Lots of People

There are approximately 8.5 million people living in New York City. On the weekends there's probably another million people who flood the city to see all the sights. Maybe this is an exaggeration, but maybe not. In my neighborhood alone I saw 3 tour busses (you know, a two decker bus where everyone sits on the top) of people come by within a 5 minute time span. And I live in east Harlem!

Living in a land of lots of people means that lines are inevitable and invading other people's bubbles is a way of life.

The subway. Please note this is not nearly as bad as it can get. ;) 

And space. Physical space is a hard commodity to come by. The other night I went to a fast food restaurant with friends and we had to stake our spot by a table until the people left because all the tables were full. There's always a line for everything. Bathroom included.  Tip: never set your expectations high when using a public restroom. 

There isn't even space for people at church. Everyone needs to squeeze in, and if you come late you'll probably be told, "Standing room only." I've seen it happen at every service I've been to. 

One reason I like coming home to my apartment is that there is a lot of space. Yes, "a lot of space" is a relative term, and yes, I share a 1-bedroom apartment with 2 other girls, but when I come home I can breathe. I have room to move and relax. 

This week according to Instagram

Isn't the city BEAUTIFUL? I took this picture from the Queensborough bridge tram.

This is my Idealist Journey Team. As an Idealist Journey team, we will take time to reflect on our "City Year Journey" and we will push each other to grow. We were team 5, and we had to make a poster and chant to represent ourselves. "Fly Five."

This is where I do my laundry. Doesn't it look like a wonderful place? Speaking of restrooms, using a public restroom is terrible in New York. Today I used a bathroom at the Manhattan Center and when I flushed the toilet it overflowed! ahh! All the water came out and went into the next stalls. Pretty soon the girls where squealing and I was laughing. Awkward! Earlier, I went to Starbucks and waited 20 minutes in line to find that there was no toilet paper in the stall. urk.


I went to Hillsong Church today. I also went to Redeemer today and Tim Keller spoke. :) I went to Redeemer with a wonderful couple who do ministry with Here's Life Inner City. They treated me to lunch, and it was a sweet time. The churches here are so great and so different than what I am used to. It's fun to just check them out. Added bonus- my favorite worship leader Brooke Fraser was there. Her voice is my favorite!


On Wednesday we explored New York with City Year. I went on a Film tour team and we went to spots where famous movies were filmed. We had an instagram challenge and my group won! I got some City Year swag as a prize. Who knows what this film is??

Streets // East Harlem: Signs and Wonders

I was walking around Harlem (my hood) and I started to notice strange shops and signs. In this edition of streets I will share some of the peculiar places all in walking distance of my apartment. Enjoy!

What are they selling?

Creepy

I hope full grown adults don't shop here. 

Again, not sure what this is all about.

Nice pun?

I feel like this is a scam, or it's just sad. 

The original Harlem Shake.

Of transportation and getting around

I'm presently on the subway. I don't have reception, but I can still type. I really enjoy subway rides. They are quiet, quick, and different from what I'm used to. Oh and they have A/C-- which feels glorious. The occasional bumps, jerks, and dark tunnels sometimes makes it like I'm  on an amusement park ride. I never know when a subway will be full to the brim or when it will be empty enough to take a nap on the seats. Rest assured I won't be lying around on a subway bench. 

Now what's even more exciting than the subway ride is the walk to the subway. The walk from my apartment to the nearest subway line is 3 blocks. A lot can happen in 3 blocks. During my walk home from church today a creepy guy blew a kiss and then winked at me. Some other guy yelled, "hey sweetie, what's your name?" A few other city year friends live in our neighborhood and they are white. I bring this up because the other day they were walking and a man yells "why are there so many f---- white people here?!" Well sir, there are 4 of us. I'm sure you will manage. Does this stuff phase me? No. There are police officers standing on every block and there are so many people around. What's the worse that could happen? I don't walk around alone at night and I walk with confidence during the day time. 

There are so many stores and shops in East Harlem and people walk around everywhere. I'm starting to like this place. I loved New York initially, but I wasn't sure how I would feel about East Harlem. For now it is "my hood."

NYC- A whole new world

Life here is good. My days are full and I'm meeting new people left and right. I have had a fun time getting to hang out with my roommates. I've been here for a few days and I am definitely getting well acquainted with this crazy, big city. I'm also getting used to apartment life. My first night here I slept for 2ish hours and each night after has been progressively more. I blame all the outside noise, the new bed, and the excitement I feel for my lack of sleep.

The subway is becoming my friend. Well, the 6 is. And get this, a lady asked me for directions, and I knew what to say! I think I'm going to enjoy the Subway.

Our apartment is almost fully furnished. Thank you, ikea. I think it looks pretty swell. 

