Survive my big scary masters year (or multiple years) in New York City, and learn something about me or life in the process

I’m on my way home, in England, then off to the Netherlands and Hong Kong. My last entry pretty much sums it up. Won’t finish the thesis till December, but this goal was really about the moving away from home aspect, so I feel like I have achieved it. It is surreal to be leaving, it feels like, having had my world turned upside down, I got used to it as a new kind of normal, and now going back to normal is abnormal. Sure it will just take some time to adjust though. Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

(actually it’s not true, I wrote this yesterday then my internet crashed before I could post it, but luckily I pasted it into a word document and didn’t lose it all)... ok, here goes…

officially my one year anniversary of living in New York, but I don’t leave till September 3rd, so I’ll tick it off when I actually leave. As my last entry said, I haven’t actually finished the thesis yet, but I still feel a sense of achievement for having moved so far away from home and survived all the trials and tribulations of my first share-apartment. I have learnt new words like ‘comforter’ ‘babydaddy’ ‘physical therapist’ and ‘diablo coño’, I have learnt about the giant minefield that is the American health system (and how to avoid it by moving to another country), I have learnt that I capable of not living in my home city if I choose to move away for some big career move, I have learnt that I can start a new life from scratch and build up to happiness and stability within a year, I have learnt that there are parts of the world (or cultures) who find my figure more attractive than my own (i.e. those who like big butts and cannot lie), I’ve learnt that you are never truly alone in any situation, I’ve learnt that finding an apartment in New York is like finding a piece of hay in a stack full of needles, I’ve learnt how to navigate the new york subway system and streets like a local, I’ve learnt that Brooklyn is cooler than Manhattan (just saying that to taunt my friend), I’ve learnt that I can like baseball after all, I’ve learnt that you don’t have to like football to go to a superbowl party…that is, until the free food and beer runs out, I’ve learnt that you have to work hard to stay in touch with people far away, but it is worth it, I’ve learnt that life isn’t over when your bank-balance goes below $5000, I’ve learnt some awesome new street basketball moves, I’ve learnt what a cheesesteak is, I’ve learnt that Australia means very little to most New Yorkers, but that in some ways that makes me special, I’ve learnt how to get an A for a paper I spend no work on, and a B+ for one that I worked my arse off for, I’ve learnt that a university bureaucracy can be even harder to work than a government department, I’ve learnt about the great class disparities in new york, I’ve learnt how to tip, I’ve learnt that the way I’ve been doing things all my life isn’t necessarily the only way of doing things, or even the best way, I’ve learnt that any amount of upheaval will eventually settle into some form of normality, I’ve learnt that I’m a very strong woman and you can’t knock me down, I’ve learnt that life in a big city isn’t so crazy after all… and yet it is… I could go on forever, I’ve learnt lots.

Now I’ve just got to finish editing my thesis. Looks like I’ll leave on September 3rd, just as I’m starting to love the place!

I finished on Monday. Then I had this weird anticlimactic feeling after finishing my final paper where I questioned what it was all for. The last few days of my one week break have been good though, despite my zombie-like state. Next Tuesday I start my first summer class, then I’ve got one more and a thesis. The New York part of it is getting easier, even quite enjoyable, but the study part is still grinding me into a bloody pulp. Despite my anticlimax though, I still feel elated for having finished my second semester.

I am finally on my well-deserved winter holidays.

The final 3 papers were killers, partly because of all the chaos early in the semester meaning this necessarily got left to the last minute. This came at the same time as looking for a new roommate in my apartment (still looking, but have a few possibilities), battles with my endocrinologist, my friend back home going into hospital, my other friend back home’s father dying etc. etc.

I am going to LA and mexico in January, yay :) I also want to see a bit of new york in these holidays, but right now i’m waiting for my washing load to finish so I can put it in the dryer before I can go anywhere. Life feels so much simpler now I’m on holidays.

this year, for me, is all about personal growth and all that other crap. I’m not here to get into a PhD program at a fancy schmancy ivy league school, to write the most interesting thesis ever, or to marry Donald Trump.

I am here because I know that, if I survive this year, I will necessarily learn alot in the process. It’s learn or burn – baptism by fire, crash or crash through, whatever the hell the metaphor is.

I WILL go home afterwards because being with my friends is more important than any other reasons to stay in a city, but I want to stick it out for at least a year.

Then I will know that I can do this, that I am not holding myself back by fear, and it will give me a kind of freedom.

lol I wonder if anyone else will pick this goal, it’s kinda specific.