NY - Travel + Day 1

After graduating Saturday, a late night of packing (thanks Sarah) and seeing friends later that evening, I left for New York Sunday morning. Sarah drove me to the airport along with Danielle. It was definitely weird saying good bye to the people I have lived with and been with the last four years. They made my life and they are now my family. It is amazing to think that we live in this continuous flow for four years of class and socializing and then on the morning of June 17 the sun rises and we spread across the land evoking images of the diaspora. The hardest thing about the move is not coping with the new location or culture, but leaving the people I care about most.

After some delay and a couple naps I arrived in NYC. With my 60+ pound bag in its proper place on the trolley, the bag and I made the taxi ride to my new home in a 48 story building. Unfortunately, I am on the fifth and the view is of a brick wall. The roommates are all good guys, are very welcoming and have made the transition easier. They hail from Philadelphia, Virginia, and Tennessee, respectively.

After a late night run for a deli sandwich and some cough medicine through the streets of a very unknown Manhattan, I went to bed at 1 AM. I woke up at 6:15 AM. For those out there who need help doing the conversion, it is 3:15 AM PST. With my suit in place and the accompanying tie tied, the 20 minute taxi ride to orientation was easy, but definitely too costly to make a regular habit of ($18).

Orientation oriented me with the company culture and the tax forms of both New York and New Jersey. After meeting many Stanford interns and listening to various presentations, I walked out of the building to the stark realization that I was on my own in the streets of New York. It was an amazing thought, yet the funny thing is that after all that orientation I was quiet lost on how to get home and took several moments with the map my Mom sent me with to determine the best subway train to take home.

After a ride and a bit of a walk enjoying the various street shops and vendors, I arrived home. My roommate arrived at a similar time and he pulled me a long on a shopping trip. It is amazing how having to carry your food back from the market changes one's perspective on what they can buy. After purchasing some items and making a nice sandwich, the roommates and I traveled to the water front where we enjoyed the sites.

Tomorrow I start at 9 AM, which is definitely better. It will be an interesting day of many new experiences where I will learn both academically and, most importantly, about life. As Sarah said, "The sun is coming out! Smile because the world is ours for the taking."

Lets see what we can do.