I ARRIVED IN NEW YORK CITY...

My day started out at 4:30am and my sister and her husband took me to the airport. It was a great flight because it usually takes 6 hrs to get to NY and it only took the pilot 4 and a half hours to make it!!! Smooth flight!!!!

Next, I went to the baggage claim to pick up my 5 bags! That's right my entire life fit into 5 bags. But let me tell you those 5 bags are impossible to carry on your own! But I did manage to carry them and set up some type of system to get to the subway to meet my roommate Kelly. It was great because the airport had elevators, so I did not have to lug all the bags up stairs by myself.

I was also very surprised because everyone was so incredibly nice when I got to NY. For example, I was walking with my mound of bags and my wallet fell on the ground. I was stopping to pick it up and a man said don't worry about it I got it for you! He handed me my wallet and proceeded to ask me if I needed help with my bags. I kindly told him thanks but I was meeting my roommate who would assist me with my luggage. He said no problem have a great day. That was the first incident. The second came when I exited the airtrain (which takes you to other terminals in the airport and to the subway) and a man directed me in the wrong way. I paid a $5 fee to get to the wrong place. As I sat on a bench and was contemplating I realized (only because I have been to NY before) that the man told me to go to the wrong place. I wasn't sure which route to go so I asked a female police officer, named Glory, next to me who was text messaging someone. I clarified with her to make sure my thoughts were accurate and she confirmed that I was in the wrong place.

Glory had a heavy NY accent and piercing light eyes. She asked me if it was my first time in NY and I told her no, that I have been here many times but this is the first time I moved to NY. I told her my story. I told her how I left my job, sold my truck, packed up my stuff and moved. She told me that inspired her. Then, she said come on I will help with with your bags. I said well I need to refill my subway card because I already paid the $5 to be in the wrong place (which depleted the funds I had on the card from my last trip to NY in December), she said don't worry about it you're with me and I will get you in free on charge. She helped with with my bags, got me through the line for free and escorted me to a subway bench were Kelly wanted me to meet her. I thanked her and she asked where I was moving exactly. I told her I was moving to Brooklyn on Lafayette and Nostrand. She got really bubbly and excited and told me she lives on Lafayette. She said she has lived there her whole life. She gave me pointers the "do's" and "don'ts" if you will. We then bid each other adieu and she said she would see me around sometime.

I waited on the bench by the subway for maybe 5 mins and then my roommate Kelly showed up! She is such a gem! She helped me with bags and we chatted the entire subway ride home. The worse part was that at the subways there are rarely elevators so we had to carry all the bags up about 7 flights of stairs total (thats in the subway and to the apt). We took many breaks because we were exhausted, then a gentleman came up to us (this is the thiid incident) and asked us if we needed help. He said he would carry our bags up all the remaining stairs for us. So he did! He said he understood because he did the same thing about 2 weeks ago and wished someone would of helped him. We were at the end of the subway so he carried our bags right to the door of the apt. He bid us adieu and said good luck. We thanked him for his help and walked into the entry door of the apt.

So the way the apt works is there is an initial entry door, a second door and then flights of stairs up to the apt door. There are 3 keys. One for the entry door, one for the second security door, then one for the apt. Kelly had my keys ready for me. We finally hauled all the bags up two more flights of stairs to the apt and I made it to my room!!! Kelly had my bed waiting with fresh sheets on the for me. I settled in and was unpacking while Kelly and I chatted away about life. Then, I met my other two roommates Jo and Stacy. They both are in Americorps and working for the Red Cross while Kelly is in the graduate school I am applying to, Hunter College. Great dynamic between all of us. We all got ready together last night and were chatting away while getting to know each other. It's great, all 4 of us interact as if we have known each other for awhile. I am totally blessed with my living situation. We all went our separate ways last night for Valentines Day. I went to dinner with my good friend Sam, Kelly went to a show, and Jo and Stacy went to hang with some of their friends. My day ended at 2:30am.

All in all it was a fantastic and exhilarating first day in New York....I love it here.