NYC: days 1 – 4

It feels like college in some ways. I think that’s mostly because my room reminds me a lot of my college dorm room—a long rectangle with a tall ceiling surrounded by white stone walls and a heating pipe that runs beside the window. The room is also furnished in a similar way with a bed and a simple desk and chair. This leaves a whole lot of white wall…a prospective canvas for elaborate photo projects later on.

The building in which I live is also like my college dorm…tall, brick exterior, built a while ago. There are several of these same buildings all together filled with residents (many of them young people) so it gives the feel of a community—just like living in the dorms.

Then there are the buses that idle and roar outside my window from time to time…just like when I was in college. At least there aren’t any loud hall mates shouting over video games next door.

There’s also this sense of excitement at the newness and open-endedness of my new home. Like my first few days at college, my first few days here have been a time when every new restaurant I pass or person I meet has the possibility of become a new part of my life.

New York is a massive collection of things…people, buildings, ideas…and every time I walk around town I watch and observe all the things I see. I’m in an observing/analyzing mode as I try to understand my new home and how to live here. So far I love it…I love the potential for growth, new friendships, and new discoveries. I’m also a bit intimated by everything. It’s like a big bellowing machine with grinding and steaming parts that I don’t fully understand, but I know can crush a foot or chop off a hand if I’m not careful.

Hmmm, maybe that’s too harsh…but the dirty subway is a bit scary—especially compared to the comparatively clean, high tech system found in Japan.

Anyway, I’m liking the feel of the city…the convenience of my apartment…and the gradually unfolding of life here.