Homecoming And Coming Back Home

Alright, so switching gears from the “sidewalk” post… (so weird, right?;) now for something a little warmer & a little less synical. Homecoming! Family! Lovin!

So first let me just back up WAY far & say that as excited as I was to go home, there is nothing more intimidating than being a first-timer in Penn Station, alone, with a suitcase at least ¾ the size of your body. And did I mention alone. Even though I had spent a better part of the work day making sure I knew every possible train time & number I could possibly need, once I arrived, it was like chaos. But probably everyone else was fine & really I just looked like a panicked teenager fleeing around the station. (But apparently I must not have looked that panicked because I had at least 3 tourists turn to me for guidance in my state of chaos – “Is there a bathroom where you’re headed?” “Is this train going to Grand Central Station?” and most importantly “Could you tell me where the Cinnabon is?” NO PEOPLE. Does this giant piece of luggage I’m carrying LOOK like a cinnamon roll to you.) Anyway, I finally grabbed my ticket, found my station, and although I wasted $12 on an unneeded “return” ticket in the midst of my panic, I eventually sat on the train next to a Scottish family for the next 30 minutes of dreamy restfulness.

And NOW I must take a moment & say that I have one of the most amazing fams there is. No wonder I miss home so bad! After this crazy day, I was outrageously excited to get picked up by my family and walk into a home smelling of pumpkin fall candles – just as requested. :) Spending those 2 days at home resting, eating Chickfila with my momma, joking with my dad & helping Andrew with his homework ;) was everything my homesick heart needed! (Not to mention the coffee. & the FOOD.)

cutie ;)

cutie #2 ;)

And then Waco.

Now let me say that I know Waco has its flaws and its occasional armed robberies (okay, weekly) and somehow still lacks a La Madeleine, but man, is that a great place. And though it might mean less to me in three years when most of the pieces of my heart there have graduated, there will always be one day that occurs every year in Waco that is important enough to steal my autumn plane ticket from Thanksgiving. And that, my blogging peoples, is Baylor Homecoming. Since about age 4 (maybe earlier. I don’t know. mom?) I have counted down the days til the morning of Baylor parade and the night of Baylor pigskin, and haven’t missed many since then!

good times.... (tiff, don't kill me!;)

But enough of the history lesson! The real news is I got to eat La Fiesta with some of my best friends in this world! (And had even missed tex mex a little if truth be told…I know.) Then we headed to the bonfire where I got to see MORE friends like Brian, Chris & Garr! (friends, friends, everywhere!), and we were able to enjoy ourselves regardless of the fact that Baylor has now added a stay-away-from-the-bonfire fence around the bonfire. (And how weird was it seeing all the pigskin peeps walking around in costumes while we were now the people in regular clothes? So weird.) Then a bunch of us went to Uswirl and froyo’d OUT – with endless samples I might add – and spent the rest of the night at Gotch & Amber’s place still in disbelief that we were all actually in the same city.

But missed you, Ann & Sim, SO MUCH! :(

*hearts in eyes emoji*

SATURDAY.

Was the best. Paraded with the Martin fam at our ole faithful spot by Martin Hall (& it was actually cold! It had been so long since a cold Parade!), went to Uncle Dan’s with friends & fam & INDULGED in some Texas BBQ, and then sped over to the Pigskin performance. And that was really the best.

Love those 'rents :)

Saw so many friends that I’d missed so much, and sat – for the first time since freshman year – in the audience while watching friends perform. I’d been wondering for a long time what that would feel like, and I was so relieved that it wasn’t sad & it wasn’t painful – it was a blast. “Sing” might be a different story, but we had so much fun being those alums that get to sit in the audience & scream their heads off for all their friends and – especially – for “Chi O & Company.” ;) After being one of the Sing Chairs for this act for the better part of my senior year, it was pretty sad not being able to be involved in its final semester…especially after all the changes it went through & knowing how much hard work the other chairs were having to go through. But I. Was So. Proud.

