Virgin New Yorker
I remember moving in, the sweltering heat of June attacking my parents and I as we were carrying furniture up the steep steps of my apartment. I remember the few days prior, I came to see it, and decided at that moment, yolo, why not? What have I got to lose?
There was nothing more exciting for a twenty-two year old girl to have had a full time job and have the ability to move to Brooklyn, immediately after graduating college. Although I was only moving from a state over, I thought, It was my time, I could move to a new place and really experiment and explore. Cheers to my first year in Brooklyn.
But, as soon as I got here, I had hundreds of questions spinning around my mind. How do I make friends? Why are there no 7-11s around here? How the fuck does the subway work? Why isn’t my life working out like it did for every single girl that moves in NYC in every single movie?
At first I was nervous, I did not know anyone, I was always traveling to Jersey City to visit my ex-boyfriend, which kind of took away some time from my exploring. Once the relationship had ended, I felt a shift in my life. I realized I couldn’t not explore and spend time in a place I just moved to, let alone Brooklyn. I started to do a lot on my own, wandering around, checking out every flea market, sitting countless hours listening to music and smoking in the park, reading, visiting museums, everything and anything I could find, I did. The second I was off the clock at work, I was meddling in something, either I was at the Brooklyn Museum, at the MoMA, picnicking in Central Park, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, perusing random bookstores, walking the streets of Williamsburg, and more, there was never a dull day in my life last summer.
I learned a lot, not just about the city, but about myself too. Navigating public transportation, gotta walk fast or you will get nasty looks from people, if you run for the subway sometimes people will try to hold the door open for you, not having in-unit laundry SUCKS, people will always lay on their horns for no reason and will continue doing so, bicyclists will never have any chill, all stores open around 11AM and later and close at 8PM (so frustrating). The list can go on and on, and I am sure the longer I live here, the longer it will grow. With New York, there’s never a day you don’t learn something new. I wish I could sum up my experiences here, or tell you every single little thing that has happened to me since moving here, because man, do I have some funky stories. But, I think that’s what makes New York the best. It is unique to every individual. The things you see, do, experience, will always mean something to you, and something different to the next person. I did not think I would be able to handle moving somewhere new with no familiar faces. But I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life. It truly feels so cool to be able to say I live in NY, I live in a place that allows creative freedom and expression, a place where you can find anything and everything.
Moving is hard. Meeting new people? Even harder. No one talks about how difficult it is to find people who share the same interests as you and are people you relate to. I think the strangest transition for me has been living in a sorority house with 40 girls, comfortably knowing all of them, to a room I found for fun, along with two random roommates. Maybe it was not the most rational and practical approach, but it was definitely one for the making. Learning to deal with being so far from college friends was also a difficult challenge, they were no longer two doors down from me, but miles and miles apart. I was used to constantly being surrounded by friends and support, it was weird to move somewhere and not have the comfortability of having my best friend living with me. That just means new adventures and new people! Joining clubs and attending events really allows for you to do something you enjoy while being surrounded by people who share common interests and ideas. It might seem impossible as an adult to meet new people, but if I can do it, so can you. It’s really not as scary as it seems. Although, I have to say when I went out a few times to meet new people, a girl was quaking in her boots.
Public transportation is the best and worst invention ever. There is nothing better than blasting tunes through your headphones, high, walking up to the subway platform as the train pulls up, and enjoying a ride. But, the G being shut every other weekend for repairs and the trains always being excruciatingly delayed, makes me hate it just as much. I guess that just comes with being a New Yorker, right? Does anyone get used to the sweltering heat in the subway? Do we all sweat an insane amount down there? Or is it just me? I feel like a little noob, always with my phone in hand trying to read the signs to make sure I am walking the right direction, and usually still end up getting lost in the underground maze.
Moving to New York is a dream, one of the wild ones, like the ones with people you haven’t thought of in a while in a weird scenario with no context. But, I wouldn’t trade living here for the world. Having the ability to be surrounded by all of the art, the culture, and the creativity is inspiring. It is loving. It is incredible. To see so many people move to the beat of their own drum, to follow their dreams. I am able to take the E into Manhattan to get to the MoMA, I can take the G all the way down to BAM and catch a really neat movie, and the F to Coney Island. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Brooklyn, and I hope that soon enough Brooklyn will love me back.
