Coming to you LIVE from a semi-comfy lot of grass in Central Park.
It’s been a little
over one week since I packed up my clothes and fled to the Big Apple for summer (hopefully longer). And it took me a little over 12 hours to absolutely
fall in love with this city. Since stepping out of the train station and
calling a bright yellow cab to take me to “the Upper East Side, please,” tummy
butterflies and jitters were no longer a thing. I’m where I need to be at this
moment. I’m a city girl now.
So far, my time in the
concrete jungle of dreams has been nothing less than exciting. Each day consists
of a new adventure. Heck, even taking my laundry out to get washed is crazy for
this Virginia girl. If you’re trying to picture me waddling with my bag of
clothes down the street, I assure you it’s as funny as you’re imagining. Who
would’ve thought that was a thing? Which brings me to today’s quick topic:
5 Things I’ve learned since moving to NYC
1. Grocery trips. Similar to getting your
clothes cleaned, grocery trips are a hoot. Repeat after me:
you don’t have a
car. Walking is all the rage in this town (another reason why I love it — fit
& fab, amirite?). In other words, you’ll trudge back home with multiple
bags. This thought didn’t occur to me on my first round of shopping. Luckily, my
tiny apartment is located near about three grocery stores and I’m blessed with
extremely long arms. Challenge accepted.
2. Running. NYC has a great running community.
On my second morning here, I set out to find a
trail in the park. I had heard
(well, found on Pinterest) that there was a loop run around a reservoir and was
on the prowl. The route was perfect. New York beautifully towered over me the
entire run. Annnd here comes the running dweeb in me: I was beaming the entire
run. Sometimes, I even had chills. Once I learn more runs in the area, I’ll be
sure to throw a post together for my fellow exercise enthusiasts looking to travel
to NYC.
3. New
Yorkers. They’re actually some of the best people. Everyone I’ve met thus
far has been
so so helpful and sweet to me. Sure, there’s a few birds that get
flipped at cabs or an occasional sassy passerby, but I actually love these
no-nonsense personalities. It’s entertaining, nonetheless. New Yorkers rock.
4. Endless
options. Endless is an understatement, especially when it comes to places
to eat. During
the commute to my internship, I try to take note of some cute restaurants
or cafes I pass. I end up forgetting them by the next block. There’s just so
much! We’re not in Chesterfield anymore boys and girls. Hoping to establish
some favorite go-to spots here soon. Right now, it’s whatever I happen to
stumble upon. Stay tuned.
5. Never
bored. This is the best part about NYC. Whether you’re out for a run,
trying a new bar, grabbing coffee and laying out in the park, shopping or even
just people watching, you’re truly never bored. If you want to do something,
you can in the city that never sleeps. That sounded like an advertisement. There’s a variety of parks and sections in the
city (Little Italy, SoHo, Chelsea, etc.), each offering unique vibes and fun
activities you never would’ve thought existed. There’s just so dang much to explore!
New York, you’ve
amazed me already — you might even have my heart. Excited to see what’s in-store and share with y’all my experiences! Now, time to find dinner…
Follow me on Instagram or Snapchat (@carofineb) to watch the adventures first hand.
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