What a Beautiful Day

Day 1:
One way ticket to LGA. Two suitcases, a couch to sleep on, a big girl job, a whole new life ahead. 21-years-old and scared out of my mind.

Day 25:
Week 5 Panic Attack. What do I really think am I doing here?!

Day 41:
Lease signed on first NYC apartment! Thank the Lord!
And Texas roomies join me for good. Finally, things are looking up!

Day 70:
This city is rejecting me. Undiagnosable ankle infection. Mom to the rescue!

Day 92:
The Subway - friend or foe?

Day 126:
So this is what Fall is supposed to be like. Wow. I'm officially in love.

Day 152:
Christmastime in New York. Lights, trees, outdoor ice skating, decorations, snow. Nothing Better.

Day 214:
My Small Group + Gallery Church. Sometime over the past few months, these girls have become some of my very best friends and this church has made me feel so very at home.

Day 301:
Ice Storm '07. Really? It's March. This is not pretty or fun. This is miserable. Lesson #1 in surviving New York winters: The necessity of the Puffy Coat.

Day 352:
Have I really lived here almost a year? Somewhere in the past 300 days New York started to feel like home instead of an extended vacation.

Day 373:
We discovered lovely beaches that are only 1 hour and 15 min train ride away. Who knew?!

Day 422:
Times Square is so not fun anymore. Please stop making me take visitors there.

Day(s) 582 - 672:
Winter of the Karaoke Queens. We rocked. Weekly.

Day 710:
Second NYC apartment! Only 6 blocks from our first one. Bigger, better and about 70 stairs up...
(Stanford, Caroline's cat, is much happier here too.)

Day 736:
Feeling incredibly helpless that I'm so far away from my family when I desperately need to be with them.

Day 857:
Broken umbrella in the pouring down rain, no cabs to be found when needed, constantly running late, hating the stairs to my 4th floor walk-up apartment, hating public transportation, sick of the cold, leaky rain boots, stupid job. Ugh, 2.5 years and so very over this place.

Day 901:
Aerial view of the City on the flight home from spending a 10-day Christmas vacay in Texas. It's beautiful. I missed it. Just kidding, I'm not over it. I love this place and I love my life here.

Day 1,015:
Finally, a new job! Success! And another year in NYC...

Day 1,095:
Bring on the 4th summer in a row without central ac and the noise from 2nd avenue. Really, I'm ready for it.

My New York adventure began as "I've always wanted to live there!" and "I can do anything for a year!" Now here I am, 3 years later, much braver, exponentially more independent and feeling more sure of myself than ever before. 3 years later, loving this crazy NYC life of mine and though it's tough sometimes, I'm not quite sure I'm ready to give up on it.

Besides, Texas will always be there to welcome me back when I'm ready. And don't worry Texas, I'll be ready to come home to you one day. But for now, breaking up with the City I love is one thing I can't bring myself to do just yet.

Day 1,095. What a beautiful day.