Day 1 - Where did the time go?

Preface (Fair warning: This post is LONG & Picture Heavy)

It's a little strange to be writing these first few spots after the actual days/event have taken place. I had intended to start this thing earlier. Much earlier. Unfortunately, I kind of underestimated the sheer amount of things that I would be needing to do once I got out here. These last few weeks have been pretty hectic. Fortunately, I've been able to wander around a bit and experience some of the amazing (free) things that a place like New York has to offer. But let's not get ahead of ourselves....

02/01/15 - 6:05 am?!?

I don't remember if this was ultimately Tayler's call or not, but our flight was scheduled to leave promptly at 6:05 am on 02/01/15.

It didn't of course, but it was scheduled.

These tickets were purchased initially on 12/26/14 in an effort to catch them at a decent price. "Hey, they are surprisingly cheap!" I recall thinking. The reason for this of course is because they were one-way.

"Oh, that's right, they're cheaper because we're not coming back."

"...cheaper because we're not coming back."

"...because we're not coming back."

"...we're not coming back."

Hmm..

The gravity of all of this doesn't really hit until later.

It's incredibly easy for our brains to disassociate ourselves from a situation. I knew that I had decided to go. I'm looking at the ticket right here. I know that I'm in the process of selling things and getting prepared for this trip . . . but something just never fully sank in. Pfft, it's still over a month away . . .

12/26/14 marks the moment when this whole situation went Plaid. A month turned into weeks, into days, into hours... Somehow it took ages, but no time at all.

So much happened between the purchase of the tickets and departure. My little brother got engaged(and found out that they're pregnant!), and ultimately decided to take my car off my hands. Jazzy came down for a week and I broke the news to her (which went surprisingly well). Tayler and I had a garage sale that managed to take care of our month sublet and most of our plane tickets. Tayler's brother (coincidentally also named Patrick) decided to take her car. Step by step, we were able to cross off all of the pre-flight "to-do's".

In fact all of this went relatively without a hitch. I've never experienced anything like it. It was as if the universe wanted this to happen. The cynic in me was prone to be wary of what was lying in wait around the corner, but I learned to run with it.

The days leading up to departure were a bit of a blur as we scrambled to complete the remaining tasks on our pre-flight list. We dropped my car off in Arroyo Grande, hit a couple of going away parties, and squeezed in one last round of Disc Golf with my buddy Chris.

The night before our big adventure, Tayler's parents threw us a going away party. We had a great time, but we were still finalizing our packing while we were socializing at the party. It was a back and forth effort that was a little exhausting. As fun and tiring as the evening was though, neither Tayler or myself slept more than 30mins that night. It was akin to the night before the first day of school. Excitement and anxiety were racing through us like a subway express line[ ;) ].

02/01/15 - 3:30am - The Time Has Come

We got up bright and early to ensure that we had enough time to pass through security and get situated. As neither of us had really slept, it was pretty easy to get going. Tayler's whole family came along to say their goodbyes.

The ride to the airport was pretty quiet as we all realized that the time had finally come. It was a very surreal moment for me. Even in a car on the way to the airport it didn't feel real.

LAX

Once we got to the airport drop-off, the situation became a torrent of emotion. I knew that it would be difficult, but it was harder to see in action than it was to imagine. This was a difficult moment for all of them. All I could do is watch and offer silent support while everyone said their goodbyes. I know that this entire situation was governed mostly by Tayler's dream, but as I stood there watching their tearful farewells... I couldn't help but feel a little responsible.

So tired...

After her parents left, we stood there a moment coming to the official realization that we were about to depart on our biggest adventure yet.

Teary but happy

Seeing as it was Superbowl Sunday the airport wasn't very packed. We got through security in no time, and before long we were sitting outside out gate awaiting our boarding group to be called. Being the (ex)fatty I am, I grabbed a burrito to wolf down before were called. We didn't have a chance to eat anything on the way out the door and in the event that there was an issue with the plane, no one wants to die hungry.

Once we boarded, everything changed. The anxiety had washed away leaving only a fiery core of excitement. I wasn't worried about anything. I was just ready to get started on this big adventure of ours. This is where the first hiccup in our travels started.

