Week 1: Soaking in the City

I may as well have been a labrador retriever. As I hung my head out the window and the humid wind whipped through my hair, I all but drooled as New York City soared by my taxi cab. We pummeled down 5th avenue, and left behind the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center. It seemed that after each landmark we passed, one glance was not enough to satisfy my craving for the city. And much to my delight, the stained-glass windows at Saint Patrick's Cathedral still glistened in the taxi's rear-view mirror. The cabby was perplexed by my enthusiasm, and barked at me several times to keep my body in the seat. When I apologized and told him it was my first time in Manhattan, the light that overwhelmed his dark brown eyes revealed his understanding. The ever-widening smile that spread across my face threatened to leave a permanent mark, and as I thanked the driver and gripped my bags, I knew that the city and I would get along just fine.

This feverish excitement has not ceased since I arrived in New York just 8 days ago. I pray that as I learn more about book publishing and as I explore Manhattan with friends, that this desire to soak in the city and to discover what God has planned for me here will not be far from my heart.

Here are some photos and stories from the first 8 days of my adventure:

Here is the view on the street, Broadway, right outside of my NYU apartment in Soho.

Washington Square Park and the Empire State Building as seen from our NYU classroom at the Kimmel Center.

Lindsey, Stephanie and I sitting on the steps at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. On Tuesday night we went to the Museum Mile Festival, where all of the museums alongside Central Park (including The Met and The Guggenheim) were free! The Picasso exhibit was beautiful!

The skyline from Central Park while on my way to the Museum Block Party.

Bagel & schmear on the tacky tourist bus!

Michelle, Alex and I getting caught in the rain near Times Square after lunch at Island Burger in Hell's Kitchen. It was delicious!

Michelle, Stephanie, Alex and I woke up at 4 a.m. to see Rascal Flatts for the Today show's summer concert series! We didn't get to see Matt Lauer, but drinking free coffee and dancing to "Life is a Highway" with friends in the middle of Rockefeller Center certainly made the early morning worth it.

The complete photo albums are up on Facebook, and soon I will be blogging about my experiences as an intern at a literary agency. I started my first day of full-time work today reading manuscripts and editing works of fiction, and I cannot wait to share these stories with you all! Until then, thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement! Please feel free to leave a comment if there's anywhere great in New York that my friends and I should make sure to visit, or if you'd just like to say hi, as I would love to hear from you. Thanks for reading, I am glad to have you accompany me on this great adventure.