation does not mean smooth sailing though...
Brokers still call us "unrealistic" and "naive" but we
refuse to settle. New York continues to spontaneously downpour, and not in the
romantic Breakfast at Tiffany's way, but the way that soaks you down to your
underwear. And the city never stops, even when sometimes you just need
everything to stop pushing you down.
Which is why I left. (Temporarily of course)
A quick weekend trip to Connecticut to clear my head and visit my family
whom I just adore. Sometimes the only band-aid you need is a hug, a home, and a
dog. Thank goodness for a quick hop on the train at Grand Central. But this
break won't last long. One deep breath of fresh air and I'll be back on that
train ready for round 2. No one said this was going to be easy, and there's no
shortcuts or loopholes.
But for some reason I'm certain we will find the right place at the
right time (I'm just hoping that right time will be before classes
start-yikes!)
Until next time,
Madison
