Arrival into the City. Day One. Day Two.

So here we are. In the Big Apple. The city of all cities. I find myself sick with a cold and beyond tired. But what an adventure so far! Monday we got to the airport bright and early for a 9:30 flight, 1 stop in the Washington D.C. airport. Since I was already feeling sick, a took something to help me sleep and feel better. Needless to say I am sure that Jessica, Gabe and Pat heard some incoherent talking coming from me. It was awesome though because before I knew it we were already in NYC!

The International House is actually a really cool place to live. Students and interns from all over the world live here. I have liked that New York is such a colorful place. Anyways, the facilities here are great and there is a laundry mat, ballroom, basketball court, cafeteria, pub, music rooms and study rooms all in the building. I was expecting my room to be gross but it isn't at all! It was clean, bigger than I expected and had a good ceiling fan. It really feels like I am living in DT all over again!

I have a shelve just for my shoes so of course Im happy! Tuesday morning Me, Jessica, Gabe, Patty and Mike headed out to discover the city. We got a subway pass and went up to the Target in the Bronx. If there is a city with a Target I'm a happy girl! It was a big Target too. As we were leaving we stopped outside and met a nice street vendor, an Egyptian named Aladdin. He sold the yummiest Shish Kabobs, I got a chicken one with BBQ and hot sauce for only $3. It was a treat! We headed back to the I-House to put away our things. After we went out into the city to find where everyone would be working the next day. There are a few things I learned.

1. You sweat a lot. (at least I do..TMI?) But you walk fast/run everywhere. I don't mind it but by 4 o'clock I am ready to shower.
2. There are lots of stinky people.
3. The subway is really clean!!! and its not scary at all.
4. I am working on getting over my claustrophobia of crowds. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE! Esp on the subway. Also, no one talks on the subway. I noticed people looked at me funny because I kept making little noises every time i almost fell over when the subway bumped around or made fast stops.
5. People are helpful. If you ask, they will help. Also, they said not to smile at people but I have smiled at people and have found that (mostly men of course) are really responsive and polite. They give you big smiles right back. I have adopted the NY stance and avoided eye contact with creepers though.
6. You have to make a lot of money to live here. End of Story.

Here are a few pics of the city.

Today was mine and Jessica's first day of work. We got some blood work done, paper work and such and met the lady we will be working with. She was so warm and welcoming. I can tell she is very smart and I know I will learn a lot from her. We are already jumping in and working on an event. It should be la wonderful learning experience. I look forward to it.

Much love from this Diet Coke Monster. Sipping one as we speak. Cheers!