(There seems to be so little time, but I do not want to forget and I’ve been so remiss about writing in general—)

During my visit to New York City, I

>> secured an apartment. It’s small. It’s a studio. It’s amazing how much it demands for rent. It’s even more astounding how much money I dropped in the span of five minutes to secure the place. But now I have a place to live. (I don’t understand how college students and people who earn minimum wage live in Manhattan. I will be making a comfortable salary as a fellow and that still only got me 300 square feet. Astounding.)

>> ran a five-mile race through Central Park. The temperature was apparently only 70 degrees, but the humidity was a swampy 93%. I felt significantly uncomfortable at mile two… and, subsequently, I downgraded my goal to “Keep running and don’t walk”. I was hoping to enjoy the sights of Central Park, but I spent most of the time concentrating on my breath due to the discomfort of the run.

I ran with over 5,000 other people. Basically, a small town was running through Central Park that morning… and most of the city didn’t even know about it. That’s incredible.

And, as uncomfortable as the race was while I was running, that endorphin glow kicked in afterwards and I felt pleased with accomplishing this swampy, sloggy goal. (The Beau’s cheerleading was also helpful. Very helpful.)

>> ate a lot of bad food. And by “bad”, I mean:

• burgers at White Castle (since I’ve only heard about this mythical White Castle… this chain has not made it out West)
• fried appetizers and an ice cream sundae at Friendly’s (at the encouragement of my East Coast comrades)
• a cheeseburger and black and white malt shake at the Shake Shack (by far the tastiest “bad” food I had—the shakes are wonderful!)
• over-frozen soft-serve ice cream at Carvel

>> ate interesting food. And by “interesting”, I mean:

• mango chicken with cooked cricket (the cricket was not supposed to be there)
• Ethiopian food
• green tea ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
• “real” bagels (yum)
• “real” pizza
• lots of fruit (to make up for all the “bad” food)
• Brazilian empanadas

>> watched the sun set over land while at the beach. I find this discombobulating, as the sun sets over the ocean on the West Coast. That the sun set over land instead of over water is novel to me. (Thus, “watching the sun rise at the beach” is on my List of Things to Do in New York.)

>> did a lot of people-watching. People generally move faster, talk faster, stand closer, yell louder, sigh more often, dress snappier, spend more money, make more eye contact, show greater attitude, share more personal information, complain louder, have better manners, talk with cool mid-Atlantic accents, and seem more preoccupied in New York City. More data collection to follow.

>> got a tetanus shot. Health clearance and whatnot. Please note that even physicians have difficulties with getting into those gowns “with the opening facing the back”. Not user-friendly.

>> had coffee with Joshua. Joshua is the kidney doctor who writes frequently about kidneys and efficiency. Another demonstration of the power of blogging—it is highly unlikely that he and I would have ever met if this internet thing did not exist. He’s smart, friendly, well-dressed, and can drink five shots of espresso in one sitting. I’m sure he’s already considered how the caffeine affects his renal function and his productivity. Bloggers are thoughtful like that. (…?)

The relocation happens in less than one week. Goodness. And I am not confident that I will get everything done by then. Keep the good juju coming—I need all the pixie dust I can get my hands on.