Guys... Where Are We?

Living near Columbia, it's really easy to forget you actually live in one of the biggest, busiest cities in the world. I know that's kind of silly. It's clearly Manhattan. I look outside my window and see big buildings and yellow taxis. I walk five blocks in either direction and I hit a subway stop. But I'm serious - it's easy to sink into college mode and forget to enjoy the wonders of the city.

Yesterday was the first time I left my neighborhood in a week. Sure, I've been wandering around roughly a 20-block radius, but until yesterday, I hadn't gotten on the subway and gone anywhere for a looong time, which is why I haven't been blogging lately. Nothing to say, and nothing to show. And let me tell you, I had cabin fever. But I've had so much work to do and so many errands to run and so many people to catch up with. But yesterday, I simply refused.

I woke up early, finished my five page paper (welcome to the first week of grad school), ran a few errands, and hopped on the subway to the Upper West Side. After a few glasses of wine on Jungle M's rooftop, we followed a friend a few blocks away to a tiny Thai restaurant for late night spring rolls and drunken noodles. Then we went our separate ways - the boys to their nearby Fordham Law dorms, and Jungle M and I back to her studio apartment to watch 30 Rock and PTFO. And right before I fell asleep on an air mattress on the floor of one of my oldest friends, I thought, "this right here, is New York City."

Sure, you can drink beer at a friends house anywhere you live. But can you do it on a rooftop overlooking Central Park?

Not our view exactly but pretty close

Source - Oyster Travel Guides

So I decided last night that starting today, I will do something to make me appreciate the beautiful city in which I live every single day. And if you know the right Twitter accounts to follow, you know that there are a million things going on in this city every single day. And so many of them are free! Now, obviously there are going to be days where I can't just take in a Broadway show. But even if the only thing I have time to do is walk down to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, or grab an apple turnover at the Hungarian Pastry Shop, or just sit on the quad of Columbia's campus and take in the magnificent, ancient buildings, that's okay.

So what's up first? Tonight, Jungle M and I are taking in one of the Metropolitan Opera's free outdoor screenings. Because why not?