A newbie mishap = A beautiful day

I’d like to think our accidental adventure of today happens to all New York newbies, but perhaps it’s only because I’m slightly crazy, and we tend to get so wrapped up in our adventures (and each other, to be honest) that we don’t always pay attention. Either option (and I’d prefer not to know which one you think fits us) provided a day of fascinating views, peace-filled moments, and sacred laughs.

Note to self: In a city full of bridges, the first bridge you see upon exiting the subway is not always the bridge you've gone in search of.

Because a sunny, mid-fifties New York kind of day is not something to be wasted indoors, we decided to trek across the Brooklyn Bridge and soak up the splendor. A first time for both Brooklyn and its bridge, we decided to hop on the F Train, surface in Brooklyn, and walk back across to Manhattan. It would seem reasonable, in most cities, to head towards the end of the bridge easily seen from the subway exit, so without checking google map again, (my holy book since moving to the city) two city blocks, and across the bridge we go. But then again this is no ordinary city...

It was beautiful from the word go. It rose quickly above the streets and away we went across the East River. The massive beams and cables, The Statue of Liberty in the distance, the seemingly tiny people standing around Jane’s Carousel on the shore, and the “other” bridge west of where we stood. We even commented on the people walking on the bridge and added it to our mental checklist of things to do on sunny days. It was a spectacular walk and the structure of the tallest beams on the bridge reminded us of the Eiffel Tower and our trip to Paris.

Afterwards, as I stood in line for the restroom at a small café in Little Italy, something slowly dawned on me…….wait a minute; isn’t the Brooklyn Bridge stone? In a flash, images came back to me and it hit me; that “other” bridge was the Brooklyn Bridge! Like a mad woman laughing to myself, I texted M, while she waited for our cappuccinos: I think we were just on the Manhattan Bridge! Yes, folks we had indeed had a marvelous adventure, and the view was more than spectacular, but these awe inspiring moments rightfully belong to the Manhattan Bridge not the Brooklyn Bridge!

Such is the life of a newbie in the city. Not only do we have a wonderful day in our memories, we now have a story to go with it! After a walk through Chinatown, we headed home to our tiny space with hearts full of laughter and smiles. Our day turned out perfectly beautiful, and it just proves again that some of the most wonderful things happen accidentally along the way.

Some Observations Thus Far

Don’t misjudge the depth of a snow-melting-puddle. Like life in general, some things aren't always how they appear. And as in life, you’ll sometimes find this out by stepping in boldly only to be met with that cold, soggy feeling of instant wet socks. The walk home will feel a bit longer, but the lesson will stay with you. We live, we learn, and in my case, we go home and change our socks.

You are often met with the same attitude you portray. During our semester in France, and in spite of the stereotype of those rude French, we were met with exactly one stereotypical rude being; as it turns out, he was from San Francisco! So there. New Yorkers, as with many other human sentient beings on this planet, most often respond accordingly to the way in which they are approached. Encountering others in a genuine, patient, and kind manner will do wonders for your personal adventures in human interactions. Try it and see. 

A huge space with an excessive amount of things is not needed for contentment. Of course we all know this, but these last few weeks have been a good reminder to me. With most of our things still in storage at the farm, (thank you mom and pop!) and with the realization that many of these things in storage are out-of-the-question-too-large for our new little flat, (as one customer calls it) we've been again reminded that life is about love, relationships, and moments. Full stop. Bare walls echo our laughter, and we are reminded of our peace, contentment, and gratitude.

If the beautiful snow ever ceases and decides to melt we will be out exploring more. (We've had one of the snowiest winters on record thus far!) For now, a lot of work, a lot of résumés, and a lot of settling into our new routines. My brilliant wife has her hands full with school and honors program. Tonight we are celebrating our birthdays with the Uncles over pool, beers, burgers, and laughter by all. Oh, and did I happen to mention that we are loving our new life here? Peace.

