Putting on my Big Girl Panties

Ladies and Gentleman, I've been in New York for six months! It's felt like a year already, but six months has flown by! Now a true New Yorker says for incoming New Yorkers, you're not a New Yorker until you've lived here for at least ten years. From what I've learned and dealt with in these past months, I feel like I only have two years left until I hit that status. I remember when I first even decided to make the decision to come to New York on my own. It was July of last year that my brilliant mother planted the seed that would eventually grow. She encouraged me last July to skip on school for now and move to New York to go for my dream. Of course my reaction to this was, "...but you're my mom..." And I was good at school, so it only made sense that I would head straight to college. That was the plan until I really considered what my mom was telling me. Maybe I should try New York. Finally, at the last minute in August, I deferred my admission from school and decided to completely switch the plan. I used all of my graduation money for my new apartment instead of my dorm. I used my gift cards to purchase food when I got to New York and I worked extra hours to save for my down payment on my apartment. Soon enough after scrambling to get my stuff together, I was off. August 30th was the biggest change in my life. And only two weeks later, September 13th was the moment where my life in New York became set in stone. I finally had an apartment and a job and now it was time to put on the big girl panties. The big girl panties I've learned can be tight, uncomfortable, stressful and can leave a few bruises around the seams. But it's so crazy to me to see how far I've come from then. After months of tears (and even sometimes now), after multiple jobs and up and down finances, after searching for months for an agency, I feel like now I can take a deep breath. I've leaned so much since August 30th. I've learned that being an adult sucks. You have financial burdens, you have to grocery shop (which I enjoy), you have to do laundry (which totally sucks), you have to walk to do laundry (which infinitely sucks), you have to save and spend at specific times, you have to use the subway, you have to pay for transportation, you have rent every month even if you're not ready for it, you have to work sometimes when you're down or feel like you're going to literally die. Granted some of this stuff really sucks as an adult in New York, but also there's a lot of pluses. I've made some great friends, built some great work and personal relationships, I've changed so much in the positive, I've become more confident in myself and who I am, I'm more brave, courageous and strong on my own and I've learned that New York may be lonely, but it truly is the land of opportunity and where anything is possible. I recently saw a billboard of a guy I went on a date with back in September. Only in New York could that happen is what I thought. It can be scary thinking what will come next here, but now being here I've learned to roll with the punches. Thank you to my family and friends for supporting me and my dreams. No matter if I'm up or down, you're always there. And of course I'd be nothing without my lord. He's been good to me. Okay before I bore you with my Oscar speech, I'm going to go do another adult thing, the dishes. But I also did those as a kid in Massachusetts. And no matter what state or age, it still sucks. Cheers to another six months!