First Impressions

So where should I start...I'm sure you have all been anxiously awaiting to hear about my first day in New York City, and I apologize for not posting sooner. Truth is, I was just so tired yesterday. Great canyoneering trip to Zion, late nights in Provo packing, red-eye flight over to NYC, etc, etc. All and all...I was a little worn out.

Anyways, let me just say my overall first impression of New York: I LOVE IT.

So...now that that's out of the way I guess I'll just go through my first day quasi-choronologically.

I landed in the JFK airport about 5:30 AM NYC time (for those of you in Provo, Utah that would be 3:30 in the morning, and for those of you up in good ol' Sandoint, Idaho...yeah, that's right...you were probobly sleeping seeing as how it was 2:30 AM your time.

so...back to my story. I got off the plane and road the airtrain to the the subway where I was able to buy my month pass which allows me to ride the subway as much as my little heart desires for a month...so exciting. I traveled the subway, luggage in hand, following the directions that my new roomate Kevin (whom at the time I had yet to meet) gave me via email a week ago and I had printed out the day before. It was great. Even after getting on one of my connections going the wrong direction. I was suppose to be traveling "uptown" or north, but somehow ended up on the 1 going "downtown." I kind of made the connection when they announced the next stop as being Wall Street. :)

Well, even after that marvelous episode, I arrived at my new apt safe and in one piece (and with all 3 pieces of my luggage: suitcase, duffel, and backpack). My first impression of the apt wasn't the greatest. I thought to myself..."wow, this place is ghetto." But my thoughts have since turned more positive.
**It's amazing what a broom, windex, and some paper towels will do. ;)

After arriving at the apt, meeting Kevin, getting keys, and taking care of some unfinished business back in Provo via email (I'm so glad this apt has wireless), cleaning my room a little, and taking a shower, I decided to go out and brave the subways once again (this time without my blasted luggage) to see about getting a bite to eat (it was like mid day and I still hadn't eaten much of anything) and also to see if I could find the agency where I would be interning.

parenthetical ( so that last paragraph is one heck of a long sentence, and never before have I seen so many parentheticals in ONE sentence ) end parenthetical

During my short little adventure, I just so happened to get onto the subway going the wrong way yet again. Dang it! But that's ok. No big deal. It kind of worked out great cause when I got off to cross the street and get back on going the other way, there was a McDonalds right there. Now, I know...I know...you all are thinking, "why the heck did he go eat at McDonalds! He's in NY for crying out loud!!!" Truth is, I was really hungry by this point and I didn't want to spend the time searching for a good place to eat, nor did I know where a "good place" was. I decided to play it safe for my first meal here and so...McDonalds.

I rode the train (and by train, I mean subway) down to Christopher Street and from there walked to 95 Morton Street where The Geppetto Group is located. It wasn't too difficult to find, once I found Morton street. :) I asked this one guy sitting outside a little restaurant on 7th if he knew where Morton street was...he didn't. But one of the two cops that were walking by as I traversed down Bleecker a couple minutes later did. Like I said, after that it was pretty easy to find. They are located on the top floor of this one office building (don't get too excited, the building I'm talking about is only 8 floors, however...a trophy tossed out the window at that height sure would do some damage to a passing pedestrian or vehicle. I say this not because it actually happened...although I suppose it very well may have happened. I say it because today during an office gathering/meeting/party/quest/thing) someone (I have yet to remember anyone's names although I think her name is Georgia) opened the window in the conference room and there are a number of tropheys sitting on the windowsill/counter thing that runs the length of the room. Needless to say, she agreed with me on the whole "damage" thing that one of those babies would cause should someone drop one out the window. She even suggested we try it out, but I think we got distracted or something so didn't get around to it.

Dang, I got on a tangent again didn't I? Let's see...where was I? Oh yeah, that's right...so I found the office and it's located on the 8th floor. But before I went in I decided to walk down to the Hudson River (it's only like 2 blocks away, and you can get a great view from Geppetto.) They weren't really expecting me to work yesterday and "technically" I'm not suppose to start my internship until I'm "officially" registered for the class (something that can't happen until I'm flagged for the class, and that can't happen until Rachel (the Senior Planner...my boss) signs this paper and faxes it back to BYU). Anyways, so I walk down to the Hudson and then walk a littlw ways along it...and low and behold, as I get to the other side of this pier...do you know what I see??? The Statue of Liberty! Granted, it was still pretty far away and so therefore kind of tiny, but I saw it in person for the first time! :)

OK, so back to Geppetto.

Rachel was at a meeting/convention/thing in Florida and won't be back until Thursday so I met with Alexandra (another one of the senior members of the planning team). She introduced me to a couple other members of the team and we chatted for a little bit. When she found out that I had arrived just that morning via the red-eye flight and that I had never been to NY before she was like, "What are you doing here! You should be home sleeping. Go home and unpack, sleep. If you don't come in at all tomorrow I'm ok with that. Go grocery shopping, go get familiar with the city, unpack, get settled. You rode the subway for the first time with all your luggage? You've never been on the subway before and you found your way here ok???"

She's great! I'm really excited to work with her. Everyone I've met at Geppetto seem really nice and they seem like really fun people to work with and be around. While working with Alexandra today on a project for LEGO I was thinking that I couldn't imagine a more perfect place for me to be. With my experience working in classrooms at Sunset View Elementary, TOPS at the Center for Service and Learning, or with 6th and 8th graders for BYU's Hands on a Camera...it just seems to be a perfecct fit since Geppetto focuses on working with younger kids.

I didn't stay very long yesterday but before I went I visited with Becca and Dallas for a little bit (two other BYU interns). It's cool having them there, and seeing as how small the agency is I'm sure we'll get plenty of opportunity to work together on projects.

So...after that short little visit I hopped back on the subway (this time going the correct direction). I stopped at 66 street and Broadway so that I could go into Barnes and Noble and pick up a book I'm suppose to read for my internship: "The Tipping Point," by Malcolm Gladwell. So far it's pretty good. I found out that Alexandra sees him a lot because he goes to the same cafe that she does. Maybe I'll go get him to autograph my copy of his book. :) Anyways, the NY temple is right there at the same stop as well. I didn't take a picture cause I didn't have my camera, but don't worry...I'll get some pictures for you all soon and one of them will definatley be the outside of the NYC Temple.

So, it's about time to close up this post...it is quite long as far as I'm concerned. To bring it all back to the opening bit and the title of this post I'd like to end with this:

After hanging out in Barnes and Noble for a little while I hopped back onto the subway to head home. At one of the stops some people got off and this guy in front of me (mid 20's, muscular, black, tough looking dude) sat down in the seat that was left vacant. Well, this little old hispanic woman got on and started talking to the other hispanic lady sitting next to this guy. (I say "little" because I think she could barely reach up and touch the bar up above that you hang onto to keep your balance once the train starts moving). Anyways, this gangster looking kid who just sat down asks her if she'd like to sit down, then says, "are you sure?" and then he just gets up and has her sit down in his seat. It was great. I nudged him and when he turned around I said, "Hey, that was really cool of you." He just smiled and said thanks. It was like I was in the middle of one of those "Pass It On" commercials. From what I've seen of NY...it's sure turning out to be a pretty cool place.