don’t tempt me

I’ve been in NY since Wednesday. After about 30 minutes in town, I started thinking I’d absolutely love to live here. This has blindsided me. I was never that girl that wanted to move to the big city. Like most things, I’ve never been opposed to trying whatever or moving wherever, but there has never been that burning desire.

Now I am feeling the burn.

The last thing I would have ever expected on my journey to 50th state Alaska; The Last Frontier of all places, is that I’d roll into NY for some quick fun, food, touring and seeing friends, that I’d get smacked in the face with a screaming “Welcome home Diane!”- from the universe. What does this mean? I’m not sure but I do know that I LOVE:
1.) A place that you could ride a donkey down the street and no one would give a damn. 2.) Food glorious food. 3.) The energy here that’s impossible to find anywhere else. 4.) A fashion that is unmatched. 5.) It’s like free 24/7 dinner and a movie just by walking down the street. 6.) Never a dull moment. 7.) The survival of the fittest; Keep your ass moving and gettin’ smarter, faster, better, or you will be run over. Peace out lazy-asses! 8.) The general lack of complacency. 9.) The fact that I can walk. EVERYwhere here. 10.) The never ending supply of friends and family who’d visit because everyone comes to NY. And so much more.

Of course there are 1,001 reasons it’d be crazy to try to make it in this city. If I were scared of/opposed to; Rats like the one who ran down the stairs as we waited for the train the other day, the fairly regular smell of pee in various places, the completely insane people that roam the streets, the roach infested apartment I could afford with 64 roommates, and traffic, traffic, traffic- nah- I’d be fine. I’m twisted enough to actually find those things charming. The single thing that appeals to me even with the 1,001 reasons to NOT to try to live in NY is the fact that not a single person could give a flip about you. (In a good way.) People generally don’t care about what you’re doing. It’s Ok if you talk to yourself while walking down the street. You can sing out loud and pick your nose in public and no one turns a head. Just twirl around in the middle of the sidewalk- everyone will walk around you and keep on their way. Sport your purple hair with teal fringed jorts and leopard print loafers or some other form of a schizophrenic outfit and blend right in. You just do what you do and no one bothers you or judges you. It’s a giant free for all and I find that more comforting than anything.

I leave in the morning to head upstate to the green. I’ll likely think and discuss the same when I’m there and 50 other places; wouldn’t it be great to live here. For now though, I sit alone in Union Square overlooking the park and Empire State Building, about to go nosh on some serious Max Brenner chocolate with a friend I haven’t seen in 12 years, feeling happy as a clam and daydream of this being home.

Stay tuned for food posts coming. Off the charts yummy these past 4 days. There’s that bonus of a walking city again; I can stuff my face for several days in a row and still feel like I’m in the best shape of my life.

I LOOOOOVE NEW YORK!