The Second 30

I am officially a grown up. I've been denying it for a while now. I have a tendency to think I am still in my twenties although I don't know many twenty somethings who secretly pump their fist when they get carded. Mike and I have even managed to shirk the typical responsibilities of adulthood. We've never owned a home. We purposefully do not have children. We think caring for a pet would be too much of an anchor to our whims. Come to think of it, we've never even kept a plant alive for a decent stretch. But, it's become quite clear that despite my efforts, some things cannot be avoided. I have thought and said things lately that I used to roll my eyes over when I heard my mom, dad or even an unknown adult say.

To the person next to me at the bus stop "Geez, it's really coming down out here!". I used to think it was way cooler to ignore people but now I like to commiserate over the weather with strangers.

To the NYU kids partying all up and down my street and below my window at all hours "Some people are TRYING to sleep!!". I USED to be one of those kids.

And finally, "Where has the time gone?". Could I be a little more cliche? But seriously, time is flying. It's already been another 30 days of life as a New Yorker. And before I continue, I would like to thank anyone reading for allowing me to be so self-indulgent with this blog. It has become sort of a confidante for me. I can come here and sort out my thoughts and emotions and make better sense of this whole experience and for that I am grateful. So without further ado, here is what I have learned in my second month of this endeavor.

1. This much rain at this time of year is NOT normal according to every New Yorker I so much as make eye contact with. Although I can't say it has been all bad. With the daily intermittent rain, I am guaranteed to look like a drowned rat, so I save about 45 minutes of careful blow drying and flat ironing or curling. I mean, I still looked like a drowned rat, but one with a little more free time.
2. It can be exhausting living here. There are always 6000 things to do and on any given weekend, we want to do 20 of them. By Sunday, we are so wiped out and ready for some downtime that school and work actually feel like a break.
3. It can be exhilarating living here. See above.
4. I hate IKEA and their stupid Allen wrenches, but I love the free water taxi that they provide to take you there. It goes right past the Statue of Liberty and drops you off in Red Hook. I have already decided to use it as my primary mode of transportation whenever I need to be in Red Hook.
5. I need to be in Red Hook at least every other week because I am addicted to the chocolate granola that we get there.
6. When you install a much needed AC in your living room window, it will cool of considerably within 2 hours and downpour.
7. If I apply self tanner to my pasty legs, it will, without question, rain on me, which causes me to look like I have a nasty skin fungus that presents in the form of pale blotches. Sexy.
8. I am a drowned rat with a skin fungus.
9. I feel like I live here now. It happened gradually and I still don't feel like a true New Yorker per se, but it's really starting to feel like home.
10. If you are with the person you love, anywhere can feel like home.
11. I thought it was totally unnecessary at first when Mike insisted, but now it's my favorite part of school days: I love coming out of class at 11pm, sweaty and exhausted and seeing him waiting across the street. Since it's the only time we see each other on school days, it's nice to have those 15 minutes to walk home together and catch up. Plus, he carries my bag and that thing is a beast.
12. I love everything about food. This is nothing new really, but is reaffirmed for me daily here. The markets, the street vendors, the coffee, I could go on and on and I haven't even touched on school yet!
13. School is pretty amazing. I love being immersed in the process of learning how to cook properly. I love the organization of the french kitchen, the emphasis on technique and the standard of perfection. It is a challenge but I am up for it.
14. I have a lot more experience in the kitchen than I previously gave myself credit for and it has made me more confident in my abilities in class.
15. I love having what feels like infinite possibilities for my culinary future.
16. I attended a demonstration this week by Chef Nils Noren (he's a VP at my school and also can be seen on Top Chef Masters this month on Bravo) and I had no idea how fascinated I would be by molecular gastronomy. Chilling champagne glasses with liquid nitrogen. Binding strips of scallops and veal together so they look like pieces of bacon (and the cleverly calling them veal scallopine). Infusing an onion with apple juice so it tastes like an appley-onion...all very cool. Who knows what's next?
17. I am hoping that I may literally sweat off several pounds. Between the humidity, hauling that giant school duffel around and the pressure cooker that is my classroom, I must sweat like 3 liters a day (I am officially converted to metric system).
18. I am a drowned rat with a skin fungus that sweats profusely. So glam.
19. Speaking of rats, Mike is starting to get skittish about them. Apparently, whenever he walks to school at night to meet me, one will dart out in front of him from a pile of garbage. Whenever we pass shrubs or the next day's trash pickup, he gives them a wide berth.
20. I think it's impressive that I have adapted to sleeping so well given the liveliness of our street, but compared to the guy that sells used books, old pots and pans and pretty much whatever he can set up on the sidewalk around the corner, that's nothing to blog about. He had a finch sitting on his face the other day while he was napping.
21. A set of earplugs and an eye mask are as good as an Ambien for me. I have a Pavlovian response whenever I use them. Zzzzzzzz.....
22. Soul food in Harlem = delicious. Soul food buffet in Harlem priced by the pound = lack of restraint = regret and discomfort.
23. If we ate a different restaurant every night of the week, we would probably not run out of new places to try for a decade.
24. I will absolutely be returning to Arturo's on Houston for thin-crust brick-oven pizza, Grom on Bleecker for true Italian gelato (their original store is in Rome, which we visited on our trip 2 years ago), Blind Tiger for craft beer (it is our new Hamilton's, which was our San Diego version of Cheers, where everyone knows your name...except no one knows our name yet but is starting to recognize our faces).
25. Mussels are the easiest, most delicious thing to prepare at home that seemed intimidating previously - thank you Erica for helping me see the light!
26. I love my tiny kitchen. I missed having all of my kitchen gear and gadgets and still love cooking at home despite all the fabulous food at our fingertips.
27. I can do 500 square feet no problem. It's actually made me neater because there is no room for clutter. (see a few apartment pics below)
28. Having pictures of friends and family on our walls only makes me miss them more. Especially the little ones because I know in two more months they will look even more grown up and I am missing seeing it happen. Thank god for skype!
29. A 60 square foot room does not need surround sound, ahem...Mike.
30. Life is good. Really good.





For more pics, you can go to this link.