Half a Year Living in NYC

Well, 6 months in NYC is fast approaching.  Soon, I will have lived here for half a year!  It’s strange to think about it, actually.  There’s a part of me that still hasn’t accepted the fact that NYC is my home.  I live here.  I work here.  I go shopping here.  Manhattan is my backyard.  Yet, I still find myself from time to time thinking, “Wait…I live in NYC!  That’s so cool of me.”  I forget that this is my home, and when I do remember, I get this “Ben-is-awesome” feeling.

Okay, so six months.  What do I have to say for myself?  For one thing, I’ve found that people (such as me) like lists.  So, I will compile my thoughts in a list for your reading pleasure.

• For there being so many people in NYC, it’s easy to feel alone and isolated.
• On the other hand, a brisk walk around Brooklyn or into Manhattan can do a lot to remove the “alone” feeling but not remove it.
• Work has come a long way.  My confidence has grown tremendously in what I do and my stress levels are much lower than my first few months.  After being thrown to the dogs around month three with a gigantic and overwhelming project, I think I’ve past the hump.  I can truly call myself an analyst now.
• Rent is still obnoxiously expensive.
• I love being able to see and spend time with my NJ cousins (Alonza and Cortez) and my aunt and uncle (Fred and Marina).  My last visit to NJ included various trips to Wal-Mart to play tag and hide-n-go seek.

• During the weekends, I find myself without a purpose.  While there’s plenty to do in the city, most of it lacks a certain amount of depth for me.  I’ve been looking for a hobby or something that can give me a goal/purpose and fulfill my desire for something more.  No luck so far.  Ideas?
• Regarding purpose, I just signed up for a Spring soccer coed league.  I’m waiting to hear back from the organization but I hope this will help some.  Soccer and exercise – there’s nothing better.
• Speaking of exercise, I’m looking forward to the warmer temperatures so I can run daily.
• While Sofy (my friend, for lack of a better title, from Costa Rica) and I only knew each other for a month or so in Costa Rica, she and I still talk multiple times a week on Skype.  Sometimes I wish she was here in NY with me.  That would certainly solve #1 above.
• I am flying to Detroit at the end of June for Mike’s wedding and to help Emily move out of her apartment (she’s going to Russia in July for three weeks!!).   

I really have a lot more to say but I’ve also found that lists, while enjoyed by many, also have their limit.  If they’re too long, people lose interest – a sad but true fact of life.

So, there you have it.  Six months of thoughts boiled down to a list of 10.

If you want to know more about my life here in NYC or if you have a question about something I’ve written above, let me know by posting a comment or sending me a Facebook message.

Yours truly,
Benjamin Gau, Urban Socialite