The Bittersweet Arrival

Me and Philip at Sky Harbor with our many bags.

We arrived safely at JFK this morning. With the number of bags we had (4 check-in suitcases and 5 carry-ons), we were in desperate need of a van taxi...they’re not as rampant as taxi cars and SUVs, so we were concerned about running into this challenge immediately upon arriving in New York after a redeye. 

But it is New York, and we need not have worried. Besides, it just so happened that when it was our turn for a taxi, a van pulled up.

The drive to our new apartment seemed long. And short. I slept through the entire hour-long drive, so I didn’t get to enjoy my first journey to my first New York home.

Our apartment is a cute studio, about 300 sq. ft. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that 300 sq. ft. is not as small, cramped, and claustrophobic as I had feared. It is a furnished apartment with an 8-foot tall, double-wide maple bookshelf immediately to the right of the door. Across the room is a dark brown square kitchen table for two pushed against the wall and small backless chairs with leather seats. On one side of the table is a medium-sized fridge, sink, and small stove; on the other side is a full-sized bed and a black desk with black chair.

It sounds like a lot of furniture, but it fits perfectly in our apartment.

I didn’t care that I slept through my drive home. I didn’t care that the apartment was small (however cute). What I cared about was that I had an apartment to drive to, an apartment where I could crash before my job interview. Yes, a job interview on the same day I moved across the country. It was an ambitious decision, but I was excited about the job and the interview and simply wanted to get it done.

After the job interview, which was at the King’s College in the Empire State Building, I ran to meet Philip at the Starbucks on the first floor so that he was the first person to know that I was offered a job!

I’m excited to begin my new life in the Big Apple.