Many the miles.

"How far do I have to go to get to you? Many the miles.
Send me the miles, and I'll be happy to... follow you."
- Sara Bareilles, Many the Miles

I thought this lyrics was appropriate on several levels. First of all, it's been stuck in my head for the past few days. I'm sure the citizens of New York are simply loving hearing me randomly burst into this refrain as I'm walking down the streest. Eh, whatever. It's also relevant to the fact that I've traveled a long way to get to where I am, and how happy I am to be here. Another layer of meaning is that I am many miles from what used to be "home" and all of the people in places like Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee who mean a lot to me, but that I'm still connected to them all. And finally, it could refer to the many, many miles I have probably logged in footwork across this city over the past few days. Seriously, my legs are going to stay in great shape.

Obviously, a lot has gone on since my last post. Now that I'm done diseccting song lyrics like I'm in literary criticism, I'll try to remember all the crazy happenings I've partaken in and fill you in on all the important stuff without boring you with extraneous details.

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity, mostly focused around finding an apartment. For those of you who don't already know, this is an intense process, much different from apartment hunting in Norman, or any other town for that matter. We spent hours upon hours pounding the pavement, jetting across multiple boroughs to go to open houses, meet with brokers, etc. It was a long, arduous and extremely tiring process, to say the least.

However, at the end of it all, I'm glad that we did all of the city scouring that we did. It helped me appreciate even more the volume of people and how varied their lives are in this city. And if I hadn't gotten lost in Bushwick (eek!) or crossed the heart of Harlem on foot, I might not appreciate the amazing neighborhood I found the way I do.

I guess that jumped the gun a little. The big news is -- I now have an NYC address. I'm an Upper East Sider, y'all. And I'm so excited. The neighborhood is adorable, and my apartment is HUGE, much bigger than the shoebox* I was imagining. Though we did see our share of shoeboxes. For instance, in Hell's Kitchen, we were welcomed into our lovely new potential home, complete with the shower in the kitchen. Classy. Not to mention that in this same building, rather than buzzing us in, the super threw the key down into the street from her window. Gotta love that. There was also one with a really cute loft-style layout; however, one of the bedrooms would barely fit a twin bed. Maybe. Then of course there were the open houses we never actually made it to, because the area seemed far too sketchy to be worth venturing very far into.

Let's see, what are some other things that I've learned? I'm quickly becoming an advanced subway rider, so that's going to come in handy. I have also already developed a growing contempt for the gawking tourists in Times Square. Mom says that I'll fit right in because of that. I can't help if I get annoyed at people who don't understand what symbol means "go" at the crosswalk. I've also really come to love the Upper West Side. I could walk up and down the 70-90 blocks of Broadway over and over again. When you come visit me, we'll explore. That's one thing about this place - whether you're an obnoxious gawking tourist, a newly minted Upper East Sider, or a lifetime resident, there's always something new to see and experience.

Of course, though my trip has been primarily devoted to the tedious apartment hunt thus far, that's not the only thing I've been doing. Some highlights from the more laid-back, fun parts:

• I mentioned Spring Awakening already, but it will always bear repeating. I love that show, and I was so impressed that there wasn't a single actor whose performance I could be critical about upon the curtain call.
• My mom and I visited the TFA office. It seems like a very productive and fun place, and I'm really looking forward to getting started there.
• My friend Brian, Mom and I hit up SoHo and fell in love with this little organic/vegan bath product store called "Lush." Seriously, one whiff of the air around it and you're in bliss. Brian and I both got soap called "Sexy Peel." How cute is that?
• New York may be famous for its pizza and cheesecake, but we were also huge fans of the sangria in Little Italy. We'll just have to take care not to "Waldorf it**.
• It's not common knowledge, really, but I have this deep love for all things Alice in Wonderland. So, I was delighted today when we found a tea room called "Alice's Tea Cup," which was themed in everything Alice. So cute.
  

I'm very tired from a long weekend of searching and a long night of celebrating. And there's still more to come for the week, like cleaning the apartment, finishing my TFA homework***, and of course continuing to explore. I might try to make it over to Connecticut before I head to Baltimore for our training conference next week. In any case, things are certainly moving right along.

*Speaking of shoeboxes, one of the greatest things about my new apartment is that my closet is actually big enough to keep most of my beloved shoes in their boxes. So I'm gonna hold on to that little bit of crazy. =)

**This phrase, patented by Brian, refers to an excessively inebriated state in which one thinks that one is a rich celebrity and gets a room at the Waldorf rather than a cab home. Poor choice, but makes for a great story to hear afterwards.

***I've always worked best under pressure, right?