I am absolutely biased in the worst way, but I gotta say – watching that act was an absolute blast. Those guys stepped it up HUGELY, and those girls looked like they were having the time of their lives. Which was all we wanted! So I was beaming with pride!

my cutest lil hip fam :)

my lil kitty-kat!

(So proud of those Sing Chairs :)

Probably the most stressful part of the whole weekend – and probably for weekends to come – was having to balance spending time with all the people I wanted to spend so much time with. It’d be one thing if I knew I’d see these people again soon, but everything was so much more urgent in light of the fact that I had – and still have – no idea when I’ll get to hang out with them next. And-that-is-SAD. So I was forced to split my time between seeing friends at their theatre rehearsal for a little while (not long enough),

gah, no amount of time is ever enough! love them.

& find a last-minute ticket to the game to spend a little more time with Gotch & Amber & talk to friends like Jdun & Ann for less than five minutes (SO worth it), 

ann in her official "get up" :) so proud of her!

and then leave the [most crowded ever] game at halftime to spend some quality time with my momma & sister. Yes it was as crazy as it sounds!!!! But man, ending the night at an almost completely empty Common Grounds with my fam was as good as it sounds. And really hard to leave! 

Spent the rest of the weekend SO happy to worship at Gateway, my home church, eat homemade meals, walk around Southlake with my fam & FINALLY get to see my little medical professional, Kris! She was gracious enough to sit there while I packed, and even though it was for less than 30 minutes, it was the best! It was as hard to leave Texas as I expected it would be. How can you be expected to say goodbye to people when you actually don’t know the next time you’ll be seeing them? Ouch. But the Lord is good, and sat me on the plane right near another BU alum – Sarah George. So we were able to split a cab ride home! (So much money saved.)

(P.s. If your final destination is in Manhattan, it actually makes a lot more sense to fly into Newark. The train is over 50% cheaper than a cab, and will get you to Penn or Grand Central Station in the same amount of time – with a lot less motion sickness…in my humble opinion.)

But just so you know, the sadness I felt when flying from DFW was equally matched by the excitement I felt once again when we were able to see the first traces of the NY skyline. And that was a relief. It’s one of those things you hope to feel when you’re coming back to your “new home” for the first time, but I was so thankful that I actually felt it. And that excitement only increased as I walked into our teeny little apartment. I was glad to be home, and I was glad to call it home! And that felt good!

Sim's precious & practically professional illustration of my self in 

proportion to the big city ;) had to save it! miss that little argentinian! 

But anyway, it was an exceptionally good weekend. And as much as I wish all those people were here with me, it reminded me how lucky I was to have them, and thankful that I didn’t take my time with them for granted. Now I just have to give up this weird, irrational expectation that they’ll somehow all live here in NYC with me someday…a girl can dream ;) And hey…

ONLY 48 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS, AM I RIGHT? :)

oh, just central park SHOWING OFF. ;) and YES, it's
actually as dreamy as this picture lets on. (so why haven't
i been living in a tent here ^ these past 2 months?)

But more on autumn in NYC later :) I've got SO many ideas for my next few posts, so hopefully I'll be more on top of it than I was these past couple weeks! And they'll be more nyc-related, i promise!

til then i'll just be kickin' around some leaves,
kelsey

Sidewalks: A Metaphor

[nyc streets after new year's eve]

So, the other day, we were discussing the sidewalk & thought of some interesting things... 
I shall preface this with a story: 

When Rachel & I were walking one day, I was talking about this disturbing thing that happened to me at a crosswalk on 42nd St. - a woman was crossing in front of a car that was JUST SO VERY ENTITLED TO TURN LEFT, so naturally he rolls down his window & starts cussing her out - because, you know, he has that right as a horrible human being. (Or - to quote an American classic - as Tom Hanks says in response to Meg Ryan's apology in You've Got Mail, "Whereas I am a horrible person...therefore I have no choice but to be horrible. That's what you're saying.") Well, apparently, that just must be true. So anyway, as he's yelling at this woman, a couple men walk up & start cussing HIM out, so as the natural course of events, this man pulls over in the middle of Times Square & gets out of his car. Well, at this point (in light of a recent Times Square shooting - oh yes, look it up. Our neighborhood news oft makes national headlines.) I decided to run like the wind. So who knows what happened next. But that did not show up on the news, so I can only assume the following interaction was extremely warm and congenial. 

