Sunday, October 19, 2014

Roommates, Square Dancing, Musicals and fourth dates

Time has been passing quickly here in NYC.  I'm six weeks into school and my internship and had one of my midterms this week.  I figured it was about time to update you on a few little deets and tails.  

My internship has been pretty great.  I've established a relationship with some great seniors and it's so fun looking forward to our interaction everyday.  I have one client in particular that I'm very excited about.  He was initially described to me as the client that would be the most difficult, but I like him.  I think he's funny.  His hair is several inches long and he parts it and swoops it to one side.  He comes across as kind of grumpy but he always ends up making me laugh.  He can't read or write but he tells pretty good stories.  I've been talking to him about the possibility of me writing up some of his stories so he can have a book of it.  His dad used to write poetry and I thought maybe it would make him feel good to have a book of his writing, like his dad.  We'll see.

There's a little Italian lady that I adore.  She has memory problems and frequently repeats herself in things she tells me.  I was gone on Monday and Tuesday due to Columbus Day and Fall Break.  I really didn't anticipate many people noticing, and especially not the sweet Italian lady with memory problems.  But she did.  She put her hands on each of my cheeks and asked me where I had been.  She told me that she asked her husband if he knew where I was, if I'd mentioned I wouldn't be there for a few days.  So sweet.  Something as simple as someone noticing your absence is awfully thoughtful to me.

I have two roommates:  Macrae (who is in my phone as "Barbar Binks"...I dunno.  Hardly anyone is listed under their real name.  haha)  and Justin (who I call J-town or J-diggity).  Macrae and I share a room and sleep on a bunk bed.  While it's slightly embarrassing as a 27 year old lass to be back on a bunk bed, it's also been really fun.   Macrae and I met 7 years ago in Paris where we were assigned to be roommates.  Roommates were assigned alphabetically and since we are both M names, we landed in a beautiful home in Le Vesinet together.  She was incredible then, and that hasn't changed in the 7 years since then.  When I got sick a couple of weeks ago, we laid down the futon and had a Psych marathon and ate ice cream.  We fall asleep on our bunk beds talking about our latest dates and how unreal it seems that we live in NYC together and GET to fall asleep talking about our dating lives in the city.  She even finds fun free things to do in the city.  

One night, she had heard there was free square dancing in Bryant Park.  Naturally we showed up, got free hats, and laughed our faces off dancing with 800+ other people.  They had a live band, there was an announcer who would teach you the dance and shout out the steps over the bands music.  It was hilarious and so much fun...and free, which my pocket book appreciates.
 J-town is pretty funny.  He asked me to go shopping with him once.  We hit up H&M and he let me pick out clothes for him to try on.  It was fun.  He asks Macrae and I to help him pick out his clothes for work, and every now and then we climb out on the roof (from his window) and chat while eating a bit of shake shack.  It's my first time living with a boy.  It's been a pretty funny experience.  It's been fun though.

My dear friend Diana came into town and we got to see Pig Pen Theatre Co perform a musical that they had written and performed in.  It was so creative, funny and sweet.  I'm in awe that these seven men are about my age, each play musical instruments, sing, write plays and act in them.  Overachieve much??  It seems absurd that so much talent can reside in seven charming men.  But I'm not complaining.  Not at all.  It was so fun to have Diana in town.  She is one of my bestest friends from DC and I love that she's not too far away that we can't see each other every couple of months.

Macrae is incredible.  She submitted tickets to the lottery (which essentially puts you in a drawing to win broadway tickets for 20 bucks).  She won and we went to On The Town, in the third row.  It was so well done.  It's so fun to get wrapped up in the music and dancing.  I was raised in a family that loves musicals and it's nice to have a friend to go do these things with.  It was such a wonderful evening.

If you follow anything about my activities in New York over the last two years, you might have noticed the occasional trip to Levain Bakery.  When Macrae first moved here, she hadn't tried their cookies from heaven yet, so I figured it would be as good a welcome as any.  We each bought a cookie (or two) and went to a nearby park to people watch and talk about our disbelief that we live in NYC together after 7 years have passed since we spent much time together.  It's so random and I love it.

It just so happened that the weekend where Diana came up, wasn't very spaced out from the weekend that I was going down to DC.  The reason for this is because Diana and Laura had planned for me to join them for a movie premier and they bought a ticket for me months ago.  I had gotten pretty sick before the trip and nearly didn't go.  I went to the doctor on campus and after prescribing me medication and saying that I really needed to rest, she asked, "What are you doing this weekend?".  
"Umm...I'm supposed to be going to DC."
She just looked at me in silence, sighed and then said, "Please rest." haha
The weekend passed all too quickly.  I got in late Friday night, we went to the movie Saturday and hung out a little bit, then I left Sunday after church.  Diana asked me what I would like to do in the time we had after the movie.  Well...I have some runs in some of my colored tights.  Perhaps a trip to Target is due.  I'm a big fan of colored tights and have a preferred brand by now.  We meandered through Target and when we got to the wall of tights, I just stood there for a minute. haha It's odd that such an odd location could be a happy place for me.  I decided on a really dark green and then we jokingly tried on these pajama onesies....and then had to buy them.  What choice did we have?!

I'm doing well.  Things have been really busy and I've especially been a bit of a stress case around midterms, but I'm doing well.  I'm really fortunate to have some really good friends in my life that are a wonderful support and company as I figure out this fun, crazy phase of life.  I have some pretty hilarious date stories.  Perhaps for a later blog.  My current favorite, however, is a gentleman that has taken me out four times now.  He's pretty wonderful.  My roommate and I were talking the other night about how cute the third date rule is.  You know, don't kiss until the third date.  Well this guy is so darling.  We just had our fourth date, and it ended in nothing but a couple of kisses on the forehead.  Nothing more.  Oh my heart, how I loved that.  As a girl who's felt a bit run down and rushed in the dating scene at times, there's nothing more wonderful to me than a guy who will take it slow.  The simplicity of it means the world to me.  Perhaps as time passes, I might talk more about this one, but for now, I think that's plenty.  I don't want to get ahead of myself or overshare.  I'm happy here.  I hope you're happy where you guys are too.  Love you from NYC,
Mals

4 comments:

  1. I vote for oversharing. At least with me, and on this particular topic, just for the record. I love you Mal. I'm glad you are enjoying your NYC adventure so far!

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  2. I am so grateful that you happy and doing things that bring you joy!! Isis your face!!

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  3. Whoops miss your face not Isis.

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  4. You look like you're having the best time. Annnndd...I would weigh 500 lbs if I lived in NYC.

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