Progress

          Things are finally happening.  After three weeks of being in limbo - riding the bus back and forth from New Jersey to the city, frantically racing to be the first to put an application down on an apartment, and filling up my documents folder with specifically tailored cover letters - it is all over.  That is, I got a job, and we got an apartment.
          First, about my job.  I am the newest member of the seafood team at the upper west side Whole Foods Market.  I start in "a week or so", and from that point on I will perpetually smell like fish, so I hope Kyha is ready for that.  I'm really excited.  All the people I have met there so far are great, and I think I get to wear one of those super stylish double-breasted white chef's shirts.  I think the manager said I might have to work at 4:00 AM sometimes though, so when I start complaining about that, remind me that I just said I'm really excited.
          As for our apartment, we couldn't be happier.  It's in a great location in Central Harlem, four blocks north of Central Park, on the 5th floor of a great old building with an elevator, all for only $1,200 a month.  WHAT!  1,200 dollars!?  I know, what a great deal right!  Ok, sarcasm aside, it is a lot of money.  But, this is New York, and realistically it's about as cheap as they come.  Aaaand, for the area we're in it's a steal.  Aaaaaaand, it's pretty big!  I mean, it's actually small, but compared to most of the other apartments we looked at, it's big.  We signed the contract and got the keys today, and we move all of our stuff in on Sunday.  Then, I can finally take that stupid (Almost) out of the blog title!
          Oh, I also started school today, which I keep forgetting is the whole reason we moved all the way over here anyways.  It was great!  My class today was "Introduction to Planning", and I loved it.  There are only ten students in the class, and we all sit around a big table and pretend we're professionals who know what we're talking about when we discuss things, and it's fantastic.
          I am overjoyed to finally be able to settle down and have our own apartment.  My aunt and uncle have been amazing, housing us and feeding us and transporting us, but I'm ready to get some routine going.  I have all these visions of what I think life in the city will be like.  Hopes.  Expectations.  Assumptions.  Dreams.  And from now on, this blog will probably be about how everything here is different than I thought it would be.