January 2013

“i’m moving to new york city.”

“yes, really.”

sometimes in life, you just do things because you know you have to. because it’s in the core of who you are, because when you were 18 and you watched the devil wears prada for the first time, you knew that you belonged there, and the only thing holding you back was time… and money… and graduating from college.

then suddenly it’s six years later.

since i moved to new york six months ago (with a pit-stop to puerto rico for a wedding), i’ve learned so much about my priorities and what i appreciate in life, as well as what i’ve taken for granted. it might seem silly to some of you reading, who have been on your own for a long time, but for me, all of this was new. some things have changed, and some haven’t. i have weekly phone dates with my parents. we talk about my work, my lovely boyfriend, and i ask questions regarding “grown up things” like, “hey mom, what’s a normal price for chicken breast and toilet paper?” of course, everything in new york city is more expensive, so all my comparisons have to be mathematically figured out to the cent or dollar to figure out what “cheap” is for me. luckily, clothes are the same price everywhere! (meaning las vegas and new york). one plus to buying clothes in new york is that if your subtotal is under $110, you don’t pay the sales tax. you know what that means? if you’re buying two dresses at $100 each, you should do two separate transactions and save yourself the $8.75 on each dress and go buy yourself that chicken breast for dinner.

the days definitely go by faster, so i’ve learned to plan my life by day and time much more than i used to. when public transportation is the majority and not the minority, you’re not living on your own time anymore, and you can’t leave for work when you please. nobody wants to walk 3 blocks in the rain and then wait for the train if they can help it, right? i’m living in a city with 8 million other people who have to catch the train for work too. so, keeping this in mind, you learn to walk fast, buy a watch or two, and start a collection of rainboots and umbrellas. everyone has to be somewhere, some people can be sidewalk hogs and walk in a horizontal line while your running for the bus, and some people will just stop right in the middle of the sidewalk and ruin the flow of traffic.

perspective. sacrifice.

i used to have a car, i used to have space. i used to have updated appliances and a garbage disposal in my parents house. i used to have washer and dryer two feet from my bedroom. i used to have a door that separated my room from the rest of my house. i used to have extra money. i used to have room for furniture. i used to live in the same city as my family and my best friends, and the best co-workers.

perspective. sacrifice.

i often tell myself “you didn’t move to new york city to stay inside.” i may not have a lot of space and all of the amenities that most of america has in their homes, but i live in the heart of one of the most amazing cities in the world and that makes all of my “problems” worth being here.

my job is absolutely wonderful. working on 5th avenue is like a dream for anyone who takes retail seriously. i’ve personally helped susan sarandon, and have made eye contact with katie holmes (i know, woop-dee-doo), and spotted sharon osbourne in soho. in new york, you just never know what or who you’ll see, and that’s part of the fun of living here and working here. i have a great relationship with my boss, and my boss’s boss, and this year things are going to happen for me. when i first moved, i had a rough time at work and was under a lot of pressure and a lot of stress, but after a couple of conversations with the right people, things have improved immensely, and the hard work is starting to pay off.

the holidays were interesting too. my first thanksgiving and christmas away from home were more bitter than sweet, but there were still some sweet parts too, like this:

for the most part, living in new york city has been everything i expected it to be, especially the being broke part, but all of the struggling that comes along with living here is worth it. there is so much to see and do, and so much opportunity that everything kind of balances out in the end.

and don’t get me wrong when i say “struggling” and “broke”…. i can still shop and go out to eat once in awhile.

sometimes i wake up and look outside my window, which looks like this by the way:

and i think to myself, “omg i live in new york city. who does that?!”
it’s kind of fun and it makes me feel adventurous. like, i actually said “i’m moving to new york city” and i just did it and that was it. and here i am. my brother and sister-in-law recently came to visit during their vacation, and i asked my brother what he thought of nyc, and he said it really is like the movies, and it’s so true. everything is so beautiful.

for a quick recap of my first six months in nyc, take a look at the pictures below.

enjoy. xo.

the brooklyn bridge.