One Year in New York City
We are joining the croquet club in central park, for the outfits of course and because it seems a little more chill than pickleball. Leah gave me basil from her hydroponic system so naturally I added the white peaches and cottage cheese. I can’t figure out how adults find the time to sit down and write in between improv, drinking with friends, cooking, going to the gym and thank god I don’t work investment banking hours. “How did you know I was an artist?” Openness. Your acceptance of what is. The layering of your shirts. The way you doodle on the check for the waitress. Your rings, the ‘bless you’ after that dog sneezed, and the way your ears listened and body moved with the music at the Aurthur’s tavern last night.
The world is so big and so wide, all this can be true but New York City is getting smaller and smaller. I saw one of my biggest college crushes on the West Side Highway and I…Comment dit-on ‘fumbled” en français? Spontatinty and having six pillows on a full bed can hold the place of a boyfriend for now. There is too much to do, too many motorcycle rides to join and despite the 27 first dates, I don’t yet have enough stories…right?
I do miss Boston, especially the big dogs and the simplicity of life that children remind us of. I have seven books on my desk at work and I still intend to read all eight of them, once of course the city goes to sleep. If you’re going to dabble on the dating apps, I think Raya is the best and that walking dates are a better first date than drinks. I gave a woman thirteen dollars on the street today, it's all I had and she had next to her what looked like a four year old baby girl. We are young, so young. Mason jars are currently my favorite use of glass, well that and of course windows. I am convinced natural light is what we are paying for, nature and connection is what we are all craving, and that religion isn’t as taboo here as you might think.
Banker. Trader. Consultant. Analyst in M&A. How about hard boiled eggs on sourdough for breakfast? Make sure you don’t buy a portable Air Conditioner off Amazon but if you have the chance, say yes to trying if a cowboy takes your hand and twirls you around the 93 square foot kitchen, even if he is just visiting. The most important decision we will make is who we will marry, but the greatest asset any 20 something girl in this city holds is the quality of her girlfriends. Read that again.
Bankruptcy is a scary word, but not being close with your work colleagues is undoubtedly worse. I love my apartment, our apartment, my new home. Thank god for Claudette, it is the best hundred bucks we have ever spent. I forget that the only way to stay rich in this city is to make laughter your currency. Remind me again how to thaw the farmers market chicken? Our super knows about every first and last date we go on, all the boys we are dating, ghosting or breaking up with. And all the while, he insists that Haagen-Dazs ice cream from CVS is better than the Haagen-Dazs from the bodega next door. I drink Harmless Harvest coconut water and lemon Spindrift like it is my job. Hot dogs never get old, but the Yankees will always suck. ‘Good for Bro’, let another corporate America robot do it, America Media is so lucky to have you. Paintings in the apartment are more valuable than you think and the &Sons adult happy meal is a staple in our weekly itinerary. My go to lip shade is getting darker and darker while my matching pajama sets are still the most consistent part of my routine.
I drink beer now, buy as local as I can, and am pretty funny on stage. My go to scent hasn’t changed since high school and I have known my diabetes camp friends longer than I haven’t. I still manage to get lunch together with my BC friends but it's planned weeks in advance and we share stories over teams while we sit in offices that are 214 miles away from each other. I miss babysitting, the Oura ring isn’t worth it, the equinox’s yoga classes are hit or miss, so take all the teachers and learn how to fake sick because there are very few free hours here in the city. Everyone worth seeing goes to Trader Joes, frat boys still travel in packs even after graduation and you may learn a lot about what you want in a romantic partner just by watching couples walk together on the street. Pregnant women in this city have to be a sign of good luck and washing your fruit is a nonnegotiable because infertility is on the rise. Where you went to school matters less and less, unless of course you went to Upenn, Boston College, Bucknell or Yale. I cook now, but never wear an apron, while vegetables were easier to add to my diet than I originally thought.
If I could tell you anything it is to have more wine glasses than you think, don’t walk to work in heels, and make friends in your building. Take note of the people who accessorize well and those who are generous with tips even when they don’t have to be. Pregaming is an important investment, flowers brighten all living rooms, Sex and The City is timeless, and settling is the greatest waste of time. Seek out mentors who you can be honest with and who deeply care about your career. Find people who are curious, humble, silly, and are proud to share their time with you and introduce you to their friends. Most humans have beautiful and kind hearts and if you make them feel safe, they will share themselves with you.
I love you New York, Happy first Anniversary.
Love Always,
Casey
