Day 14 (8/28/2016)

On weekends…. we go on adventures, city style.

This morning Emily and I got up and had some homemade Bisquick pancakes. Personally I topped mine with peanut butter and syrup because Breonna and Brandon told me that’s the best way to eat waffles and thus pancakes. We took some time getting ready, because this is New York we’re talking about, then hit he subway. Our first stop was China Town because I wanted to go there and Emily wanted to pick up some food items there.

We found rice paper so we can now make spring rolls. We also found rice balls which are… interesting. The outside is covered with sesame seeds and the inside is a sweet rice goo stuffed with a different chocolaty goo. It was delicious, but too much to finish. We stopped into a few markets to look at the different food options. They had a lot of tea and candies that we just had to pick up. The tea is supposed to help with digestion and be metabolism boosting. Now, I’m not really into weight loss gimmicks because they’re either unhealthy or a waste of money, but the tea is delicious! And if it helps me not get stomach aches, then it’s a double win in my book.

After we saw different paintings in China Town we decided to head for Wall Street. Again, we hit the subway and were on our way. When I visited New York in 8^th grade the #1 thing that stuck with me was the lighting. When Emily and I got off the subway in China Ton the sun was high and the temperature was hot. But when we got off the subway on Wall Street the sun was hidden and the temperature was cool. Now, this isn’t the case everywhere because different blocks have wider streets in between than others, but on Wall Street (at least where we were) the street is a one lane one way; meaning that the buildings are even closer together thus allowing less space for the sun to get through. I know it’s a minute detail but it always hits me.

Because I am obsessed with the water, Emily and I walked along the Hudson. I had such an urge to jump in because I haven’t gone swimming in over two weeks which is a long time for me, being that I used to swim 2-4 times a week. I miss being able to explore nature. I remember when my parents used to show me views of nature and I would scoff at their simple desires (God, I was irritating), but once I started hiking and swimming I because much more amazed with nature. Hiking at Silver Falls and Cascade Head, swimming in Falls City and Foster Lake, playing in Pacific City or Lincoln City. These are all things I miss. But they’re all things I can visit and do again in my life. I hope that I continue to find places to hike and swim even as I get older.

Anyways, Emily and I were walking along the Hudson and spotted the Brooklyn bridge, not that it’s hard to miss. We decided to walk across it from Manhattan to Brooklyn! Now… we knew the bridge was long but we didn’t realize how far away the beginning of the bridge was. We took a wrong turn, had to turn around, but were eventually on our way. The cool this is, right next to the Brooklyn bridge is Pace University, which is a school that I have been looking into.

Once we got to the bridge there were so many people. Not just people, but tourists. Now, I know that I was a tourist at one point and I’m hardly a New Yorker but tourists walk so slow. The take a million pictures of everything and they don’t watch what they’re doing. I understand that they most likely don’t go to New York often so they want to soak it up, whereas I live here and can always go back to the bridge and visit, but it’s still irritating.

We had been walking a lot more than we had realized and it’s not like we were in running shoes, I was wearing boots and Emily was wearing flats so we were a little over this whole ‘walking’ thing. Once we got across the bridge most people turned back to cross once again and go back into Manhattan. We stumbled across a deli that had burritos, subs, quesadillas, pasta salads, and a store. I had a cold cut ham sandwich with some diet peach tea. It was the best meal of my life solely because I was starving when I ate it. Once we go a little energy back we hopped on the J line then transferred to the M line and headed home. We went our separate ways, Emily got groceries and I called my parents. I like being able to talk to mom and pops about each new thought I have every day. Whereas my dad and I talk about twice a week so when he and I talk I’m far less scatter brained.

I’ve decided that if I can get 2 part-time jobs or a full time job that pays well enough, then I’m going to stay in New York to finish out my last 3 years of school at an actual university, starting next fall. I want to explore the business world here before I make any life changing decisions, and college is a great way to do that. There are also a lot of abroad programs and summer internships in other countries. I realize that this is more than a year away but it’s nice to know that I have options.

I was very intimidated and out of my element when I first moved here, as anyone would be moving to an unfamiliar city. It’s nice to know that the confidence I feel today will only get stronger as time goes on.