Planes, Trains, & Wedge Heels

Today was my first day of work. As mentioned in an earlier post, I am an administrative assistant for a small skin care company located in the Upper East Side. One of the reasons I finally settled on my move here was because of the serendipitous event of meeting my now boss on a plane about a month ago. I came to NYC for an open audition for the Broadway revival of the musical Godspell and, instead of leaving with a starring role on Broadway, left with a perfect job opportunity. We happened to sit next to each other on the plane from Philly to LaGuardia...both barely making the flight, only to be grounded for two hours before actually taking off. After chatting for a while, I eventually asked what she did for a living. Turns out she is a chemist and founder of the first at-home microdermabrasion skin care formula. I use Clean & Clear face wash and that's about it (unless I find something even cheaper on sale), so naturally this was the perfect fit..? Okay, not exactly. But she had learned so much in the time we spent talking about my dream to sing in New York that she is willing for me to miss days here and there for auditions/create certain hours surrounding possible music opportunities. Having landed such an ideal job for such a successful, supportive woman was the final "sign" that I needed to make this move to NYC come to life. Not to mention I've upgraded my skin care with her product samples!

Making your way to work in the Big Apple requires a subway ride- at least for most people. I have about a 45 minute commute between walking and the train. I'm lucky in that I don't have to transfer trains; I simply hop on the F and wait a half hour. Waiting on a train is not like waiting in your car during rush hour or some other secluded experience, however. No, no. Riding the train is one of the strangest things you can experience. Lindsay mentioned that subway culture is like riding on a giant awkward elevator, but never did that ring as true as today's commute to work. I've ridden the NY trains tons of times during my visits, but usually those visits were on weekends...not during the sardine-packed hours of a weekday morning. Even when my visit rides were a little sardine-y, I was so consumed with where I was heading that I didn't soak in my surroundings. First of all, nobody speaks. Giant, moving elevator. Second of all, I have the balance of a lopsided dradle, so you can imagine how well I handle myself. On top of it, you try not to make eye contact with anyone, but anywhere you look, there are people! Thus, you're always staring at someone- and they ALWAYS catch you..I promise- unless you close your eyes or read the newspaper.

So here I was, on my way to work for a woman who liked me a month ago, and everyone around me was shifting back and forth at the same time with either their eyes closed or pretending like they could focus on a newspaper when we all know it's way too jerky of a ride to read more than one sentence per 12 minutes. I wasn't ready to embrace the eyes-closed look, nor did I have a paper, so I resorted to being Miss Shifty-Eyes. I saw an assortment of strange things. First, a good-looking guy with gelled brown hair, a nice blazer, fitted jeans, and...FOUR INCH WEDGES? Yeah, he definitely caught me staring a couple times. Here was this perfectly normal looking young man wearing high heels. Welcome to NY. You know what, though, if he was going to rock wedges, he could've at least found a cuter pair. Granted, he probably doesn't have much of a selection in a size 13 men's. As I scanned for something- ANYTHING!- to get my eyes off wedge-meister, I saw a dude with 83 tattoos and long black hair in a leather vest, jeans, a skull bandana, and nothing else. Sitting next to him was a middle-aged man in a designer suit. The contrast was astounding. There is no doubt that I looked like a lost puppy on this train of misfit toys...erm, residents, but I'm hoping no one noticed among the eyes-closed, noses-in-newspapers crowd.

Work itself was good. There's no extraordinary story to tell, but I can say that I felt computer savvy for the first time in my life. Lesson learned: you will eventually push the right button. My brains were sucked out of me by the white screen, but I made money! Mission complete. More than that, I learned that I really like my boss, the product we sell is actually pretty impressive, and you can accomplish anything if you are determined enough to complete the task.

More good news! Brit-Brit found a job during her 24 hour visit! She starts work at a real estate company on Monday! I can't wait for her to get back :) Also, I sold my car! More money in savings, less for me to have to worry about as far as obligations left in Virginia. 

I am SO glad today was a success! Now, I need to get to the gym so I can go to bed at a reasonable hour and do it all over again tomorrow!

[Picture: Brittany and I on our couch during her short visit!]