Cosmo Days: First Trip to the City

Note: I figured I would get in my time machine and write a few posts about my days at Cosmo, just for kicks. I'll return to posting about K and the kitties soon! Enjoy :)

The weeks in between getting the job at Cosmo and the actual move are a total blur. I had to move out of my apartment at MSU, came home for maybe a week, then jumped in the car with my mom and stepdad to venture out to New York to my aunt and uncle's house, who so graciously agreed to let me stay with them while I worked in the city.

I remember bits and pieces of the ride out here. I remember listening to Alanis Morrisette and Mariah Carey on my iPod (don't judge!), trying not to think about how scared I was, and how sad I was to leave home. I am a big fat scaredy cat, contrary to how it might seem from this adventurous story, and I was TERRIFIED. I was also so excited I thought I might die. Who gets their dream job and moves to New York in a month??

My first trip down to the city was breathtaking. My uncle took the entire day off so we could map out my train ride and which subway routes I'd take to work every day. I worked at 57th and 7th; (which meant nothing to me at the time; now I excitedly point to the TV every time they show the Hearst Tower.) We walked around Central Park, and I still couldn't believe my eyes that I was actually in New York City. I mean, we had been down for trips when I was younger, but it was nothing like being thrown in with both feet and working down there ALONE.

On my first day, I woke up at 3:30am to catch the 4:15am train (my uncle would drop me off each day before he had to go to work.) I made sure to get a window seat; I wanted to see the Hudson on the ride down. I listened to my iPod and tried not to throw up from nervousness. The train took 1 hour and 41 minutes; and pulled into Grand Central Station. I was still SUPER early, but I had no idea where I was going and I was afraid to look stupid. So I took the S train, then the N train and finally got off on the corner right across from Carnagie Hall.

When I walked up those stairs onto the streets of New York, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't breathe. The woosh of hot air from the subway below met the cool summer air, and I was caught in a tornado of warmth. It matched my emotions. I didn't start for a few more hours, so I decided to get some coffee and breakfast since I had been up so early. I sat in that coffee shop, staring out the window watching people walk by for several hours. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I felt so incredibly out of place, yet somehow I belonged there. I still couldn't believe it. I wasn't sure whether I would pass out or throw up from the excitement; I have still to this day never been as nervous as I was that day. And when I stood up to smooth my skirt and walk next door to my first day at Cosmo, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.