So anyway, Rachel & I began to wonder if anyone has ever done a study on an individual's anger management pre-NYC living & then about 18 months later. While I was unable to find any of these statistics online, I did discover a convenient number of "Anger Management" courses offered in NYC for every age group...so if that's something that interests you, I can direct you to a corresponding Google search ("NYC anger statistics" or "NYC behavior statistics" to name a few).

Although this girl was able to manage her emotions quite
well...i mean, getting her hair stuck in the door of a moving
subway & all. even maintained enough composure to take a selfie.

But later we were discussing this with Patrick, I believe, and realized that the sidewalk was kind of a perfect microcosm of life (for most) in NYC. So essentially, this is what was discussed:

In real and not metaphorical terms, I’d say by about week 3 (who am I kidding…by the end of week 1, if we’re being real) of walking the sidewalks of New York, you kind of get into a rhythm. And the rhythm in its most basic form is mean. It’s just flat out mean. On a more restrained scale, you begin to weave through the 6 inch space between tourists – no matter how alarmed they always are; you walk in the bike lane; you realize that when the “no walking hand” for pedestrians stops blinking, you still have an entire yellow light of time to keep walking; and, most overwhelmingly, you develop an intense spirit of entitlement – of which you are not actually entitled. So, for example, if you turn the corner suddenly and run into a tourist who is simply standing on said corner, you might excessively sigh…but then later realize, why shouldn’t they stand there? They’re holding a map, they’re sad, they’re confused, maybe you should’ve stopped & given them directions. But instead…you sneered. And your sneer - though gratifying - was not technically justifiable.

Also, there’s this concept of merging. You know, like, when you’re merging onto a freeway in an actual car? This principle is SO RELEVANT in sidewalk protocol. When you walk out of the local deli, you better watch for oncoming traffic, and you better speed into an open space. If you merely start walking with the mindset “well, this is a free sidewalk,” you’re wrong. This isn’t a free sidewalk. It is actually owned by everyone else walking the proper speed. which, right now, isn’t you. So either speed up or experience the wrath of your peers. And guard your dunkin donuts latte.

Only on really special days do I wake up in enough time
to take this walk to work... thank you, Hell's Kitchen, for
not being Times Square at 8:30am.

Like, if you think walking through Grapevine Mills on Black Friday is rough (which it is), THAT is what it's like to walk through Port Authority traffic on 42nd street (and 41st. and 40th.) around 9am in the morning. The other day, Rachel was talking about having this intense "New York moment" when the "pedestrian walk" sign came on & she looked up to see a FLOOD of humans walking towards her...& I immediately knew the exact intersection she was talking about. 42nd & 8th St. And it is an ARMY of people. The intersection is a flipping BATTLEFIELD, & it shocks me every time. And I get to experience this shock at about 6:05pm every day. I should really try to get a picture someday, but for now...

hai, Port Authority (absolutely, positively not an exaggeration)

Now for the metaphor…

Well, we soon realized that the sidewalk is a near-perfect microcosm of the possible-to-get-swept-up-in New York City mentality. You get so caught up in this “me, me, me” mindset, that it begins to manifest itself in the way you carry yourself, the way you “climb the ladder,” and the way you interact with others. You sort of act first & maybe realize the implications of your rash actions later. You set your sights so narrowly on the unmarked trail you’re approaching that you really don’t think about the trail you’re leaving behind you. And honestly… that’s kind of the one that matters, isn’t it? So even after only a month & a half, we’ve had to check ourselves. We have to remind ourselves that that’s not actually normal behavior, and – as my mom always quotes my grandma Alpoo as saying, “Just remember that you’re no better than anybody else!” Everyone has a right to the same things as you…so try to act like you believe that’s actually true.

Anyway.

As revolutionary as that comparison was to me, I hope it still even registers with non-New Yorkers.

