New York - Dirty, Loud and Cool

Back to reality after a week in NYC.

I have always marvelled at the way a new reality can just take over your life. After one day working at the UN, I felt like I had been doing it forever. My normal life in Michigan seemed like a distant dream.

It was my first time in New York. The city was loud - like 24/7, sleep-with-your-earplugs-in loud. And it was dirty - like three-pieces-of-garbage-in-one-tree and garbage-bags-every-day-of-the-week dirty. But it was also pretty damn cool. We walked to work every day (0ne of my favorite things to do in a big city) and wandered around every night. I saw: Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the UN (included the employees-only parts), the Statue of Liberty (from far away - too windy to go in), 34th Street shopping & Macy's, Chinatown, and a bunch of other stuff.

Highlight of the week: seeing the Conan O'Brien Show. We went early in the morning two days and got tickets on the second try. It was pretty darn funny, including a great comedian that I had never heard of (Dwayne Perkins) who told the audience to buy him cake instead of drinks.

The people at the UN library made great hosts, although the organization as a whole seemed a bit too apologetic/defensive about the recent scandals. I bought my dad a hat from the UN. As a republican, he hates the place, but he likes hats, so I think I can get him to wear it.

Now I'm back in Michigan, caught up on sleep, and ready to finish my last eight weeks of grad school.