The Beast

Day 9 in BK.

Today (sunday) was my first experience with New York rain and apparently it was a wimpy one. Not that I'm wimpy and couldn't handle it but because it was more of a drizzle than actual rain for New York standards. However for this California girl, it was most definitely Rain. In fact, the news reporters back home would have had a field day, leading the news with "STORM WATCH 2010" today. Thinking about how absurd and over dramatic they are makes me laugh. However, this Cali girl took it in stride and embraced the weather. In fact I did what many other New Yorkers were doing today, I went for a run in the park..... yes, during the rain. It was amazing. The park is gorgeous and the smell of fresh rain hitting newly cut grass is wonderful.  Now, I realize that going for a run in the rain is not unheard of back home but the difference here is, that it is quite common in New York - at least from what I can tell. I loved it, everything about it. Not knowing if it was my sweat or rain drops rolling down my collarbone, leaping over puddles, seeing a group of guys play flag football and feeling the burn of the warm air escape my lungs and then watching it hit the cool air outside. Best of all, I forgot for a few moments that I was new, forgot that I knew nothing of the place I lived and that everyone one I loved was miles and miles away. I loved it.

The weather is just one tiny example of all the things that are different here. And trust me there are many, many differences. Visiting New York is one thing, living here is an entirely different beast. I'm doing my best to tame the beast... or at least get it to like me and not bite.

Nina Michelle