Two Months in NYC

A non-comprehensive list of experiences as a new transplant

I officially crossed the border and activated my visa almost exactly eight weeks ago. What have I done in that time?

• did the infamous NYC apartment hunt

• waited in line for open houses

• gave my number to someone I met at an apartment viewing

• sat on the steps of the Met and relished in the gossip girl memories

• journaled and cried in Central Park on the solstice

• was IN the pride parade on a float

• lined up for frozen yogurt in the heat (it was worth it)

• found an apartment

• bar hopped with an old friend

• watched world cup games with new people

• went to a great and tough yoga class at PALOGA

• went to my first July 4 party

• saw an obstructed view of the fireworks from a rooftop in the east village

• proceeded to get extremely drunk bar hopping

• thought I had legionnaire’s disease because I was so hungover

• took the wooden escalators at Macy’s and shopped for couches IRL

• wandered prospect park

• opened a bank account

• said a real goodbye to my longterm relationship (again)

• went to the Alligator Lounge and sang bad karaoke on stage and freaked out about being in the bar from The Rehearsal

• gone on a first date

• had a first kiss with someone new after almost 5 years

• had dinner with a group of strangers

• got drinks with the smaller group of strangers

• took photobooth photos with these now not strangers

• got eaten alive by Mosquitoes in FiDi (so many blood suckers there)

• went to the Social Security office

• saw Swan Lake at the Ballet and was moved by its beauty

• chatted with my seat mate at Swan Lake and realized that New York is about all the little random connections and moments you make with all the people here and that everyone is so themselves, so kind, and we are all in this together

• got my Social Security Number!!

• started my Sunday ritual of solo picnics in Prospect Park where I read, write, draw and touch grass

• GOT MY DIGITAL SERIES GREENLIT !??!!!

• watched a comedy show in Greenpoint and could not believe one of the comedians had a whole bit about Canada and my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta!! Shout out to the West Edmonton Mall

• went to a shitty rooftop party for the world cup and went to the East Village to watch the game instead

• organized a Women in Genre NYC Film Meetup - somehow I am now the host of this?! and so happy to meet a ton of women filmmakers in the genre community

• watched a bunch of movies at the Alamo, AMC, and Angelika

• joined a Dungeons and Dragon group and have a weekly campaign going where we are all cute animals having an epic adventure and look forward to this every Wednesday

• created a Friday ritual of PALOGA and feeling like I have a yoga community

• went to a Brooklyn women’s meetup and then went to the Public hotel for a bad club experience and paid too much $ for shots

• proceeded to bar hop in the East Village and even sing a karaoke song at Planet Rose

• proceeded to meet strangers on the train home with a dog who invited us to an afters

• proceeded to take the bus to Greenpoint and go to some warehouses and climb under a garage door and enter a party where we danced and took shots with strangers

• proceeded to go home at 5am

• went to the Queen’s Night Market and met new friends and ate a ton of delicious food from all over the world

• more Prospect Park resets

• hunted for Pho in the city and continuously disappointed (seriously, the Vietnamese food here is lacking especially compared to Canada)

• had tapas and paella and went bowling at The Gutter

• accrued sleep debt

• stuck my production company’s stickers all over the city

• saw an independent play in the East Village and was moved and in awe

• moved into my new apartment!!!!!!

• saw & Juliet on Broadway and got to see the view from the NY Times Building

• ate amazing ramen in a restaurant with broken A/C and it was STILL SO GOOD

• more dates

• another night of kissing and dancing until 4AM

• watched the sunset from my rooftop

• fought NYC FOMO and stayed in for once

• tried to catch up on sleep debt

• went to Public Records for their Sunday party and danced and had frozen mezcal drinks and met a new friend who has the same birthday as me!!!

• ate delicious pasta and Burger at Lonnie’s

• went to eat gourmet korean friend chicken at COQADOQ for NY Restaurant Week and will probably never eat fried chicken again as it was so damn delicious

• wrote my new series in Union Square Park

• going to a NY Liberty Game with my new birthday buddy

And that’s the first eight weeks and in between all of the working, writing, and logistics of uprooting your whole life and being a “Resident Alien” in a new country.

What else am I going to get up to? It feels like there is endless possibilities and I can’t imagine what the next year will bring.

xoxo Rose & Bean