The Devil's on Your Back

Well. Today has been ridiculous. Got locked out of the apartment an hour before I needed to leave. Waited in suspense while my superintendent tried to open the door with a BJ's card. He actually did succeed (Scary but awesome).

Got into a cab, and then was let out on the side of Amsterdam (WHERE THERE ARE NO YELLOW CABS) because he did not take a credit card (and he wanted $73 to get to JFK).

The security guard at the church I was dropped off in front of came out and asked me if I was alright. She apparently saw the white SUV just deposit me on the side of the street. When I said i just needed a cab, she had pity on me and called for one. It was still $68, $13 more than a Yellow cCab would have ended up being, but at that point I was fed up and more than a bit antsy. The cab driver did not speak English and seemed a bit confused about where he was going.

Got stuck in traffic for 30 minutes.

Finally made it to the airport. The flight in front of me had "mechanical issues" and had to be moved, so mine got moved too. Made friends with a nice gentleman while I was waiting around. And he even went and found what gate my flight was leaving from, which was nice of him and in my eyes redeemed human kind a bit..

And now my flight is delayed for an hour....

I'd say the devil is trying to keep me down today, but God is definitely winning. I'll let you know how the rest of the day goes.

Shake It Out

Things I Will and Won't Miss About NYC: An Ongoing Project

So today is the day I leave NYC to go back to NC. I definitely have mixed feelings about everything, but I think I am making the right decision for now even if it ends up that I move back in a couple of years. So, I've made a list (lists are wonderful, and very calming, and something great to do when you're bored). Things I'll Miss About NYC - The few good friends I did make in the city - Opportunities at every corner - Creativity right beside those opportunities on each corner - Not worrying about going out and then driving because public transportation is always, at most, a 20 minute walk away - The thrill of living, and being, and meeting in the city - Parties every weekend. On rooftops. Sometimes even during the week. - Getting cat-called by nice looking men - Little Town NYC - My proximity to my cousin and to Boston (we had some really great times together and I'm going to miss seeing her almost every month) - Being largely autonomous - making my own decisions, which only affect me, whether they turn out good or bad. - Divas - The ridiculous amount of awesome shopping that can be done (although it's probably good that I will be far away from that) - Walking home and finding that the kids on the street have broken open a fire hydrant for their own water park fun - Being so close to the beach and not even having to drive there

Things I Will Not Miss About NYC - Having dirt kick up on the back of your legs (or formerly pristine white jeans) when it rains - Gross smells - Lack of A/C - Angry People - My small bedroom with not enough room between my head and the ceiling to turn on the fan (Given, I did have a loft bed) - Being so far away from family - Divas - 80 year old men leering at me on the way to my apartment - Divas looking at you like you are a ridiculously stupid person having no idea what you could have done to get that look (I'm sitting minding my own business, how could I possibly have offended you?) - The stress of keeping up (must go out, must succeed, must not sleep, must join groups, must join gym, must run for the subway, must not awkwardly make eye contact) - The stifling heat and humidity pushing down on you from hundreds of A/C units spitting out their lava onto the streets - Getting yelled at by random people on the subway (although that totally makes for some good stories)

There's Coffee at the End of the Tunnel

If you follow my instagram (username is addynik) then you know I'm on a shopping kick (and apparently a red kick). This is both awesome and extremely dangerous. Be prepared for lots of fashion posts. I'm trying to fit in all the shopping and tourist things and awesome NYC things within the next two weeks. Yep. Two weeks. I'm moving. More on that later. I even stayed out till 2 am Monday night, even though I clearly had to work the next. I have to get it all in before I leave, even if it means a minimal amount of sleep. The two pots of coffee I made the next day were not even enough to get me through the day, but we shall see how that pans out in actuality. We went out to celebrate my friend's 21st birthday. Jon and I were planning to leave by 12:30. Clearly, that didn't happen.

Here are Jon, Zach (birthday boy), Melissa and I. Courtesy of Jon and his amazingly long arms. You know there's no way we would have all fit in that photo otherwise.

Jon, Melissa, and I finally peaced out around 1:30am and left Zach with Renn and his own drunk devices. I didn't hear from Zach until well into the afternoon.

Onto more pressing matters! Like how I'm peacing out of New York. It was a pretty agonizing decision, which I probably waffled over for a good month and I'm still slightly unsure of it. I think it's what I need to do, but there are definitely pros and cons. I came to realize that though I love the big city, and the glamour, and the excitement that comes with it. I'm not entirely happy. I miss my family, who have always been a crazy large part of my life (not just because I lived with them). We have all always had a great relationship, and I count them as some of my closest friends, not just relatives. All in all, I have had a change of priorities. Although Fashion and Photography are pretty much my two and only true loves, they aren't worth it if I don't have a support network around me and people I enjoy spending time with.

My brother told me he was glad I was coming home. He was sad I was leaving NYC, as he knows how long I've dreamt about it, but super excited for us all to be able to get together again.

I'm hoping that a few of the job leads I've found will pan out (I'm really hoping one in particular will) and I'm not moving to NC only to be jobless for forever. I don't want to be one of those people living in my parent's basement all through their 20's. Although, my parent's do not have a basement, so I'm good on that front. But you get the idea.

If you have job leads, feel free to send them my way.

On a side side note. I think NYC has distorted my sense of what is an acceptable amount of money to pay for an article of clothing.