The Original Manifesto

Hey there! This is my first foray into the blogging universe so go with the flow and we'll figure it out together! The intention behind this blog is to document and share my journey from my hometown, Austin, TX to the great big city of New York and the transformation therein. I have no idea what God has in store for me but I know it's something big. He has shown me in a million ways that he is behind me one hundred percent and for that I am thankful every day!

Way back in July of 2011, I went to a program in Tel Aviv, Israel. There I met a great teacher who wanted me to come study with her in New York. That is where this dream took its first steps. I had new incentive to graduate college and did so within a year. I then moved home with my gracious mother, just waiting for the opportunity to move to New York City.

A good friend of mine had been living in the city for a couple of years and had a roommate who was planning to move out. When this roommate set a date to move out on December 21, 2012, I turned in my two weeks notice intending to spend Christmas with my family and fly out the first week in January. An hour after I quit my job, I got a text from this friend saying her roommate was no longer moving out but that I could stay on her couch while I found a place. Not exactly ideal but I kept the plans, since I had already quit my job. I sold my car the first week of January and bought a flight for January 15th. The dream was finally coming true!

The next week was filled with preparations and packing, crying and excitement! Everything I had wanted for years was finally happening! My sister and her husband drove up from San Antonio on Sunday, the 13th and helped get me ready to make the big move: everything packed in boxes ready to ship when I had a place, the boxes labeled with contents for easy searching and sending, suitcases packed and ready for flight. Monday was spent doing final laundry and packing and napping in order to be well rested and leave at 3am on Tuesday for my 6:25am flight. So began the worst day in the history of  days.

We left the house at 4am, loaded Daisy (my adorable dog; you will see plenty of pictures of her in New York) and my suitcases in the car. The airline had not opened for check-in by the time we got there, but thirty minutes later I managed to get Daisy checked in in her kennel and my suitcases (overweight and expensive) on the plane. Managed to switch planes in Atlanta with ease and only a small heart attack when the airline lost my dog in her kennel (finally found and put on board). When we arrived in New York, Daisy arrived just next to the baggage claim and a skycap helped me load everything I had with me on a cart. I received a text message at this time that my friend, whose apartment I'd been planing to stay at, had discovered an infestation of bed bugs.

She says to go ahead and come to her apartments so I do. Not only is the place barely big enough for three people, much less four people and a dog, everything they own is bagged up and stacked up in the living room bathroom and kitchen, and the exterminator has sprayed poison all over the floors and beds. Poor Daisy had pooped in her kennel by this point and we had nowhere to sleep that night. Things were looking pretty dire.

Now, I had been talking to a guy who I'd connected with through a subletter group on facebook. After cleaning Daisy and he kennel up and helping with what I could in the apartment, he and I met for coffee to discuss living together. We hit it off right away! He desperately needs a roommate, he is more than willing to live with Daisy, and the apartment is less than I originally budgeted for in rent!! He is also a God-fearing guy with lots of personality and and easy-going attitude. The problem was, since this guy had to work until 3am, Daisy and I had nowhere to stay that night. My friend took me to her guy friend's house where he fed us and I got in contact with a mutual friend whom I had never met. He agreed to let me sleep at his place. So I left the apartment where my good friend was staying, went to her place and took Daisy for a walk, packed an overnight bag and caught a taxi to Tribeca, where I stayed in the most gorgeous apartment I've ever been to with one of the nicest people I've ever met. I had a place to sleep.

He was my angel that night. He left early for work and I returned to the apartment, packed up my bags and loaded Daisy in the kennel one more time to move to an apartment on Staten Island site unseen. I'd seen pictures but honestly, I could not have hoped for a better outcome. My new roommate is clean and neat and funny. The apartment is old but charming and full of character. My room and bed are small, but the living room is extremely spacious. Exposed brick in half the living area in addition to high ceilings and white plaster walls give the apartment a light airy feeling with the comfort of an old building that has known a great many inhabitants.

So after probably the most ungraceful entrance into the city I could imagine, I have a wonderful apartment in a quaint little neighborhood in St. George, with a diner across the street and everything I need within walking distance. I can hear the ferry boats toot their horns and the church bells boldly announce the time. It is cold here but not unbearable and there are people all around. No leads on the job front, but God provided so brilliantly on the apartment front, I have no doubt he will help me find the job that will pay the bills. That's all I have to write for now but let's see what tomorow holds!