First Weeks as a NYC Resident

Hello from New York, New York! I am writing this from my NYU dorm room in the city. I moved in three weeks ago, and the time has already FLOWN by! I have spent this time getting used to living in such a busy city, completing my internship program orientation, starting my internship, and taking everything in with my new friends.

So much has taken place in these first few weeks that I wanted to do a little recap. This will be the first of many posts from my summer in New York City. My high school best friend just visited this past weekend and we made sure to hit all of the popular tourist destinations. We took tons of photos and made so many memories, so posts highlighting that weekend will be coming soon. For now, back to the recap of the first two weeks:

My adventure actually began in my hometown of Middleton, WI. My dad is absolutely amazing and was willing to drive me and all of my belongings to NYC to move me in. We spent a full day in the car jamming out to music, chatting, and trying to find acceptable restaurants to eat at. After spending the night in Pennsylvania, we ventured toward Manhattan. Traffic picked up in New Jersey and as the highway curved, the skyline came into view. In no time we were driving out of the Holland Tunnel and through the busy streets of NYC. We lucked out and got a parking spot on the street right outside the entrance of my dorm. We spent some time taking piles of my stuff to my room and starting to unpack. Once my room was mostly set up, we set out to explore the city.

Our first stop was the infamous Shake Shack. This probably sounds crazy, but this was my first time every having Shake Shack and it did not disappoint!

With our stomachs full, we headed to the subway. Our main objectives for the afternoon were to find the Meredith Corporation office, since that was where my program orientation was held, and find The Knot Worldwide office to make the first day of my internship easier. Both buildings are located in the Financial District, so we needed subway tickets first. I felt like an official New Yorker swiping my yellow MetroCard and waiting for the subway.

The Financial District has so many amazing sights to see. The last time I was in New York City was 2012, and so much has changed since then. One recent addition is the Oculus. This building, which serves as a shopping center and subway access point, is breathtakingly beautiful. My Dad and I made sure to take a selfie before heading to our next spot.

Nearby is the 9/11 Memorial and the new One World Trade Center building. On my previous NYC visit, the reflecting pools were completed but the museum and One World Trade Center were in the process of being built. Visiting this memorial/museum is an incredibly emotional experience that provides an overwhelming sense of both loss and hope. The reflecting pools in the spots where the Twin Towers once stood produce a strong but calming sound and the sight of nearly 3,000 names inscribed surrounding the memorial is profound to say the least.

The Meredith Corporation New York office is just across the street from the memorial. After a year spent interning at the Des Moines, IA office, it was surreal to see the same logo proudly displayed on the side of a tall building. Only a few days later, I confidently (and a little nervously) walked into Meredith for my internship program orientation.

We also stopped by Wall Street while in Downtown Manhattan. Originally installed facing off with the Charging Bull statue, this bronze statute entitled Fearless Girl now stands boldly opposite of the New York Stock Exchange. I made sure to channel some fearlessness in preparation for the summer.

We wandered around to The Knot Worldwide office and a few other spots before taking the subway back toward my dorm and grabbing some dinner. Unfortunately my time with my Dad quickly came to an end. He started his drive home and left me to settle into my dorm.

The following morning the ASME Magazine Internship Program orientation began. My roommates and I left our dorm early to make it to Meredith Corporation. The New York office (Time Inc.'s headquarters before Meredith acquired the company) is amazing. The dynamic media screen below captures attention the moment you walk in. Myself and the 22 other interns spent two days listening to media professionals present on their experience in the industry/at specific publications/in specific roles. I learned so much and took A TON of notes! I left orientation eager to continue learning and ready to start my internship.

Orientation ended and left us with a free Friday. My roommate Sierra and I took advantage of Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series in Central Park. We woke up crazy early to make it there by 7:30 for the free Ciara concert. The crowd wasn't too big, so we got to see Ciara up close and personal as we sang along to her greatest hits. It was a great start to the day and an awesome way to start the summer!

A large group of us interns traveled to the Brooklyn Museum for the first Saturday afternoon in the city. We spent some time milling around the installations and collections before grabbing a seat in the auditorium. Our main reason for traveling to Brooklyn was for the Book Club: The Bold World with Jodie Patterson. This discussion was moderated by Elaine Welteroth, Project Runway judge and former Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue. Both of these women are truly amazing authors, speakers, and activists. Hearing them speak was such a privilege, and we even got to meet Elaine afterwards and take a group picture!

A few friends and I prioritized trying out churches as soon as we moved in. On our first Sunday in the city we attended C3.NYC, a church a previous intern had recommended to me. We absolutely loved the worship, preaching, and community at C3 and have continued going back since then.

After an exciting orientation and first weekend, I was ready to begin my internship with The Knot at The Knot Worldwide. I got to the office early on my first day so I could go through new hire orientation with a few other interns. My first day included lots of new company merch, many introductions on my team and throughout the company and the beginning of a few projects. I've now completed two weeks at my internship and I am really enjoying it. The environment and assignments are different than at my previous internship, so I am always learning.

Before heading to our first Friday of work, my roommates and I stopped to grab donuts in celebration of National Donut Day. We managed to find an adorable store that had a large variety of delicious donuts to choose from. This helped us start the day off on a very sweet note!

On Friday we also had our first weekly lunch meeting. Part of the ASME Magazine Internship Program is coordinated lunches each week at various New York companies in the industry. Our first lunch was at Bustle Digital Group. We got to hear from a few professionals regarding their journey to this position, day-to-day tasks, and advice for us. I am eager to continue learning from these weekly lunches.

While I'm still learning about New York City and trying to figure out if I could see myself here post-college, my first two weeks were amazing! As previously mentioned, my next post will cover my friend and I's touristy weekend adventure in NYC. If you think I filled my first two weeks to the brim, wait until you see all we did in one WEEKEND! I am so excited to continue documenting my summer on my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments below. Thanks for stopping by and see you next time!

#LIFESTYLE