My Second Month as a New Yorker

The longest continual time I've lived in New York before now is two months, in January/February of this year, after which I moved back to Ohio. Well, I've hit the two month mark again, and this time I find myself back in Ohio BUT IT'S TOTALLY TEMPORARY, don't freak out (I say, mostly to myself). I'm in Ohio right now celebrating my birthday with family, gathering the rest of my belongings, packing Mozart into some sort of carrying apparatus and hitting the return road to NY today with the generous help of my dad. It will always be sad (sort of) to leave Ohio, but by now it should be obvious to anyone that even vaguely knows me that I am having the time of my life as a New Yorker.

As predicted, my second month slowed down a bit, due in the most part to starting my full-time job, but I still managed to cram in more than seems possible. In addition to marking the beginning of my life as a New York working girl (not that kind), August will always be known as the month I signed the lease on my first-ever apartment. I spent last weekend cleaning it from top to bottom, so it's all sparkling and ready for us to move into when we get back to the city tonight. But in the meantime, I'd like to recap my second month as a New Yorker:

I became obsessed with everything sweet corn-flavored (ice cream, custard, cookies), watched a lot of breathtaking sunsets, attended my first-ever rooftop party, said goodbye to the unemployed life with a trip to Coney Island, re-joined the 9-5 working life and got approved for my very own apartment!

I settled into my commute to this amazing, landmarked building on Fifth Avenue everyday, took the worst photo in the history of corporate ID photos, frolicked in the car-free Summer Streets, had sensory overload in the Voice Tunnel, toured some of my favorite Upper West Side landmarks and bought two teeny-tiny tarts at the farmers market.

Had a Red Hook adventure day with my friend Alisha, including a visit to Fairway Market, silly posing and a Key Lime Swingle that changed our lives. I ate lunch most every day in beautiful Bryant Park, except when it rained and I had to move into that dump, Grand Central Terminal.

I became obsessed with yoga, saw Pitch Perfect on the pier and E.T. in Bryant Park, had a boozy picnic in Central Park, found the most delicious wine bar, snapped photos at the always-enchanting Conservatory Garden and fell into a relaxing Sunday routine.

I got the keys to my new place and celebrated with Gilmore Girls and pizza, found the most delicious margaritas living across the street, creeped out HR by ordering books about bodies and the funeral industry, enjoyed the last of Summer Fridays, caught up with an old friend over tea and scones and walked the Queensboro Bridge.

Once again, it's exhausting to review everything that I've managed to cram into just one month. Hopefully when I get old and cranky about city life I can look back on these recaps and realize just how much fun there is to be had if you just know where to look. I'll probably also wonder how I ate so many pies, scones and scoops of ice cream without gaining a thousand pounds. Maybe there are just some things in this world that won't ever be explained.