Welcome to New York

I've been living in New York for 5 days now. The last several days have been a flurry of putting furniture together, trying (and failing) to get wifi for the apartment, getting to know my neighborhood, forcing my dog to wear booties in the snow, getting lost on the subway (with a desk), preparing to start work, and getting to know my roommates. Luckily, my mom came to New York with me to help move me in, which was an amazing help to me. I just have a couple more moving items to finish up but, other than that, it's time for me to adjust to my new life in this fantastic new city. A few notes as I settle in:

• I've been thinking about decorating my New York apartment since I was little. Now that I'm here, I only have so much money and energy to do so; what's more, I'm sharing this space with others, meaning the aesthetic has to appeal to more than just me. As much as I want to be in control of my environment, it's important that I learn to accept what I can't control, let it go, and find the positives in my life.
• When I was living on Capitol Hill in Seattle, I heard and thought a lot about my contribution to the gentrification of the area. As a student, however, I found it fairly easy to justify my presence in that area, and frequented new and trendy little spots. Living in Bed Stuy is already a different story. Some parts of my new neighborhood is in the earlier stages of gentrification, meaning that I'm contributing to the demand for trendy real estate and shops instead of just taking advantage of the spaces already available. I'm trying to figure out ways to prioritize contributing to the rich community that already exists in this area.
• I'm a little worried about what I'm going to do without academia in my life. I love to learn, and learning about what I loved in a constructive and reliable environment was a very important part of my knowledge base for so many years. I'm thinking of ways to keep up with the field of psychology and goings-ons in the world in the absence of classes and being around other students. I've already gone to the public library and reserved a book that one of my favorite professors recommended to me last fall, but that I haven't had the time to read yet. I'm also planning on downloading podcasts and audio books to listen to on my commute, which will hopefully contribute to my continued education.

I'm so excited to start my next chapter here in New York and look forward to keeping you all up-to-date!