Here are some pictures:

Washington square park 

The metropolitan museum of art

Fingerprints at the DOE with my roommate Alexis

My backyard.

Getting there

I'm on a plane in Washington DC about to take off for NYC. An array of emotions have gone through my head the past few days. Joy, sadness, eagerness, and content are at the top of the list. sadness was at a minimal. I felt so much love and kindness by those in my life this past week. I had a wonderful week, actually i should say i had wonderful life in Minneapolis, but now I am ready to be a New Yorker for a season!

I'm back. It's the middle of the night, meaning its 4:30 here and 3:30 my time and I can't sleep. I fell asleep for an hour but then was woken up by the noise outside. My first few hours here have been so fun. I was picked up at the airport by roommates and another friend. we went back to the apartment via bus (sorry to disappoint you Aunt Brenda, but we were completely safe). We also played UNO for a good hour or so. I havent played that game in a while. 

Hopefully I'll get my sleep schedule together! My apartment is lovely. My mattress is not, but I will get use to it. I'll probably say that about a lot of things here. 

Outside my bedroom window. 

Streets // Minneapolis

I took a walk this morning and I wanted to take a second to capture my neighborhood. In 5 days this will no longer be my neighborhood, but it will always be my home.

Hosmer Library: my fave!

The alley. It sure looks like an alley.

Local Coffee Shop! yes

I call this the duck pond. I love taking kids here to feed the ducks. It's the simple things.

Decked out! Love the art work.

What a pretty house!

Community murals are taking Minneapolis by storm

The skyline. A somewhat wimpy view, but we are a mini city.

Minneapolis is a unique place. 

Art in the park

This coming week marks the end of Art in the Park for the Summer. Technically I wasn't supposed to end so soon, but then New York came along and here I am. The term "that went fast" is said quite often, but this instance is no exception. The classes just flew by. Every class was a new adventure. Some were in stuffy, hot art rooms, some were in the recreation center, some were outside, some were on picnic tables, some were in pre-school class rooms. Pretty much every park was something different, and we didn't know what to really expect until we got there. Once we arrived, we had 30 minutes of prep time to get situated (this looked different at every park as well) and prepare the art lesson. When I say we I am referring to myself and the lead teacher. The teacher I worked with was great- I have learned a handful of teaching methods from her. The classes were each 1.5 hours long, and we typically had 1 or 2 classes per day at parks all over Minneapolis.

I was really blessed to teach so many kids fun art projects this summer. I am going to miss it. However, I know that city year will provide such a diverse and dynamic experience of working with students. This makes saying "goodbye" not as hard.

Getting Closer

I'm super excited for my New York adventure and all the changes and adjustments that will come with it in a couple weeks. Another big part of the NYC experience is finding an apartment, which is pretty tricky to do living in Minnesota. It's also pretty tricky to do when you are 18 and your income will be right around the poverty line. 

This week I have been calling and emailing and even texting brokers about apartments I am interested in. I explain my situation and they ask again, "you're income is only that much?!" Or "you want a 1 bedroom for 3 people?!"

Yes. Yes. 

Side note: isn't it crazy that you need to use a broker to rent an apartment?!? NYC, I tell ya. 

I will be rooming with 2 other girls, whom I am very excited about. One is from Michigan, the other is from California. They are both 18 and 19 and they are both doing City Year. 

Tomorrow is the day one of my roommates heads out to look at apartments. I'm anxious to know how it goes. Stay tuned, we'll see what she finds. Maybe I'll have a place to live by tomorrow! 

Simplify

I began reading a book called 7 by Jen Hatmaker. I really wanted to read this book because it is all about simplifying your life. It's called 7 because each month the author zones in on an area of excess, and then limits her usage in that area down to 7 things/activities etc.  I am reading the chapter on clothes right now. She only wears 7 articles of clothing for a whole month (excluding undergarments). I don't event think I could do that for a week: a month seems unbearable.

I especially wanted to read this book as a prepare for my move. I want to have a fresh start, in terms of possessions, and moving is a great way to do that. I won't have a lot of money in New York, and I won't bring a lot of things with me. I won't have parents to help me out and buy groceries. It's all on me. I want to make sure I have what I need, but I don't want possessions to be a distraction or a burden. I want to focus my time on the work I am doing, and on the new people I am meeting. I'm going to want a clean and clutter-free place to live at.

Speaking of groceries, this lady only eats 7 foods for a whole month. I almost find that appealing to only have 7 food items in my kitchen because then it would be super easy to figure out what I will eat. 

What will I eat when I'm on my own? I'm so spoiled here. I have my parent's house, and then I have lots of babysitting houses to eat dinner, lunch, or even breakfast at. Anyways, life is good right now. God has blessed me so much. 

Props to Auryanna for giving me the book.