The last post was written from Vietnam. This one is from Manhattan. I've made a few stops in between.
Seattle
The six weeks or so I spent in Seattle at my good friend Blake’s house were pretty darn fun. I didn’t get to do nearly as much mountaineering as I had planned to do (read: none). It’s partly due to the lingering snowpack from last winter. Despite the world getting hotter, many trailheads (Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens) were still under snow late into spring. Who knew? It’s mostly due to the fact that I was having a pretty good time hanging out with friends and family, and that I felt that it was my duty to get all of my laziness worked out before starting business school in New York. Mountaineering aside, I got out on a few fun hikes, attended numerous yoga classes and ran many laps around Green Lake. So, I did manage to stay fairly active.
San Francisco
I wrapped up my Seattle “vacation” and headed to San Francisco on July 14th for a week. And, what a fantastic week it was. It felt great to be back in town. After a few happy hours, a delicious BBQ with friends, a few great lunches and dinners at some of my favorite places, and a trip up to Sonoma for some wine, I was off to New York. While I was in San Francisco, I was continually reminded what great friends and what a great sister I have living there. San Francisco rocks, and so does New York.
New York
On July 21st, I landed. Aaron, the same great friend who picked Jessica and I up at the airport in Bangkok a few months back, moved to Tarrytown, NY while I was still off goofing around in Asia. Being the great guy that he is, he picked me up from the airport in New York, too. With my belongings stuffed into three suitcases and a laptop bag, we headed back to his place. Tarrytown is about a half hour north of Manhattan by train and a few blocks south of Sleepy Hollow. Think "Headless Horseman". Cool place.
I crashed at Aaron’s place for a few days and made trips into the city to apartment hunt. Within a few days, and after seeing several derelict apartments (think giant holes in bathtubs and chicken bones scattered about uneven, dirty floors) I found a place that looked livable. In Harlem. Well, actually 125th and Broadway. For those of you familiar with San Francisco, if the Tenderloin and the Mission had a baby, my new neighborhood would be it. As Aaron says, it’s not the end of the world, but you sure can see it from there. I had a roommate squared away through business school, so all was set.
We moved in, got partially set up, and I got an offer for student housing. Huh? Less expensive, better neighborhood, larger room, newly renovated apartment, better lease terms. Okay, it’s time to move again. After finding a replacement roommate, I was off to my new pad on 112th and Broadway. It’s only a few blocks from 125th but feels like it is miles away. My spacious room overlooks Broadway from the 6th floor, and I can see Tom’s Restaurant (from Seinfeld) and dozens of people walking around at any given hour.
Oh, and the sky.
A view of the sky is not to be taken for granted in New York. Also, surprisingly, noise isn’t much of an issue.
I’m excited to be here for the next couple of years. I’ve got one great roommate who’s also a first year b-schooler in the three bedroom place. A third 1st year b-schooler just moved in.
So that’s how I ended up where I am. But, quite a bit more has happened besides playing apartment musical chairs.
One thing worth mentioning: I started business school.
CBS is a fantastic program and my business school class is composed of nothing but amazing people. It's going to be a great couple of years. More on this later.
I hope all is well!