Love the view!

Our plane was delayed for 2 hours. 2 hours sitting on a plane is rough enough, but knowing that you still have a 5 and a half hour flight ahead of you...makes it a little more difficult. There was apparently an issue with the right engine, so I guess it is good that it was caught prior to departure. It doesn't really help your nerves on a flight knowing that there was engine trouble at the start. After a little over 2 hours, they got everything fixed and we're taking off!

Goodbye California!

The flight itself was relatively uneventful. We each got a couple of drinks, she took a nap and I watched 22 Jump Street (It was alright). There were a few instances of some light turbulence, and the view was almost completely marred by clouds for the duration of the flight. But before I knew it, we had made it across the country and were circling in for landing.

We made it!

02/01/15 - 4:35pm - The Eagle's Have Landed

Welcome to Snowy New York!

SNOW!

Since we've been here, I hear a lot of people telling us that we'll get over it. I'm sure that time will come, but until it does, the sight of snow makes me giddier than a school girl at a Bieber concert. Growing up in a hot dirt covered wasteland will do that to you. I absolutely love seeing everything covered in a fluffy white blanket.

The landing was smooth, and reclaiming our baggage was surprisingly quick and easy. We had decided before hand that traversing the Subway with 5 bags of luggage and two carry-ons was going to be a bit much, so we stepped outside and got in line for a Taxi.

It's an amazing time that we live in. Being able to instantly figure out the quickest trip between point A and point B. Even in a place you've never been before. Smartphones have become an extension of our being. I ran a quick search to our sublet and estimated our time there, but Taxi drivers are there for money. Especially tourist money. Which is why they frequent the airport to begin with. Our Taxi ride took 10-20 minutes longer than it needed to as our driver took the absolute longest, roundabout route possible. It was like a big circle. But what were we to do? Do you argue with him and tell him he's going the wrong way? Can you do that? So we sat there in silence while he slowly boned us with no lube. It turned out to be a $40 cab ride, but who cares.

We are here!

After months of deliberation, preparation, and planning, we finally made it.

We rang the bell for our sublet and our new roommate buzzed us in. We met with her briefly while she handed us our keys, gave us a (brief) tour of our room, and that was that. We dropped off our things and decided to head out into the city.

Now, as some of you already know, I've never been to New York City. Tayler has been several times. So prior to our flight out, we tried to decide on what to do on our first night in the city. We ultimately decided to keep it pretty simple.

1.) Grab ourselves a $1 New York slice. (This was at the top of my list)

2.) Visit Times Square

3.) Have a drink and celebrate our finally making it to NYC.

So that's exactly what we did.

First, we had to get ourselves our first ever MetroCard.

Whoooo!

Then we waited for my very first subway ride...

She does not look as excited as I felt in that moment...

Once our train came, we hopped on and trekked out to Times Square. Riding the Subway felt (and still kinda does) like riding a tram at Disneyland. It's certainly more packed, but it feels similar.

So many pretty lights....

Experiencing the bustling city in an area like Times Square is pretty nuts. We knew this was just about the most tourist-y thing that we could do, but we kinda felt the need to just get it out of the way. I've been through the area since this night en route to various other places, and it's always packed with tourists. While I realize that not long ago I was one of them, I already despise them. They're slow, and they're always looking up(or at a map) instead of where they're walking.

I've got places to be, people!

Despite all of this, Times Square is certainly something that you need to see. The overwhelming sight of mammoth advertisements, seizure-inducing bright blinking lights and creepy second-hand Elmo impersonators(and at times there are several. Each one creepier than the last.) is something that cannot be understood until you are in the thick of it.

We actually didn't spend much time there. I took a look around, "Oooh-ed and Ahhh-ed", then went off in search of a famous dollar slice.

There are actually quite a few places that offer that fabled slice of heaven for only a buck. We found one nearby and decided to head over. I was ecstatic once we arrived of course.

BOOM. It's like finding the Fountain of Youth(or Obesity).

Cheese slices are a buck, toppings are generally around a buck extra (What a gyp!). I went big on my first day and got a pepperoni slice, but seriously: 2 cheese slices and a can of soda for $2.75 is a great cheap lunch, and you can find deals like this all over the city.

