groovin'

It has been a crazy/awesome few days since the last time I wrote. So many things have happened in such a short time! After we took the ferryboat on Friday night, we realized all of a sudden the extensiveness of our to-do list and the short amount of time we have left. The same thing happened in London last summer—all of a sudden you realize that the city still holds so many, many adventures and you want to cram as much in that short time as possible!

We dedicated Saturday to exploring different neighborhoods—shopping at eclectic markets in Greenwhich Village, Chelsea, and Williamsburg—and got tickets to see Mary Poppins that night. It wasn’t our first choice for a show that night but it turned out to be so much fun recalling the songs we listened to and loved as children. The following day was the perfect day to hit the beach, and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather. I took the train to Long Beach and joined hundreds of New Yorkers in the mass exodus from the city. A fortuitous accident landed me in between two jetties that marked the surfing section, and some kind surfer boys offered to teach me their skills! It took a couple of tries, but once I got the hang of it (no pun intended) it was such a rush! Maybe next summer I’ll wander to California and make surfing a full time occupation. Kidding, dad. Nisreen and I polished off the day with a trip to Serendipity—the hour wait was made well worth it by the Broadway Sundae—a must for anyone who visits the city.

Work wise, things couldn't be going better. I feel as if I have found my groove both in the city and in the industry. My event Monday was at the New York Times; the speaker was Soledad O’Brian, a reporter for CNN. I knew I wouldn’t regret watching all that Hurricane Katrina Coverage back in the day—I was so glad to recognize her from her work! Before the event, we bonded over our weird names (she told me of a network that only hires people with obscure names like ours), Catholic churches in the city, and a mutual affinity for New Orleans. She was one of the most positive, inspiring, genuinely funny people I have ever met and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of her company.

For a while today, I was the only person in the office. I was definitely on a power trip as I unlocked the doors with the keys bestowed upon me last week. Maybe it was the feeling of independence that came with opening the office or maybe it was the particularly potent Starbucks from my walk over, but something had me thinking. As I settled down to get to work for the day, I began to mull over the questions that have been forming in my mind: could I possibly see myself in this city after all? Where would I even start? I have become more and more enamored of the city with each passing day, and am beginning to see my own place within.

Tonight I had the absolute best delight in the whole world—there is nothing so wonderful as reuniting with a best friend! Courtney is in the city for the week, so tonight we took the ferry to see the most spectacular view of the city. We drank in the city lights and were almost too engrossed in catching up to hear voices behind us and the words “War Eagle” and “Roll Tide.” If I wasn't feeling at home all ready, I sure was when--to our great amusement--we discovered that our companions too were from the great city of Mobile, Alabama! We exchanged New York stories and places to go and were all so excited to meet each other in the big city. Turns out the world isn’t quite as big as it seems!

Courtney and me with our new friends at the Staten Island station