An Ode to New York City
my experience doing a semester of uni in nyc 🕺
Hear ye, hear ye! For my senior year of uni, I decided to be in New York City. It was supposed to be a whole year, but that’s a story for another time. Okay darling, let’s get into it!
So, it all started when some people I knew ended up getting a townhouse at my school’s “upstate” campus, which put me in a tough spot in terms of housing. In short, I basically had a “f it!” moment and decided to transfer to the NYC campus. I’ve always wanted to take classes there and figured why not?! It’s my senior year and since COVID had happened the year before, I decided that being in the city was the change of pace I needed.
It does help that my mom was a great support in the move. She deserves all the credit for the idea since she went to the same campus and thought of it. Anyway, I bit the bullet (take a shot every time I say the same thing with different wording), sent in all the paperwork, and 5 months later was all moved in.
I lived in Brooklyn all my life, up until my parents decided to move to the suburbs of PA during my junior year of high school. I know what you’re thinking, “Why would they do that to you?” I still don’t have the answer. Anyway, I fortunately got to stay with my grandparents until I graduated. I thrived! I’ve been a very independent person since I started walking home from middle school.
At 21 years old, I got the opportunity to find myself again. Some may think I accredit New York for too much, but with the journey I went on I wouldn’t have wished to be anywhere else. At the start of the semester, I had a rough idea of the touristy things I wanted to do. Trust me, when you’re born in NYC you tend to avoid the touristy spots or don’t take it in the same since you live there. So I decided what better time!
Here is the list:
I will update as I do them, so make sure to come back and see what I’ve done!
go to an art museum ✓
try a chopped cheese
go on an adventure during the am hours (clubbing/bar hopping excluded) ✓
karaoke in KTown (just for the heck of it)
go thrift shopping ✓
bar hop!! ✓
color hair and not just highlight it!! ✓
santa con
let my camera lead the way (pictures featured in my portfolio) ✓
go to seaport ✓
bike the west side highway ✓
go clubbing ✓
rally for 3 nights (turned out being 4 & NEVER AGAIN) ✓
go to a book “space” and sit and read for multiple hours ✓
bike across the BK bridge ✓
canoe in central park ✓
go to the top of the One World Trade Center
As you can see, there are many things to do and I think the list will grow forever. I love being in the city and the things that “irritate me” are not dealbreakers. That whole semester, I read more and went through a period of self-discovery. I was tested in many ways, from how many nights I could go out for…in a row...to how to be alone and enjoy my solitude.
To a t, I would light my candle, turn on my heart neon sign, draw my blinds to see the city skyline, stretch for 10 min, take a shower with an unwind playlist, and whip together a nightcap (if “necessary”). I felt the utmost at peace when I did this and just chilled out by myself.
Sometimes I would take a walk to Seaport, aka my SPOT. The amount of times I walked there is over 50 for sure. I used to listen to this playlist all the time while exploring. Some weeks I would go every day to eat lunch or see the view of BK, the boats, the bridges, and even the filthy Hudson which didn’t look as dirty while inebriated or without my glasses on.
I even ventured over to the west side of the city and loved it over there. My bike ride there was amazing and I had so much fun. I did it in September and went up to 34th St. There’s something about riding a bike, it’s freeing in a way I can’t really explain, so I’ll let Bazzi do it. Anyways, I would’ve gone further if I wasn’t trying to pay more than $3.50. Yes, I was being a bit cheap but I likened it to a metro ride. Also, I was a college student living in NYC, I’m on a budget okay?
I had another instance where I decided to finally bike across the BK bridge. If you haven’t done it, I highly recommend A+ 5 stars. Once you get past that uphill, I promise the downhill makes it worth it. However, once I crossed the bridge, I quickly realized how frightening riding in Brooklyn was. Between the narrow lanes and drivers, I parked that bike real quick. This whole time, I was a little chilly, as it was about a whopping 40 degrees outside. As you can see below, I had not prepped for that type of weather, but with a Spanish latte and pepperoni pizza, we prevailed.
These experiences, along with others of walking barefoot around Midtown (it was on the cleanest street ever I promise). It was after stupidly deciding to wear heels and dance on a sofa within the same night with said heels. This was all within the first two months of living in NYC. There was always so much to do, see, and explore. I won’t share all the stories this time though.
While there were moments I questioned, “Am I a New Yorker even?”, the city is something special and will always be a part of me. As stated in the beginning, this could legit be a series and I could delve into the many experiences I briefly mentioned, but for my brain, I shall stop here. I still have a lot of exploring and lists to check off. It was cut a bit short and so were some friendships. 🥲 However, I trust that it’s not the end!
tata for now,
xo xo Gopiss Girl
If you enjoyed this, you should read
Books That Made Me (adding to the lore ofc)
Recent Movies That Have Me Obsessed (watched while in nyc dorm bed)
Also! A reminder to keep talking about Palestine, the DRC, and Sudan, & keep calling and emailing your representatives. Find a protest near you here and learn about the Boycotts, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS) movement here.