Educational Housing Services

Today I gave my first New York City directions!! I know it sounds dumb but it was the high-high-highlight of my day. Somehow over the last few days I made the difficult transition from tourist to...whatever is slightly less touristy without being born and raised here - I'd vote a "New York transplant."

On Sunday, Lauren and I went to Chinatown with EHS. I was thrilled because the trip was an excuse for me to have boba, or bubble tea, which I am obsessed with the way that teenyboppers love....whoever it is they love these days. If I could find a poster of a cup of bubble tea, I'd put it on my wall.

On Monday two of my professors from the University's history department, my advisor Leslie and her best friend John, came to visit me. Leslie spent her grad-school years in the area, so as an ex-New York transplant, she could give us the inside scoop on many local sites. We must have stopped at a hundred stores and historic sites in our casual amble to lunch. But it was great to see them. We ended up at Alison's salad shop, Tossed, and I had one of the best meals since getting here. But I couldn't say if it was because the food was so good, or if it was because the food was free. Honestly, if being a true dyed-blue New Yorker means my feet always have to be in that much pain, then well maybe I am better off being a Bostonian.

After work I met the girls (Alison and Lauren) near 14th street. When I say near, I'm exaggerating. Those crazy girls were actually seven blocks away from me. But I forgive them for the crazy walk in my work clothes because a very nice (very cute) guy ended up helping me get to where I needed to go. When I finally met the girls, we went walking (shopping) around Union Square. But I was so good about money, I kept picking things up and putting them back - I was shopping like an Atkins diet devotee! Honestly I would have liked to explore farther around the square, but by seven we were tired and hungry. It didn't help that the Union Square restaurant choices didn't really lend themselves to a college student's budget. In the end we ate at Clark's Restaurant which is directly across the street from the St. George. For standard diner fare, we ate a good dinner at a decent price.

I am psyched to go to the ballet on Thursday and museum hop on Friday, but it takes a judicious rearranging of my budget. Sadly, today did not work out so well with all of that, dinner was $15, lunch was $5ish, and coffee, water, and oranges (to make homesick Lauren feel better) were another $3.75. But on the upside, I know have at least two meals worth of leftovers, and I'm just not going to let myself go out for the next few days.

So that's my future. Right now the girls are standing in front of the full length mirror in my bedroom making faces and seeing who can look more weird. I am going to join in on the fun, more later!

**Five hours later, I am just finishing this up. Lauren and I spent the entire evening swapping music and sharing dating horror stories.*A+ for us! **

Last fun thought: remember how a few entries back I was musing about meeting Justin in the laundry room? When I finally did do my laundry, he was there! Unfortunately when I saw him, I was on the phone with a friend from home. Part of me couldn't help but feel that were I to be completely committed to the New York experience, I would have gotten off the phone....Oh well, there's always laundry two weeks from now!