Learning my Way Around

In honor of learning my barrings and finding out what is around me in the city, I mostly spend my lunch break walking through the streets. This might be my favorite part of the day because I really get a chance to take in where I am and find little places that I want to try to eat or stores that I want to check out.

One thing that I have noticed and love about NYC is the stores. "O. M. G." There are not only little boutiques that carry uncommon clothes, but also brands people may have never heard of. But the regular stores like Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, and New York and Company are all HUGE. When I say huge I'm talking multiple floors people. This is a bad thing to notice because not only am I a huge shopper with a passion for clothes, shoes, accessories...basically anything that has to do with fashion, but I want to go into these stores simply because they are so big! These multi-floored giants entice my shopping sensors and make me want to look around and purchase items simply so I can say I got this in a two floor Victoria Secret, have you been there? However, I am controlling my urges not to buy. However, the big huge red "sale, 40% off" sign does not stop me from going in to see what they might have.

Also among yesterdays accomplishments, I found something that I can not wait to do. As I was crossing between Lexington and 3rd Ave at I believe 60th st (if not I will just have to find it again) I came across a place that I have always wanted to try. A little restaurant called Serendipity, I have waited my whole life to try one of their frozen cappuccinos, and I fully intend on going one afternoon and fulfilling my long awaited dream!

Quick little story about my obsession about eating at Serendipity, well for starters anytime I come into the city I try somehow to incorporate it into my plan for the day. However, it never works out that way. Anyway this one particular day I had come into the city to see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center with a group of friends. I thought it would be a brilliant idea if we went to get the famous frozen drink. Everyone was on board, but not quite down with the long walk. It was a very long hike to get to Serendipity from the tree. The whole time we were whining about the walk, saying "these frozen cappuccino better be the best ever." Long story short, we made the distance only to discover that the wait to get served was about two hours. Not wanting to wait and tired of walking, we turned around and went back to the car. That was the closest I have ever come to to having Serendipity, but now it is only a couple of streets over. I'M GOING!

On my walk back to the office I came across a little shop called Sprinkles. Sprinkles is a little cupcake shop that makes cupcakes of all sorts and flavors. The store was brightly colored with circle shapes in all decorating the window. Heck they had me at the name Sprinkles, and if I ate cupcakes I would definitely want to try them. I think I will bring them home one day for everyone to try and tell me how they are. The outside of the store seems as cute as the cupcakes looked.

Anyway, I'm still getting adjusted to city life and learning my way around, sometimes I surprise myself a little with how well I have been doing. However, I still have a lot to master. I have not learned to take my heels off at lunch while I am walking around. I am suffering the consequences from blister. I will learn eventually, I just have to get over the idea that they complete my outfit.

First Day on the Job

I recently just graduated from Roger Williams University, about two months out of graduation I have gotten a job as a receptionist for Seacor Holding on Park Ave in Manhattan. This whole experience is brand new to me and it is something that I am going to learn to master along the way. Everyday is going to teach me something new. I thought I would share the lessons on becoming a big time city girl and of course the funny day to day stories that we just have to laugh at to get through the day.

Begin my first morning commute to Manhattan, which everyone doubted/thought I would have trouble doing. It turned out to be a not so bad first commute, but getting up was actually the easy part. Last night I came into the city to do a dry run and map out my route to work using the subway with my Uncle Mike. While I was here I purchased my monthly pass for July, thinking I was ahead of the ball game I thought it started that day and went through July. Clearly this is new to me. I get on the train at 7:08 this morning, feeling good. Piece of cake, right. Got up, wore a new dress, and made it to the train on time. One would think, I was all set.

The conductor comes around and I flash my commuter pass as many people on the train do, when to my surprise the conductor response with. "That pass is for next month is starts Friday." I was only about half way through my morning coffee and not completely understanding what he was saying. The conductor put in blunt terms, "You need a ticket, got any money?" In my sheepish voice, but most loving eyes, "no I only have eight dollars." After a few moments of staring he says, "oh well give me your money. Needless to say I am very lucky that I got to stay on the train and take it for 8 bucks instead on 13. Some wonder how he would know, well it turns out each month is a specific color, and July is grey while June is red. However, there is a catch 22 to this segment of the day the only reason I had the 8 dollars was because the parking meter was broken this morning and wouldn't take my money for parking. Therefore, I left my car in a metered spot, more worried about the train than paying. We will see if my little black car is till in spot 303 when I arrive at 6:30.

The rest of my commute was fairly simple, except for a little confusion trying to get to the subway from Grand Central, I think the amount of people had me a little confused. But after a couple of turn-rounds I succeeded and stampeded to the underground subway just like everyone else. I even remember as my Uncle Mike advised me last night, "Don't open your wallet down here... What are you going to do with that wallet?" Keep it in my purse and that is exactly where it remained. Another pointer that helped this morning from my wise city informant, "Uptown, your always going uptown." So as a marched to the platform waiting for line 4,5,6, but not 7, trying to blend in, my head was racing a mile a minute singing, "Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world." It helped take the edge off.

All in all I got to work well and had 10 minutes to spare, definitely not bad for my first time commute. When I get to work everyone is so nice an so helpful that I feel right at home. Until I am told I have to run an errand by the Brooklyn Bridge. That not only meant riding the subway for 20 minutes, but walking around Centre Street trying to find the courthouse. Oh boy, was I sweating, I already felt accomplished enough for going my commute with a two stop subway ride. What if I got lost, what was I going to do. My supervisor printed me off very specific directions that gave both walking an subway guidelines. That did not make me feel any better because my sense of direction in the city is definitely not second nature yet. But I had to do it, no exceptions! I waited about 15 minutes for train 5, watching every single train 6 in Manhattan pass by every few seconds. Getting nervous that I was on the wrong platform and taking to long for work, or something I hopped on a 6, knowing it went to the Brooklyn Bridge, but hoping there were not two of them in the city.

There was a little voice in telling me 4,5,6 take you any where you have to go. I would love to tell you it was my instinct, but yet again it was my city wise informant. But I got there! I walked the streets with confidence, looked chic in my black dress, tripped about seven times, and almost ate NYC pavement twice. Why I did not take my heels off and put on my commuting shoes, I don't know. Lesson Learned.

Today went considerable well for a first time commute. I would like to say that tomorrow will get easier, but life is not like that for a Featherstone. Whatever goes wrong I will learn for next time.....Hopefully!