Although the notion of moving to NYC was completely out of the blue, I was excited and pretty much moved at the drop of a hat. This would be my third major move and I was knocking on wood that the third times a charm. I never planned on moving to a city as big and scary as NYC, but I was hoping that the city would be all bark and no bite. But boy did I bite off more than I can chew. Moving to NYC has really been as hard as nails.

Moving to a new city is always difficult and you sort of find yourself back at square one. We sold everything but the kitchen sink before we came, so we had to pretty much start from scratch. It’s hard to not get frustrated but you have to remember that Rome was not built in one day.

First things first, get a job. Luckily I hit the ground running and I quickly started getting interviews. Assistant jobs are a dime a dozen here. I didn’t find anything that really struck my fancy, until I got an interview at a flashy company that I really wanted,  so I put my eye on the prize. I thought the day I would get this job would be the day when pigs fly, so I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket.  However, I got the job! How did I get it? Well, your guess is as good as mine. I’m not always playing with a full deck, but I think I went the extra mile, was at the right place at the right time and the job was in the bag!

Next thing, get an apartment. Finding a decent apartment here is like finding a needle in a haystack. Apartments in Manhattan will cost you an arm and a leg but somehow we managed to find a rent-controlled apartment in a great location. This only happens once in a blue moon, so we were as happy as clams. There’s no room to swing a cat in our studio, but it’s a place. Found a job, an apartment, and we were like, “This will be a piece of cake!”

Close but no cigar. Finding a job and an apartment were the easy part. Actually working and living here is the challenge. I know I’m still learning the ropes, but NYC is a tough adjustment. Life in the city is loud and you just want to scream, “Put a sock in it!” The city is full of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off and the over the top attitudes just add fuel to the fire. At the end of a long day, I am so exhausted I run out of steam and I go down like a lead balloon. Or if it was a particularly hard day, we’ll drink like fish until we’re dropping like flies. I think if we had the means to paint the town red and wine and dine ourselves every night, the city might be more tolerable.

I could talk about the frustrations of the city until the cows come home but that’s really beating a dead horse. The city has its challenges every day and I’m learning to not cry over spilt milk. To make a long story short living in NYC is not a walk in the park. Everyday is a struggle but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I know the grass is always greener but I don’t think I could ever call NYC “home”. As for what’s next, I guess its back to the drawing board. Sorry NYC, I might be ready to pull the plug.