The Sights and Sounds of Summer in Central Park

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

 That is the verse I read on the day I left for this city and that is the very same verse I claimed as mine to live by on Januray 1, 2012 sitting in Kat's living room as I painted those words on canvas. That was clearly not a coincidence and clearly the work of the Lord's hands once again. I'm listening as hard as I can. 

  I have only been in the city for three whole days and I've already come to these conclusions...

-goodbyes are like Band-Aids the slower you peel them off the more it hurts!  

-I think I'm in some sort of shock.

-I don't think I've fully recovered from my night of packing till 3am, and carrying 4 bags up four flights of stairs to my new place.

-I need to make friends as soon as possible.

-I should have known better than to think it would be as easy as last summer. 

I've drawn these conclusions because I have cried more this past month than I have cried my whole life because leaving my home was probably the hardest thing I've ever done.  I wake up with the puffiest eyes every morning at 7:00AM on the dot without an alarm clock.  I haven't had a real conversation with people face to face in three days and that's surprisingly hard for me. Let me clarify, I talk on the phone, I send text messages I ask "Hi, I'm just wondering if y'all are hiring right now?" and smile at strangers on the street but I definitely don't consider that much interaction for right now.  I sweat buckets from the moment I wake up until the moment I wake up the next day which results in two showers per day.  I don't have my job at Cranky's that I thought I would have and I cannot get my portfolio done to save my life!  

Therefore, my days have consisted of waking up at 7:00am and then going back to sleep because it's summer and there is no way I'm waking up that early.  When I finally wake up I have a cup of tea and a bagel at the kitchen table as I read my morning devotion which is always perfect for the day that awaits me.  I go around town and hand out my resumes to cute little coffee shops or cafe's since Cranky's is fully staffed, walk around the city, take it all in and then come home to my immaculately clean apartment without mice and work on my portfolio.  Needless to say my life here has not been too exciting yet.  On the bright side, I have a voice lesson scheduled already with a girl I knew in college and hopefully she will point me to some really good musical theatre rep that I desperately need.  My roommates are really nice and never home so I have the place to myself when I'm here and I LOVE THAT!  

 Today I decided to take a break from life and spend my day in Central Park.  This place is one of the many reasons I <3 NYC.  As soon as I hopped of the train I grabbed a venti vanilla iced chai tea latte for my daily source of energy and headed into the park.  My goal was to find the beautiful place that has all the trees cascading over the walkway that my sister and I desperately tried to find last year when she came for a visit.  Well, it's called the Mall/Literary Walk and I found it! Once I realized it was directly across from the Bethesda Fountain I had to laugh a little.  Sis, we were so close and had  no idea! Today in that area of the park they were hosting something called Adventures NYC.  It was hosted by Backpacker Magazine so it was all this outdoorsy stuff. We all know that outdoorsy stuff is not really my thing but I let my ears be my guide today and I heard some of the best music in the little amphitheater that was at the end of the Mall.  The first band was called Kings County Ramblers and the next group was called Lucius.  The first band was a bluegrass band and so good and Lucius, well I don't really know how to describe them except to say  they totally rocked my face off!   I loved them too because the singers were matchy matchy like me and Cindy :) After that I walked right over to the Bethesda Fountain but stopped underneath the little tunnel that connects the Mall to the Fountain because there was a wedding going on right there!  It was so precious and perfect because a street musician underneath was playing The Prayer on his cello during the ceremony.  I'm sure they tipped him well to play for them but how New York is that?!!!  After looking at the fountain my ears led me again to the same spot as the wedding but this time it was a family singing You Raise Me Up in 5 part harmony.  BEAUTIFUL!  I just stood there with my eyes full of tears because these were 4 children and a dad singing together.  In this life there is nothing purer and sweeter to my ears than listening to children sing.  It just makes my heart so happy and that moment was food for my soul.   My ears took me back once again to the amphitheater where Lucius was still playing.  I had every intention of reading in the park because it's so peaceful so I found my way to a bench and I could't believe my eyes! Wouldn't you know, it said these words on a little plaque " Toto we're not in Kansas anymore!'' Oh my goodness those words could not be more perfect because that's totally how I feel.  The Wizard of Oz lives on and I failed to read after that.  I ended up people watching for a little bit and then my ears took me to some salsa music where people were doing some sort of aerobics class for the Adventures NYC thing.  It was there I met a nice man named Tino and had my first face to face conversation in three days.  I enjoyed chatting for a bit and then I headed back to my Astoria apartment for a Saturday evening of blogging.  

Tomorrow I will be going to church and enjoying the company of others and then, as the week goes on, I will be crossing my fingers and saying my prayers that I will find work somewhere soon in a Cranky's like place.  I probably shouldn't be that picky but I just loved working there and am sad I won't be.  

Here's to goodbyes and hellos a collage of my first few days here...  

Me and Heather after breakfast on the day I left.  I love you sis!

At the airport with Jake

me and my Mamma! 

Me and Jonah. Oh how I'm gonna miss these sweet boys!

I made it! Hello NYC

This is my room in my Astoria apartment with all of my luggage. 

This is how I feel when I work on my portfolio!  Clearly  me and technology do not get along! 

Beautiful Wedding

The Mall

Here is where I heard the best music! 

My little people watching bench :)