But if you're looking for a laugh & some potentially super credible information, you should read this little "How to NOT look like a New Yorker" blog post. My sis showed me this A Cup of Jo blog, & it's precious & awesome. And anyway, that article is hilarious & TRUE. Especially the last part about the non-faux pas. I practically introduce myself as "hi my name is kelsey, i like a good chick flick here and there, & my monthly rent payment is _____."

but i digress.

Well, I still have tons to update on (among them: finally deciding on a home church (!!!!), joining a new community group & going home for flipping Baylor Homecoming!), but I suppose that'll be another day, another blog post. Sorry these past couple have been so wordy!! I just have so many thoughts! 

Alekza & I just decided that what I need isn't a blog. It's a magazine column. That gets sent exclusively to my mom & a few other programmed-to-love-me individuals. But, a girl can dream, you know? ;)

Til next time, here's a big apple:

Leading lady of your own life!

So, I wrote this blog post a couple weeks before my big move & for some reason I never got around to posting it. But I thought it held some valid truths, so I decided I'd post it before it's too late! [P.s. Recap of Hillsong Conference at the end of the post :]

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The Holiday is one of my favorite movies (yeah, yeah), and one of my favorite quotes from that movie is as follows:

Arthur: "Iris, in the movies we have leading ladies & we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason you are behaving like the best friend."

Iris: "You're so right. You're supposed to be the leading lady of your own life! ... Brutal, but brilliant."

I feel like Fanny Brice could level with me on this one.
... And having Fanny in your corner ain't such a bad thing.

And so it is! I've been getting a little discouraged lately, about a lot of things really - spreading over a vast range of subjects from jobs to relationships to God to money to friendships - and everything in between. (Covers just about everything but food. Thank you, food, for being so simple.) I often find myself being sympathetic to the point of weariness and trying so hard to meet people where they are when it comes to their successes and failures that I tend to feel lost about where I stand in mine. Do not for a minute think I'm patting myself on the back - with every good trait comes its handful of repercussions. But the good news in all this (and in reality, life isn't so bad ;) is that none of this discouragement is in the same ballpark as my upcoming life-change-of-a-move. The Lord has given me total peace & confidence in this direction, and that, my friends, is a security that I am so thankful for.

(And also, being seen as the "best friend" isn't all bad...I mean, I just might be the world's best third-wheeler, so there's that...if you're in the market for one or something...)

I guess what I'm getting at here is that we all need to take the reins back on our lives every once in a while. I'm so excited for this new chapter because it is an opportunity to actually re-write myself (cue Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten?) and position myself as leading lady of my own life! Not that I have much re-writing I want to do anyway, but starting fresh is such a neat chance to be the person I've been hoping to develop into. I guess we'll see how it goes, huh, blogging peeps?

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Kinda funny to be standing on the other side of this "big move" now & to see how much I've already jumped into this "rewriting" even just weeks after I wrote ^ that post. Also, I decided instead of writing a full out "hillsong conference" post, I'll just mix in some of the incredible things I learned with blog posts to come! It would be near impossible to ever give you even a glimpse of the life-changing, life-giving things we learned/heard/experienced last weekend. (To give you an idea... I took 24 pages of notes. YES, I take notes like a fiend, but still, 24?!?) The Lord has truly blessed people like Brian Houston, Bobbie Houston, Christine Caine & Carl Lentz with the GIFT of teaching His Word, & their words shattered & rebuilt my perspective from the ground up. 

(P.s. Like seriously, check out this article about HillsongNYC's pastor Carl Lentz. I'm telling you, this incredibly cool, fiercely passionate guy could start a revolution up in hurr.)

(P.p.s. if you want an incredible recap of the first night of the conference, check out my friend/roomie Rachel's blog: http://whereshewillstop.blogspot.com/)

ALSO -- the tickets were FREE! Thanks to the amazing, wonderful Mr. Jay & Mrs. Carolyn Franks. They treated us to the conference, to awesome meals & the irreplaceable feeling of being with "mom & dad" figures for a whole weekend :) So generous! The amazing Faith Christian School family never stops blessin' me. 

