Well, we're going to try this again! I have attempted blogging in the past and have enjoyed the few times I blogged. However, they have been few and far between but this summer I have resolved to keep everyone (even myself) up to date with all of my happenings in New York. For those of you who don't know, I accepted an internship position with the New York City Office of Emergency Management. The OEM is part of the NYC government and functions as a city agency (what to know more?? OF COURSE, you do...OEM's website). I'll be living in Brooklyn Heights for the summer which is right over the Brooklyn Bridge from Lower Manhattan. I've only been her a few days but have gotten a chance to explore quite a bit. I wrote quite a long email to some family and friends detailing my first day. Below details a day in the life of a one day old New Yorker. I'll hopefully be updating this often!!

Hey everyone-

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to all of you for the calls, texts, emails of support. VERY much appreciated! I owe a few of you messages and calls back but just wanted to say thanks! It was a busy but productive day. I'm all moved in and have spent a little time with my roommate (it is a for real dorm in here! luckily no bunk beds and we have our own private bathroom but very limited space. BUT it's furnished and will work!). She's super nice and I found out she's the same age as me which is great (no 18 yr old party animals). She is also here for an internship but her's is in fashion design. She just started undergrad later so she's just finishing up from Kent State in Ohio but is originally from New Mexico. I think we'll get along just fine and from what it sounds like she'll be working a ton and so hopefully we won't be on top of each other too much. 

Martie Fowler (family friend) was awesome today and walked me all around the neighborhood and we of course hit up Target for some essentials. Got to see quite a bit of Brooklyn Heights and even at Armando's (my fave restaurant from my trip out here in December). Jim and Martie have this great group of different people from all walks of life that make for entertaining dinner conversation. We ate at the bar and I met quite the cast of characters:

Fame - Awesome bartender who we met briefly in December from Kosovo who is very funny and a good friend of J and M's. 

Carol- A former ballerina and theater producer (worked in Chicago and New York)

Antonio- An Italian who slips into a British accent that writes and reports for an Italian publication (also was wearing a white sport coat like Don Johnson from Miami Vice)

Christina- A Spaniard who has taught at the same school in Brooklyn for 38 years and wanted to take me all around the city.

And this sounds like it's just the tip of the iceberg...I heard stories about a New York Supreme Court judge, Brendan an Irishman that works for the U.N., and Rocco the 80 something year old barber that knows all the gossip in Brooklyn Heights (and used to cut Truman Capote hair!) Needless to say, it's a great group and they all couldn't be more excited to welcome me. 

Tomorrow...Hoping to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge tomorrow, hop on the Staten Island Ferry (great, free views of the Statue of Liberty, swing by the 9/11 memorial (really liked going there last time), and make it to Washington Square Park since we missed it in December due to rain. Will definitely be taking lots of pictures and will share them with everyone.

Just an idea of the size of the dorm!