A New York Minute: Mobiling Monday or The Day Where I Had I Too Much Time to Think

As I alluded to yesterday, Briggs and I woke up with one thing on our mind: cupcakes.  So we got ourselves dressed, not bothering with hair or make-up as we would be spending most of the day traveling, and headed to our favorite spot: Crumbs Bakeshop...

Cookies and Cream cupcake: the frosting tasted just like the inside of an Oreo!

We contemplated buying some to take with us, but didn't want to have to keep track of them on the airplane, so opted out.  Off we went into the rain again, aiming our walk to where there were awnings (we'd forgotten our umbrella).  We took a different way then we usually do, and I saw this interesting building:

Makes me think of London.

We continued to walk back to our hotel in the rain and we were about a block away when I hear, "Jaclynne."

Briggs is kind of like a mother, she only says my full name when she's mad at me (which is rare) or when something bad has happened.  It was the latter.

"My purse" is all she had to say.  Shit.  She'd forgotten her purse back at Crumbs.  In her purse: her ID  she needed to board the plane back to Minneapolis.  Double shit.

We immediately turned around and started back to Crumbs and of course the rain picked up.  We walked fast, but it didn't matter, by the time we got back to 38th and Broadway we were soaked.  Luckily, someone had turned in her purse (and everything was still in it!  I knew New Yorkers were nice!) so we sat in the bakeshop for a minute to dry off.  I looked at my phone and saw that the rain wasn't going to be letting up anytime soon, so we just sucked it up and started walking.

We were walking fast with our heads down to keep the rain out our eyes...so we missed our turn.  Oops.  I didn't realize it until we were a couple blocks past.  It was completely pouring, but Briggs and I stepped under and awing so I could take a photo (might as well make the best of the situation):

The "other" side of the Garment district

We finally got back to the hotel and went straight to our room to dry off.  The rest of our time in NYC is pretty boring...we just tried to stay dry and eventually got on the train back to Queens.  While waiting for the Q33 bus to take us the rest of the way to LaGuardia, I grabbed a few pictures (the rain had stopped by then, of course)...

Queens

Queens

Queens

Queens - I love how gritty it is there.

The sign reads "NO STANDING ANYTIME" but obviously people stood.

Queens

Queens

Once at LaGuardia, we ate lunch and people watched again (AWESOME people watching at LaGuardia) until eventually...our departure time came...and went.  WTF?!  Apparently, our flight's captain disappeared somewhere between his incoming flight and our flight.  Nobody knew where he was (does that freak anyone else out?) so they had to call in a reserve pilot who lived in Staten Island and it would be awhile before he got there.  We'd be leaving NYC when we were supposed to be arriving in Minneapolis.  Briggs was stressed out by this because her BF was already well on his way to Minneapolis to pick us up and would now be waiting several hours.  Oh, well, nothing we could do.  So we both pulled out our respective books and started reading.

Well, Briggs did.  My mind was too busy digesting about our trip and trying to sort through all my emotions...

I figured out that I DID still want to move out there (I'd had a few moments of doubt during the trip), but for some reason it didn't seem as urgent.  I still want to be moved by the end of the summer, but if it takes a bit longer, no biggie.

I also realized that I've only ever visited the city in the winter months, so I decided I'd better make a trip out in the summer to make sure I didn't hate it (I doubt I will) and, if possible, I'd like my uncle who lives in CT to explore with me since I completely trust his judgment.  

For some reason, I also discovered, I'm surprisingly outgoing in NY.  I'm not sure why, people who know me personally can attest that at first I tend to be pretty reserved (only after you get to know me do I talk your ear off), but in NYC I had no problem talking to anyone.  I think this is a good sign that NYC is a good fit for me.

Despite my newly acquired outgoing personality, I'm was (and still am) nervous about actually making friends when I get out there.  I decided that I'll have to remember that I'm a nice Midwestern girl when I'm there and that should help me make friends since Midwestern apparently equals approachable. 

As far as jobs, I've decided that while I'd love to do something with my degree, the most important thing will be to get a job that I can survive on until said dream job comes along.  I think that as long as I'm not too picky, I should be able to get a job easily (I've heard the whole "Midwestern work ethic" is a selling point out East).

Eventually, a pilot showed up, and we boarded the flight.  Nothing exciting about the rest of the trip...we flew for a couple hours then drove for five hours (because in Iowa, the drive to/from the airport is almost always longer then the actual flight you're catching).  Along the way I still kept thinking...but more along the lines of "well, what now?"

Indeed, what now?

For now, I'm going to get a job that will keep me busy and make me some money.  For now I'm going to keep running and focusing on my WLJ.  I'm going to keep blogging.  I'm going to spend time with my friends in Des Moines and Okoboji.  For now, I'll take lots of pictures for when I get homesick after the move.  For now, I'll keep saving money so I have a security blanket after the move.  I'm going to research neighborhoods and companies in and around NYC.  I'll start really putting an effort into building my portfolio and essays for graduate school.  For now, I'll spend time with my family and remember why Okoboji summers are the best.  For now, I'll look forward to the 4th of July and the fireworks.  For now, I'll just be...

With that, a YouTube of my favorite song from Avenue Q, aptly titled For Now:

Catch up on my trip:

• A New York Minute: Serene Sunday or The Day We Refused to Hurry  
• A New York Minute: Serendipitous Saturday or The Day of Happy Accidents 
• A New York Minute: Freaking Friday or the Day of Funny Discussions  
• A New York Minute: Tourist Thursday or the Day We Kept Taking Wrong Turns
• A New York Minute: Whoo Hoo Wednesday!
• A New York Minute: By the Numbers