April 4, 2009

(Yep, I'm blogging twice today. Just because.)

The day I moved to NYC! :)

I'd been going back and forth with the decision since my first visit to NYC in January. That visit was an eye opener about what life could be like in NYC and things were never the same after I went back to Florida. I wanted to move to New York, but was scared for a million reasons. February through April was the most difficult and intense three months of my life. Many things were going on and, for a while, I lost myself while trying to sort through them.

After lots of debating, conversations with people I trusted to help me with the decision and thinking about where I wanted my life to go, I moved.

And I haven't had a second of regret.

Not one! For me, it was never about moving to this big city to party non-stop and have fun. It was about starting my life and having the best possible shot at moving forward both personally and professionally. The perfect opportunity was offered and if I hadn't taken it, I would have regretted it--as dramatic and soap opera like as it sounds--for the rest of my life. True.

I've been here for three weeks and I've learned a lot. Some of the most important things?

* Being scared is okay. Letting fear stop me isn't.
* Food in NYC can be delivered at all hours. To the front door. And I've loved all of it.
* Life can't be all about work 24/7.
* Shopping trips in the middle of the work day are sometimes necessary.
* I can't survive without good friends.
* I didn't die when I tried sushi.
* There are two people that I can talk to about anything. Who's the lucky one?
* I will not end up in Coney Island instead of Manhattan when I get on the subway.
* Cars will not always stop even if I have a walk-signal.
* Veronica Mars is only the most awesome show ever.

And, the most important one:

* Family is what you make it.

That's key.

I've rewritten this post a dozen times and am glad to finally blog about it. It's another step forward and that feels great. NYC is a fresh start for me and I get more excited every day that I'm here.

Saying "thank you" to T and HC for all of the above is lame. It's beyond a thank you at this point. I'm a writer and I don't even know what to say here. Just <333s.

:)

OH! I can't forget about the sparkly, fun stuff...

I can't talk about NYC without bringing up two awesome places that I've been recently. Stir and Southern Hospitality. I went to Stir on Friday night with friends and we had so much fun. The music was perfect for dancing and having fun. The place had such a great atmosphere with a DJ, awesome lighting and the best drinks. Ever. So good. The glasses were rimmed with pixie sticks or crush Jolly Ranchers. Amazing. We're going back this Friday with another friend who happens to take dance classes (like hip hop), so I'll probably try to get her to teach me a few new moves.

I went to Southern Hospitality a couple of weeks ago and loved it. The cool part? It's co-owned by JT. Yes, Justin Timberlake. I looked around the entire time just in case JT decided to show up. It could happen. The food was fab and I adored their mac and cheese. Yum. Plus, their drinks are also super fun and so good. The vibe of the restaurant was great--perfect for a weekday night out after one of those days at work.

Okay, that was my break from BEST ENEMIES. Back to it!