“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.”
Brief overview of my first day in the Capital of the World: Woke up way too early without an alarm. Paid way too much for breakfast because I couldn't find the dining hall. Took the wrong subway, which carried me in the exact opposite direction than I was supposed to go in. Miraculously made it to work on time. Ate lunch on our company patio that overlooks Times Square. Got settled in my office and made some friends. Watched an exclusive screening of the new Ninja Turtles movie. Walked two miles home, straight down Broadway. Loved the walk so much that I kept going and discovered Washington Square Park, where I discovered this lovely quote on the ground.
New York isn't a very easy place to be. My feet have blisters and my regular at Starbucks costs $8 here. I'm subway stupid. Also, I tried to go into a CVS but I couldn't find the door. (Y'all, I literally walked the entire perimeter of the store. The whole block. This is not a joke. There was not an entrance and I am still so flustered.) But as trivial as my first day was, I can't remember a better day that I've had in quite a while. Today was an adventure and I loved every second of it. New York has this weird kind of magic about it, and as I was walking through Washington Square Park this evening, I found myself thinking about how I can't wait to go again tomorrow. I can't wait to wake up and see what happens next. Finding this quote in the park was the perfect ending to my perfectly unperfect first day. My abilities might not be 100% up to the NYC challenge just yet, but I choose to see the best in it. I choose to get better and try again tomorrow, and hopefully take one less "L" in round two than I did in round one.