Cause we're all better off in New York...

Three weeks ago, I never would have believed I'd be writing this blog post.

It was just three Wednesdays ago that I was interviewed over the phone for a fall internship with Advertising Age magazine, a publication I was vaguely familiar with through my Magazine Publishing class but hardly something I read avidly. The interview went OK, but I thought I could've sold myself a lot better on some of their questions. I completely choked on the "Where do you get your news from?" question. I didn't even think about blogs, which is where 90% of story ideas come from nowadays.

Nonetheless, here I am from my dorm above the 92nd St. Y on the Upper East Side, fresh from dinner and a quick viewing of the Metropolitan Opera in Central Park, starting a new blog on my new Macbook to commemorate a new chapter in my life.

And what a perfect time to start one.

I am done at Kent State, although I have not graduated. I am quite literally one class away from my degree — a last-minute failure on my part to meet participation points for my online Great Books class caused me to fail the whole class. I was supposed to graduate last Saturday and found out on Thursday that it was going to be an impossibility.

Needless to say, I was a bit of an emotional wreck for the rest of the weekend, which included a road trip with my Dad and Dana to return her to Syracuse. My only comfort amid rampant regretful thoughts of how I could and should be graduating in Kent was the fact that I would be moving to New York City in just three short days.

I'm doing much better now as far as not getting down on myself about not graduating on time, although Sweet Lady New York certainly plays a large part in that. I have already visited Union Square (LOVE it), Times Square (blecch), Grand Central Station (I'll be taking the subway there everyday to get to work on 44th) and, as previously mentioned Central Park (breathtaking view of the city). There are plans for much, more more, including a trip to Chelsea and the World Trade Center this weekend with my friend Christie from high school.

I left Ohio with a lot of loose ends untied (the whole not-graduating thing meant no trip to Kent and therefore no farewell party at my old apartment) but honestly, no regrets. Finishing up an internship, trying to do two classes and moving to New York in a three-week period leaves you absolutely no time to stop and wonder what you're going to miss or think about what you'd like to do before you leave. All you can do is finish up whatever you can and take breaks to sleep.

As a testament to the whirlwind pace of the last three weeks, here's what I've accomplished since flying into LaGuardia yesterday at 2 PM:

--took Super Shuttle to 92nd St. Y (ended up riding for 2 hours because three different people had to be dropped off in Harlem)
--checked in at Y
--hopped on the 6 and imagined I was J. Lo
--realized I was going the completely wrong way to Union Square and ended up in heart of The Bronx
--turned around and went to Union Square
--got treated to dinner at Spice by Christie
--shopped at Virgin on 14th St.
--strolled through (and hated) Times Square
--met my roommate who moves out on Friday (he's studying to get his PhD. in economics from Harvard--yeesh!)
--got lost again, this time by foot, on the way to work this morning
--wiped away drool in anticipation of all the amazing opportunities AdAge will afford me
--started my first story (on this kid's network NBC and Telemundo are launching next month)
--dinner and opera in Central Park
--acquainted self with local grocery store (and fierce Boricua cashiers)

My only regret over the last 24 hours is not having access to a cable TV. Project Runaway is on right now and I'm totally missing it!!! My goal is to find a bar somewhere in Manhattan that has weekly viewing parties (which I totally miss at Union Station!!!)

But that is a minuscule complaint to an otherwise unbelievable arrival in the City That Never Sleeps. I will be pinching myself till early next week that this is actually happening.

Thanks for reading my inaugural post. Stay tuned for updates and, by all means, comment and tell me what's going in your lives as well!