I know Rachel mentioned this in her blog, but gosh...there was nothing quite like walking back into Radio City Hall after attending the Tony Awards in June - which was one of the best days of our life - and walking back into this place as a fellowship of believers. I mean, chills. I can't even quite explain what that juxtaposition did to me. And Rachel. The stage was the same, but the glory being proclaimed from it was so dynamically different, and it was wild. These worship leaders & God-seekers were standing where our theatre role models had stood, and they were bringing God's presence to that stage. And you know the coolest part? Those actors & actresses will stand there again. Having no idea that the spirit of the Lord is in this place! 

And anyway, I'm not a crier, but man, last weekend...the tears came & the tears came often. It was like the Lord was literally staring us in the face saying, "See these two different sides of your life? These things are going to collide! And you're gonna be there!" So we're ready for that day! And no matter what the context or circumstances are, we pray that God's name be glorified! 

So I'll leave you with this--

Bobbie Houston (powerhouse/wife of Hillsong's lead pastor, Brian Houston) spoke about how we must be faithful where we are until "Thy Kingdom Come" & she shared this verse:

Psalm 57:7-9 | I kinda mixed together The Message & NIV versions. :)

"I'm ready, God, so ready, ready from head to toe; Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune: 'Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.' I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets, singing your praises in town and country. The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness."

And as Bobbie said:

"Who knows if we might be 

that generation to awaken the dawn?"

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THE ONE ABOUT MY JOB.

^ Made that the title to force myself not to waste your time any further.

no, ya goof, i'm not sunburned! i'm just
wearin' my orange raincoat! #jcpenneys
(this was on my way to my 1st day of work!)

i have a job!
(that calls for the big font)

[Also, if you don't read it all, at least get to the end! There's some meaty stuff there.]

So the Lord is incredibly faithful & even though I know that so fully, He continues to keep blowing me away with more faithfulness. So as I kind of mentioned a couple posts ago, as of June/July/August, I began applying for NY jobs from TX. Tricky task. I applied to dozens of companies with journalism-related job openings, and blindly emailed out my resume to about 2 dozen more. (Which I totally do not regret - the act of seeking out companies that do the kind of editorial work that I find to be so cool caused me to expand my knowledge about some of the amazing companies & organizations out there. And I kind of wish I could work for all of them!!) But anyway, I literally didn't hear from any of them. Except one. And it was a rejection. Gotta be honest - I appreciated that rejection, ha! I was like, okay thank you for being considerate enough to allow me to check you off my list!

an insta from this summer - this looked like
my morning almost everyday! #jobgrind

But needless to say, around mid-August, I was feeling pretty confused & a little panicked. Up until that point, I had huge hopes that the Lord was going to plop the perfect part-time/freelance copyediting position in my lap that would allow me to make my own hours & audition all the while. IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH? ;) But anyway, somehow I still never had any doubts that this was truly where the Lord wanted me to be, so I kept moving forward. I eventually came to terms with the fact that I'd start applying for some fams with nannying needs & find a schedule that would allow for auditions. And truly, for actors in NYC, that is not a bad plan anyway! And in addition to nannying, I always hear actors saying that if you're really good at something, you should teach it. There is almost no better job for an actor than getting paid on their own schedule to teach dance/swimming/voice/math, you name it! So that was looking like a viable option.

By the time I moved here, I had joined Sittercity.com, Care.com, & a few other nannying sites. I had already started to chat with a few moms, and I was getting kind of excited! But then, the day of my second audition, Rachel & I were headed back to the Actors' Equity building when I got a call.

it was a blocked number.

(haha I know that wasn't dramatic enough for a font change...but whatever, it's my blog ;) But for real, it was a blocked number. I answered hoping it had something to do with the audition, but instead, it was a guy named Tom. Tom is the most relaxed phone-talker I have ever encountered. I, on the other hand, am always StResSiN' on the phone. (I always say I'll know the guy I'm supposed to marry when I actually enjoy phone calls with that person. I'll let you know when that happens.) Anyway, long story short, Tom works for a sports company called PSP (Professional Sports Publications), and I had apparently applied for a part-time position earlier that summer...Truth be told, I don't even remember that! When he said "PSP," I embarrassingly had to respond with, "Umm...who?" So anyway, he said they had a position they'd like to interview me for, but one problem: it was full-time. Had I wanted a full-time job, my job search would've looked totally different. But nonetheless, Tom convinced me to come in for an interview, and BONUS - it was in the previously mentioned Oliver-audition-building...so it was only 7 blocks from my place!