If you're going to get a slice in New York, you have to eat it like a true New Yorker

It was greasy and crispy and delicious. It was absolutely everything that I wanted it to be and more. This may have been the first moment I started to really fall in love with this city.

After we stuffed our fat faces with deliciousness, we decided to wander the city a bit. Within a few blocks we came across a whiskey bar and decided to pop in for a drink. We had a seat at the bar and decided that the first drinks to be ordered in a bar in New York City could only be one thing...

Manhattans. Duh.

Yup. We had Manhattans in Manhattan our first night there. Whatever. Poke fun all you want, it was amazing.

We had just the one drink and decided to head back out. The drinks were expensive and we had whiskey back at the sublet, so we decided we'd wander around a bit longer and head back "home". When we got outside it was snowing!

There's weird stuff floating in the air!

This was another big first for me. Although I had been places were it had snowed. I'd never actually been in the snow before. Watching it snow really is kind of magical. It floats down so slowly and whimsically! It was kind of the perfect cap to our first night in the city.

So we took some time to walk around and enjoy the snow, hit the train back to Brooklyn and poured ourselves some congratulatory drinks. After so many days, weeks and months of feeling like it was so far off in the distance... the day had already come and gone in the blink of an eye.

Congrats on our first day in New York City!

We just finished our first day in the city.

Intro - How I got here.

Central Park - The Winter Wonderland

I just wanted to write a quick explanation as to how/why this thing got started.

On Feb 1st, I stepped onto a plane in Los Angeles, CA on a one-way flight to New York City. After a 2 hour delay, a 5 1/2 hour flight, and a cab ride (which I'm pretty sure was 25min longer than it needed to be), I was standing in front of my new apartment in Brooklyn, NY.

Prior to that day, I'd never even set foot in New York City.

I've never been very close at all in fact, except for a 5 day trip to Madison, WI. It may not be a "choice" destination, but let me tell you one thing: If you like beer (Shout out to the New Glarus Brewing Company, Spotted Cow is delicious) and you like cheese (Squeeky cheese curds are among life's greatest treasures), do yourself a favor and take a trip to Madison sometime. Even if it's just for a long weekend.

Anyway, for the last 30 years of my life I have been solely contained within' a tri-state area containing very small portions of California, Arizona, and Nevada. So it should come as no surprise that 'Far-flung flights of fantasy' are just not my cup o' tea.

BUT...

7 Months ago I met a person that would forever change how I look at the world (or at the very least, relationships).  5 Months ago we started seeing each other. 3 months ago I made my decision to go with her to NY. 8 days ago we picked up everything and moved across the country together. Some would find this crazy, but I'm more sure of this decision than 95% of the choices I've made in my life. When you know, you know. This girl is amazing, and you can't just throw that away.

Most people lose sight of their dreams pretty early in life, but there is something to be said about chasing your dreams. It takes moxie. Especially when your dreams take you 3k miles from everything you've ever known. I know one other person out here, and she knows a few. Aside from that, there is no support system here. You either make it or you don't, and I have faith that we'll make it.

So here I am, sitting in a sublet in Brooklyn, NY.

There's snow on the ground right now. There's this stuff falling from the sky that they call "Freezing Rain", which is just a nice way of saying "small hail". I'm sitting comfortably, but I'm wearing 3 layers of clothing including thermals, wool socks, and a wool sweater...

I'm decidedly out of my element here.

But that's part of what makes it so exciting. Everything here is new to me. I've never experienced anything like this before, so I should live this opportunity to its fullest, right? That's where this thing (the blog. or portfolio. or ... whatever this is?) comes in. I can document everything that I experience, while cataloging all of the pictures, sketches, etc that develop from my adventures here. Maybe I'll do something with it in the future? Or maybe it'll just sit around so I can look back at how 'bright-eyed and bushy tailed' I was when I first got here.

So if you feel so inclined, feel free to tag along. Offer suggestions, make comments, and see NYC through the eyes of a total n00b. Maybe someone will find it entertaining, maybe someone can use the knowledge themselves.

Welcome to New York.

Josh