One week down...

Well, the first week here has been...crazy. The week went by so fast and I'm really liking my classes so far. I've already had to teach three lessons so far, but they haven't been too bad. I guess all that teaching I did last year was worth something! : )

I have made it through my first NYC weekend and I have to admit, it was not my favorite. I hadn't really been feeling sad or lonely at all this week until the weekend. It was raining most of Saturday so I spent it inside working on a paper. I walked around my neighborhood some today and that was pretty interesting but there's only so much walking around by yourself that you can do. So in conclusion, today I feel like going home. But maybe tomorrow I'll feel differently.

Also, everyone around here is entirely too fashionable. I have now decided that all of my clothes are horrid rags that must be replaced immediately. Except one must also have money to buy all of these expensive items. Alas. Pass me that rag over there. I guess I'll wear it tomorrow.

Hello from the Big Apple!

I am here! I made it!

Well, I got to NYC two days ago and it has been a crazy couple of days. I started my CELTA classes yesterday and I'm really excited about it. I've met some great people and we got straight to work planning lessons. I taught my first lesson today and I think it went alright. I've spent tonight planning tomorrow's lesson. Man, when they say this is an intensive course...they mean it.

I haven't really gotten a chance to see much of the city yet, but that will change! I hope to at least make it to one cultural something this week. Maybe a museum? A show? I don't know yet.

An exciting piece of news...a Pinkberry is right down the street from where I'm staying! Yum..frozen yogurt!

Paul McCartney!

Ever since I was in the 6th grade and saw The Beatles Anthology on TV, I have loved Paul. I wanted to marry him (much like millions of girls all over the world) and he was definitely my favorite Beatle. I dreamed of finding a time machine and going back to 1964 to go to a concert!

And last night, I finally got to see him! He played last night in Dallas and it was amazing. Over two and a half hours of great music. I heard all the songs I had always wanted to hear: Yesterday, Let it Be, Hey Jude, Something, Jet and I Saw Her Standing There. And a million more. It was so much fun! It was the last night of the tour and he looked like he was having a really great time.

He's still got it.

Goodbye Summer

I can't believe it. I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by. I have only a few more weeks of blissful nothingness to enjoy before it's over (ack). I had quite a few things to accomplish this summer and I think I was pretty successful. Even though some things didn't quite work out how I expected.

First, Spain. Or I should say, Spain!!! I love that place. I had a great time getting to see so many of my favorite Spanish places and faces. And the food. Ohhh...the food. Mmm. It might have been worth it just to eat at all my deeply missed restaurantes. I think Batey and Amber had a good time, I hope they did. We were all pretty exhausted by the end of it. Almost two weeks of non-stop going and seeing and eating and sweating. Yes, Sevilla and Madrid were mind numbingly hot at times. But we survived and we didn't kill each other and ended up having a pretty good time.
Highlights include:

• Tortilla espanola, pisto, patatas alioli, bravas, croquetas, 100 montaditos, chocolate sandwich, gofres...I could go on and on.
  
• Scotland! Really cool place. We kept saying we learned more about the plague and torture than we ever had before.
• Street musicians
• Spain friend time
• Missing our flight - Not really a good time actually.
• Looking for Nessie at Loch Ness.
• H&M
• Our cool apartment/hotel we stayed in.
• The zombie monk we saw running around in the streets of Edinburgh
• and so much more!

After that big adventure, we definitely went to some New Kids on the Block concerts and met the boys! Yes, it was a dream come true. Here, I'll even include a photo of the big moment.So there you have it. Me, next to Jonathan Knight. Swoon.

We also saw Reik in concert (amazing) and I went to a family reunion (good times). Batey and I went to New York to look for apartments and it was possibly the worst trip I've ever taken. Rain, stress and frustration. A recipe for a trip to remember.

So after all that and much decision making, I have decided to move to NYC. Officially. I will be making the journey solo, but I am beginning to look at it as an adventure and not the trail of tears. I will be taking classes to get certified to teach English and I will be living a residence while I look for somewhere else to live. Or until I run out of money and have to move back home. Whichever comes first. Chicken or egg. So I leave the 23rd of August and I will probably be freaking out any minute now. It hasn't really hit me yet. I'm still debating the merits of certain members of my shoe collection but I'm sure I'll realize what's really happening soon. And watch out when that happens.

But for now, wish me luck! I'm excited about this next year. It's definitely not what I thought I would be doing this year but now that I've finally decided to forge ahead with this crazy idea, I think it just might work. Naive optimism? Maybe. But at least I'll get to see some great Broadway shows while I'm there.