So basically, the interview was great, and Tom totally helped me make my decision. He noticed my BFA & asked if I moved to NYC for theatre. I told him I wanted to be completely honest with him (I figured since I didn't even seek this job out, I really had nothing to lose!) & that theatre was my ultimate passion. But I also told him that I also had a passion for writing & copyediting & would be thrilled to make a living doing those things. (And I meant it! ... Still do!) Well, Tom is awesome, & he told me that he used to work for Playbill.com, so he totally understood my love for theatre. He also said that since my position would be paid hourly, if I wanted to attend an audition every once in awhile, "we might be able to work something out." Is the Lord awesome or IS THE LORD AWESOME?

^^ Heard that! After my interview, I called my mom (always my first step after any major life moment;) and I knew my decision was already made. It was so obvious that this job was straight from the Lord that I almost just had to laugh. Usually, I am one to strive & stress over big decisions (or even what I'm going to eat for lunch), but this one was so easy. I simply told my mom, "Well, he said he would let me know by next week. But I'm pretty sure I just found my new job." Haha! He was nice enough to give me the weekend to think it over, & I emailed him the very next day! He gave me a call on Tuesday offering me the job, & just like that... Tom was my new boss! (If you're reading this then heeyyyy Tommmm!) My favorite part of that phone call: Tom asked if I had any more questions, I asked about the dress code, he said: "I mean...just don't wear shorts..." And then I asked him if there was anything else I needed to know, and he said: "Well, you might want to bring your own water bottle. We don't have a very good water system here!" Haha, to which I replied: "Ooohhh, good to know..." Needless to say, Tom is awesome, and I feel so lucky to have been blessed with such a gracious, understanding "first real boss"! (Thanks, Tom!) And my work environment is more relaxed & stress-free than I ever thought was possible...just what I needed!

So anyway,

i have a job!

The best sidewalk pic I could get on my
first day as an emplooyyeeddd lady! 

But real talk, it is so crazy to look back on even just these past 4 weeks & realize how much I don't know. Every time I try to plan my own future, the Lord is so quick to remind me how funny it is that I try to make my own plans. But He doesn't do it in a "I'm the Creator of the universe, so I can rip the rug out from under you" kind of way... He always directs my steps in the sweetest, most gracious way that is so specific to the needs of my heart that I didn't even know I had. Now that I am 3 weeks deep in my job, I realize more & more how my plans could not have worked any other way. I needed this job, & how silly of me to think it could've been any other way! The Lord always knows what we need, and sometimes it hurts & sometimes it takes awhile to realize it was what we needed...but sometimes the Lord allows you to realize it sooner rather than later, and for that I am thankful. 

okay, but what is your job?

Haha, sorry. I work for Professional Sports Publications as a copyeditor. They create several football/basketball/baseball/hockey publications & magazines, and are mainly in charge of creating the thick programs that you get at several college & professional sports games & bowl games. During football season, the flood of work gets pretty crazy, so they hire someone as a copyeditor (me!) to cover all of the overarching proofreading, copywriting, small design tasks, etc. So basically, I am learning a ton! It is a great first job where journalism is concerned! Because I'm here mainly for football season, my position typically ends around January-February - which is when heavy auditioning season begins! I say it again - IS GOD FAITHFUL? ("Yeah! Totally, Kelsey! Amen!")

So 7 days later, I walked to 36th street, went up to the 25th floor, & started my job! As much as my dad tries to convince me that I inherited his common sense, I am well aware that this is just not the case. So luckily for me, Tom & all my co-workers have been so gracious in teaching me all that I need to know, and helping me realize that this job will be the perfect foundational job for (hopefully) future jobs in this same field! (But for real... I am so hesitant to do anything wrong in this job that I couldn't even allow myself to take a lunch break for 2 whole days. It felt like too much freedom!)

