Student Blog: It's Up to Us, New York and Me

It is weird to think that this will be my last article as a student blogger for BroadwayWorld. So much has happened since I started writing last June, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to document everything here. This blog taught me so much more than written communication skills. It taught me what resonates with audiences, it taught me how to reach out to people, and it taught me to proudly share some of my accomplishments - something that I've always been insecure about.

So for this one last article, I am sharing one of, if not the most important accomplishment of my life: I moved to New York City! Ever since I first came here in 2013, there was something about the city calling me. Maybe it was Broadway, maybe it was the energy on the streets, maybe it was the fast pace, or maybe it was a combination of everything.

The fact is that it was always a dream to stay here for a longer period of time. And I use the word "dream" because I honestly didn't think it would become a reality - or at least not as quickly as it did. A week before my graduation, my parents and I decided that we would take the chance and make the move. Immediately we began the search for apartments online. I shifted my job search from all the big art centers in the country to focus only on the big apple. And not even 24 hours after I walked the stage at our BW commencement ceremony, we packed a minivan with all our luggage and drove to the city.

It was a very stressful and dangerous drive as the roads in Ohio and, for most of Pennsylvania, were frozen. It rained during the whole 11 hours, non-stop. My Dad was extra careful since we are not used to driving in these conditions. Nonetheless, we arrived in Manhattan at around 10 pm on Sunday, May 9th.

The next day, we started our apartment hunt, touring many units, comparing price, sunlight, amenities, but above all, LOCATION. The three of us agreed that the most important thing was what we called "emotional safety," meaning we all should feel comfortable and safe with the place we chose, especially because it is my first time living alone (not in a college dorm), and first time living in NYC.

My parents decided to extend their stay here because we realized that one week wouldn't be enough to have everything settled. If you think the New York real estate market is hard, try navigating it as a foreigner and with the city reopening. We found a south-facing furnished hidden gem on a pre-war building with a doorman, elevators, laundry room, a garden, and a rooftop. Is it perfect? No, but it checks all our boxes and beyond.

We had a little time to visit some of our favorite spots and see the city coming back to life. When we got here, it was a little chilly and cloudy. But as the weather started getting better, people were out on the streets, filling the restaurants' outdoor dining tables. We witnessed the new Hamilton marquee going up, announcing the reopening date, as we were casually walking to the subway. We saw MANY movie/series sets. We drove around the city for a day going from Harlem to the west side to Red Hook in Brooklyn. And we cleaned every single corner of the apartment. I think the last time this place was this clean was in 1929 when it was built. We are very proud of the hard work we put into it!

I am so happy to have spent this time with my parents, and I can't thank them enough to be giving me this opportunity. I would write more about them, but I would start crying (and I have cried a lot in the past few days). To sum it up, they are making my dream come true. So now that their part is settled, I need to make mine, which is to find a job. And let me tell you, it is tricky, mainly because I am still waiting for my visa approval to work in the States.

Although I idealized I would be ending this article telling you about the next step in my career, I will tell you that the future is exciting, sometimes a little overwhelming, and uncertain. That's why I have to remind myself that living in the moment is what counts! So, at this moment, I say so long, farewell to my wonderful time at BroadwayWorld, looking back with so much joy and looking forward with a lot of hope.

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