Before the plane was in sight of New York I began talking to the woman next to me. She was even more excited than I was that I was going to New York for the first time. She told me that I would know instantly if I would like it or not, but honestly I didn't really believe her. I figured New York would be a change, and at first I may not love it, but eventually I would learn. But she was right. As soon as I could start to see the Island my heart started racing. It looked just like all the pictures I had seen, and up in the air it looked like a perfect little Lego city. Before I even had one foot on the ground I knew I would love it here. I was completely assured.
I took my first cab, alone, to Brooklyn. I practiced saying my address and cross streets the entire day so that he wouldn't take advantage of my lack of knowledge and take me around on a $100 cab ride. Luckily the cab driver was a really nice Ugandan man, and I had a great ride to Brooklyn, where my roommate, Kait, was waiting outside for me.
My apartment is great. Aside from the dumb gnats (which Week 4 Ashley can now officially say are almost gone thanks to Apple Cider Vinegar with a few drops of liquid dish soap! *coughdiegnatsdiecough*) it is a really great place to live. It is not big by Las Vegas standards, but it is by New York standards. Kait and I both have our own bedrooms, and we share a bathroom and Living Room/Kitchen. The couple that owns the building lives upstairs, and they are very nice. With a 2 year old daughter, a baby on the way, and a giant German Shepard.
The area, Bed-Stuy, seems a little rough, compared to some of the nicer areas in New York and Brooklyn, but honestly it's not too bad. Most of our neighborhood is owned by one family, so they are often outside talking and the kids all play together. There are a lot of cops around at night, but it is part of the initiative to clean up all of New York, and it's working pretty well.
I started work the next day. Kait and I took the Subway to work. Our office is at 22nd/Broadway. I am working at FOREFRONT church, a non-denominational Christian church. They don't meet at the office for church, but at a college walking distance from here. They are also in the midst of opening a new church in Brooklyn (Week 3 Ashley will tell you about the first Preview service). The people are all really great here, everyone was nice and welcoming here. Most of the work I did the first week was get to know the church and the people, so it was pretty light.
The really awesome thing about work is that there are 5 interns! We are all girls about the same age, and 4 of us are actually Ozark students! Kait, my roommate, is helping plant the church in Brooklyn. Taylor and Sarah are working in the Music Ministries. Michelle (who is the non-Ozarkian, from Texas A&M) is working on community development through small groups. And I am working with the children's ministry. Having us all together is great, because we are hanging out and taking in New York together. This picture is of our "intern office" (aka, the back room).Friday and Saturday I'm off, so I wandered around the city, trying to learn the subways and get a handle on the city. I loved every moment, and I know that my time here is going to be AMAZING.
