Monday, August 31, 2009

A love note...

I just want to say that I had an amazing weekend. I saw some great people, had a lot of fun, got a new purse which I desperately needed (as much fun as it is coming up with a handful of threads everytime I grab something from my current purse...) and fell in love with the Met.

I absolutely love living somewhere that has amazing museums that have suggested admission fees. This means that I give whatever change is in my pocket as my admission fee. When I went to the Museum of Natural History it was $2.50. A steal compared with the $16 they ask for. My grandparents were in town today so they paid my entry to the Met but I am definitely going back first chance I get. I'm not even that heavy into art and I adored it.

Art's cool - don't get me wrong. We're pals, I'm just not one of those people that needs 18 hours in one room with it. I admire it from afar and pretend like I know what I'm talking about (I honestly know zilch about art but it's pretty so I like it.) I want to know more about it and get a bit more exposure to it so living here is awesome for that. The Met is one of the cooler art museums I have been to - and I have been to a fucking lot of them. My favorites are still the Louvre (duh) and the Reina Sofia (Madrid - Guernica is one of the coolest fucking things I've ever seen), but the Met is up there. I can't wait to make it to MOMA and the Guggenheim. Oh and hopefully a couple others of the 572 art museums here.

I think NYC and I might be soul mates.

Too soon?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

A mess to be made...

I am totally a mess today. I woke up tired and with zero will to get out of bed. I am sore from restarting my yoga efforts. (the yoga feels amazing - the aftermath a little less so) I am totally PMSing (TMI I know but deal with it) and I have a date tonight that I am just so not in the mood for.

While I'm sort of proud of myself for actually going on a date - I'm realizing that I have serious issues with dating. I have limited dating experience but generally speaking I hate it. It's so awkward and I hate dealing with expectations and all the bullshit that goes into getting to know someone new. I feel very strange getting to know someone with the intention of either having a sexual or long term relationship with them. (Because really isn't it always about one or the other? Or both?) The fact that I'm sort of a prude and don't really think I want a long term relationship at the moment make dating seem sort of fruitless and pointless. However I am hesitant to shut myself off completely - it's not like I don't need the practice...

Date one is usually OK (at least when I don't immediately realize that I totally don't enjoy the other person's company). Date two is typically good actually but then date three I enter into what the fuck am I doing panic mode. I haven't made it past date three yet. Tonight is date two (but third time seeing each other) and I'm totally dreading it. I'm in a very cranky, undatelike mood. Yay.... (I will be single forever)

In other news- still loving NYC. Love the city and my job and pretty much everything I've experienced. It's way less intense for me than Shanghai but so much more engaging and exciting than Jacksonville. I have no idea how long I will stay here but so far I like it a lot. I can't shake the feeling of wanting to go back overseas... but as far as the US is concerned NYC is at the top of my list for places I could see myself actually living long term. Naturally, this may be in large part because I haven't spent much time in large cities in the US, but I would like to ignore this fact for now.

Grad school is something I'm starting to think more and more about as I realize that I miss going to classes and learning things. I'm also learning more about which field I might possibly want to enter into which is inspiring. I'm becoming a bit more focused in my pursuits but am still nervous about trying to break back into school and the whole application/rejection process. I should have taken the GRE when I was in undergrad... here's hoping I'm smarter when I take it than I was back then.

I think that's more than enough personal information for one day. G'night y'all.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Pennies, Pennies Everywhere

Today marks the close of my second full week in New York City. I'm totally still alive. Good news all around.

In all seriousness though... I really like it so far. Sometimes I am still a bit overwhelmed as I always am in a new city. I struggle to find my way around and find decent places to shop, grab a bite to eat or set up my picnic lunch. Other than the normal getting to know you pains that accompany any move - things are going pretty smoothly so far. I have a place to live, a job, friends, some money and an interest in my surroundings. There hasn't been a whole lot that I don't like yet - though I am sure that I will discover more of that as time goes on. I even like my local laundromat. (and it's lots cheaper than any laundromat in FL - crazy right?)

You might be wondering - why the title? Well a very strange pattern has emerged during my time here. I have found at least one penny every day I have been here. I have picked up about 20 cents in the past two weeks. This totally fascinates me for some reason. I just don't understand why there are so many pennies around. Are New Yorkers just so rich that they overlook all the money on the ground? Is it beneath them to stop and pick up the pennies? Or am I just totally underestimating the nastiness of the NYC streets by touching something that has been on the ground for God only knows how long?

Whatever the reason for the pennies I will continue to pick them up. Hasn't anyone ever heard of that saying? "See a penny, pick it up - all day long you'll have good luck." Maybe the pennies have been fueling my good times so far. I wonder how long I'll continue to find pennies on a regular basis... Maybe I should look up more often?

Nah.