6 Months in the City

Today is December 2nd, six months to the day after I arrived in New York City.

Two things stand out:
1) It has flown by.
2) I'm so glad I came.

I remember as I was packing that I would have those occasional, "What on EARTH am I DOING?" moments, and another really violent one when the plane took off out of the Long Beach airport.

However, after I landed at JFK, as we drove towards Manhattan and I saw the skyline... ***** There aren't really words for that feeling, so I'm not going to try. And the truth is that I'm SO happy here, I kind of feel like its unfair... What have I done to deserve a perfect life? Suffice it to say that I'm more grateful than I have the power to articulate that my path in life has led me here, at least for a little while, and hopefully a little while longer.

But enough of that sappy stuff.

After 6 months living in NYC, here are my 6 favorite things about it:

1) The people - The brilliant, talented, smart, interesting, diverse, dynamic, beautiful, inspiring and challenging people that I get to associate with every day.

2) The church - The Manhattan 8th Ward, our wonderful bishop, my calling as an FHE leader, working with the Sister Missionaries, watching some of my amazing friends decide to be baptized. It is the solid foundation that keeps me from being swept away in the torrent. I fully admit that I would be a worldly mess without it.

3) The city buzz - The movement, the lights, the sounds, the bustle, the hustle, the whoosh, the swing and the sway. The buildings vibrate with the sounds on the street and the streets vibrate with the rumble of the subways beneath them. The city just has a life of its own.

4) The food - The food here is amazing - from the pizza on the corner to the celebrity chef restaurants. You can get every kind of food and every hour of the day. You can get decent Thai or Mexican food in most places... but where else can you get Cuban, Afghan, Ethiopian, Mediteranean, Morrocan, Irish, Hungarian and Vietnamese? At 3 am? Nowhere! *cough* Not that I'm out that late. *cough*

5) The walking - Everything is up close and personal without the buffer of your car between you and your surroundings. The walking and the occasional awkwardness of having to interact with the collosal mess of humanity of a daily basis is what separates those who love the city from those who merely like it. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always pretty, but it IS always interesting. Plus, I've just come to love using my own two legs to get myself everywhere.

6) I will never be bored. There is SO much to do, SO much going on. Each neighborhood of Manhattan is like its own little world with its own culture, its own vibe, its own style, and hundreds of place to investigate and suprises to discover. We have the best of everything (except nature, although the parks are lovely) - sports, art, music, shopping, fashion, history, religion, culture, landmarks, the avante garde, and the traditional.

I heart NYC.