City reflections

Two newbies in the midst of so many. The journey is breathtaking. The diversity here is everything we'd hoped it would be. We both smile knowingly at each other as we quietly count the different languages surrounding us on the subway. Our last ride? Six. Six beautiful languages filling the subway like sweet music. So good for our souls. I am constantly reminded of and moved by Emma Lazarus' New Colossus:

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles...

yeah, I'm a nerd. So sue me.

We are settling in to our little corner of the world quite nicely; we cannot wait to put our own personality to work in decorating it. When I say little corner, I mean it. 200 sq. ft. to be exact. We adore it. We are learning to make use of every single, tiny space available; our mantra for this year will be multi-purpose, to say the least. It is a beautiful time of re-evaluating what we have, what we [absolutely] need, and what we can [most definitely] do without. Mostly, we are simply happy and peaceful. Married life suits me; I am absolutely and utterly enjoying every minute.

New Yorkers are really just beautifully diverse and pleasant people. (Of course, I realize that positive stereotypes are just as pointless as negative ones) I cannot quite put my finger on what it is exactly, but many of them have this....way about them. Of course we've met some of the jerk-ish variety--they are everywhere--but many, many people here have this sarcastic, friendly edge about them, they love to connect with others, and they really do look out for one another. They are edgy and honest. You don't have to wonder what they are thinking--they're about to tell you. I am loving the human interaction experiences; they are priceless.

Now that we are settled and not spending every waking moment focused on finding a place, we will get to know our city a little better. Are we happy we made the move? Yep. We wish you all peace and happiness. Namaste.

Reconnections

When I was a kid, I idolized my uncle. He was the coolest. I don't know how he was the coolest, and I don't remember when he became the coolest, but there he was, larger than life in my book. I didn't see him often; once, while he was away at college, mom took me to see him in a play. He was Snoopy, and although, I honestly don't know if I remember the actual play at this point, I do remember how thrilled I was to be there. (I think it also explains a certain fascination of Charlie Brown comics!)

I didn't see him much during the rest of my growing up years. It took a while for me to realize why, but I never stopped idolizing him. In short, I learned of people's sad tendency to disregard those, even family members, who don't fit their status quo. (This particular status quo was of a southern, religious, narrow-minded sort--but that is a topic for another time) I also learned that sometimes people have to leave a place to be able to find peace and happiness.

A cool thing happened in the midst of our relocation to NY; I reconnected with this incredible soul of an uncle and made a dent in all those missed years.  On second thought, there really is no replacing those missed years, but this re-connection has been a treasured experience for me.Yep, he is still cool in my book, and I'm certainly glad to know that I was a pretty good judge of character as a kid! Better yet, he's not only cool, but wise, compassionate, intelligent, and wickedly witty. He is a great force of positive energy in my life, and I'm so grateful to have the chance to know him once again.

Our new space….

Fifty days ago, we moved to New York. It felt longer; it felt shorter. Yesterday, we moved into our new space. It is tiny, I meant to say cozy, but the only thing that I’m not sure it will hold is our gratitude…because we feel a lot of that right now.

The uncles (our moving crew) said it: this place is perfect for us. It is so close to the public transportation that it practically IS a bus stop (and almost as small cozy!) We can be to the sub in 5 minutes and then bee-line it into the city on the F train. What’s even better? We found the place without an agent which saved us a bundle; we’re on the top, back (aka: away from traffic noise) corner of a small complex with two sunrise-facing windows, a massive tree right outside, and a swell little view of distant buildings. We’re close to everything, but just far enough away that peace and quiet is here when we desire. We discovered that our neighbor talks on the phone at an unusually loud volume, but it is so much quieter than I would have ever imagined a NY studio apartment.

I’m sitting here listening to the becoming-ever-so-familiar popping/hissing/pinging of the steam heat. This strange noise makes me smile; I’m still not sure why. Perhaps it is because it seems so New York-ish. Perhaps it is because it makes me aware of the fact that we are here. Literally. Last spring, our relocation ambitions seemed so huge; I would think about the distance, figuratively, from where we were to where I could see us in the future, and the gap seemed daunting. Now here we sit, in our little corner of this fascinating, magical, inspirational, captivating city.

Fifty days ago, we moved to New York.