Arriving on the East Coast
On my way to Connecticut on the G shuttle
This time I really plan to make it but I don't want to jinx myself. This is my 3rd attempt at moving back to New York and I must say that I have all the prerequisites to succeed. I have extreme passion, drive, and willingness to make a fool of myself. Coming from Fairbanks, Alaska makes it very untraditional for anyone to decide to move from this land of comfort to a place where the unknown runs rampant and it is not uncommon for life to be entirely uncomfortable. What can I say, I was tired of the familiar and I saw a need for challenging myself. No one said that life would be easy here, but a part of me feels as if it is necessary, not only for me, but for the young people who I will inspire in the future. I most definitely identify as a writer, however, I grew up idolizing Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, and the MGM musicals they created. Eventually this passion gravitated to also include the Broadway stage. Ever since my obsession began and included all forms of musical theatre I knew that I belonged in the homeland and birthplace of musical theatre. Oftentimes people ask me "Why New York?" It's just so expensive and difficult, then I find that they try to present me with less expensive and more obtainable options, but the truth is that I can't see myself living anywhere else. In my other attempts I grew to see how truly disgusting, dirty, and slightly creepy the city is, but there is no other place in the world that has the energy, vibrancy, and vitality of New York City. Just one step into the 42nd street subway station with the booming sound system of a singer trying to make it, poetry being read on the train, and break dancers in Union Square remind me that I am home and that I never want to leave. The trip to Newark, the final destination, was not too memorable in itself. I must admit that I have become pretty unfazed by the twelve hour journey, because quite frankly if you want anything exciting to happen in your life, it's necessary to get used to flying. One time I flew back from Tokyo to NYC and it took a whopping seventeen hours! My friend asked me what I did during this exorbitant amount of time? I really didn't know how to respond to that one. The flight length was not something I considered to be a big deal, I don't know I watched "I, Tonya," took a nap, and wrote a little bit. Once I had arrived in Newark with my mother I found that our trip was merely half over. Unfortunately my aunt and uncle were both busy and unable to pick us up at the airport, this translated to having to schlep our fabulous selves as well as our luggage back to New Canaan, CT. Well the first step of the journey was taking the "Go Shuttle" bus to Grand Central, they really should rename this service "Slow Shuttle," because this shuttle bus took approximately two and half hours. The next portion of the city schlep consisted of catching a train at Grand Central. When we arrived this place was kind of a madhouse, but that didn't deter us. Oh no, these Alaskans were determined!
A photo of Grand Central, undoubtedly the most gorgeous train depot ever!
So, eventually we made it to New Canaan, ate some pizza, and went to sleep. I was pretty much exhausted, but in no way was I going to let mere fatigue prevent me from living a full life! The next day I had made an appointment to get my hair styled before my big "Promote U" Conference, so I knew that hanging out and watching T.V. was not an option. This girl had to get herself to bed, so that she had energy to hit the ground running, because that's part of the New York mentality.