Lunch: day 1. This is not a joke. #clifbar

^ Literally never left my desk that day til 6pm. Yes...I am actually that pathetic. I could laugh out loud thinking about some of the things Tom has had to teach me. To name a few: "Kelsey, you don't have to take 15-minute lunch breaks. You get a full hour, & I can't take that away from you." Or the time that I came in just to let him know I was taking a lunch break... Tom: "Oh...okay. Yeah, you know, you don't have to let me know! But thanks for checking in!" Haha poor guy...sorry, Tom! But I'd like to think I've done a few things right, and it feels pretty good to be in a job where I feel like I truly know what I'm doing, and in fact, I feel like, heck! I'm actually pretty good at it! 

It's also funny because I would always tell my mom that even though I am desperately passionate about having a life in the theatre industry (& I still am. Don't get me wrong. And I know I'll get there.) there was always something SO APPEALING to me about working a 9-5 (or 9-6) office job. This summer, I was even with my old roomie & great pal Ann Simmons (who is currently "special assistant to President Ken Starr" what upppp! talk about a 9-5 job, sheesh!) and asked her, "Is it kind of nice to have a job where you're able to have sort of a daily routine?" Well, Ann's answer was a little muddy hahaha but nonetheless, I suppose God was listening to my plea.

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So what about theatre?

I know, I know... I guess that was my biggest question in all this: How can I commit to something that keeps me from theatre? And even though it's confusing, I know it's one of those questions I'll understand really soon, so somehow, I'm not even worried about it. Before moving here, a few theatre friends and I would always talk about how we kind of know there has to be a struggle before you can feel like you deserve the prize. I mean, I realize there are exceptions (ehem, Laura Osnes. ehem, Corey Cott) and that's amazing! But in this weird, potentially silly way, I'm kind of excited that I'm already getting to work for it. Because the sooner I can work for it, the sooner I can feel like maybe I deserve it, and then maybe just maybe my time will come. At this point, I've done nothing to earn a place here in the "Great White Way," but starting 3 weeks ago, I began the plunge, & I'm gonna work my tail off until that time comes or until God chooses to lead me to another adventure! And I cannot wait to talk about this weekend's Hillsong Conference because there could not have been a more impactive affirmation from the Lord. I am so passionate about the work God is doing in this city & the revolution that has begun here, and even though my heart longs to bring that breakthrough into the theatre industry, I am just excited beyond belief to be involved in God's work here in any capacity. God has lit a fire in me for His purpose in this city, and I think it might be a while before it burns out. I know big things are coming. And I know I've got to start with being faithful right where I am!  

So, anyway, there's that. Thanks for hanging in there. Basically, I'm loving my job so far, and I feel really blessed. I know I have a lot to be thankful for, and I really, really, really am. (Alekza literally just said out loud, #mycuprunnethover - "hashtag" included - read my mind, sister.) She also just said, "God is so abundant. It's like He's showing off. Like, 'dream a little bigger, sista!'"

I'm tellin' ya - we. feel. blessed.

This is just us...feelin' blessed...
(wanted to break up the monotony with some pics;)

Hope you feel thoroughly caught up by this point, & thanks for sticking with me!

Your newly employed New Yorker (or as my co-workers would say: "new yohr-kah"),
Kelsey

"Wait, this isn't a dance class..."

Time is of the essence, my bloggin' peeps! It's time to catch up on weeks 3 & 4! I'd like to title these past couple weeks "spending time with strangers" or - if I wasn't an adult already - "the weeks I actually became an adult."

So to begin...let's go back to those time warner cable trips. But don't click out of this window! This is actually a light-hearted story! About friends! During that first trip of mine, I was literally about #137 in line...not a joke. So I turned to the girls next to me & asked where they got the starbucks they were holding. Then we struck up a conversation & turns out, they were awesome! (If Chelsea & Cameron are reading this, then hey ;) They're twins from Rhode Island, & we had all just moved in that weekend so we bonded over 5th floor walk-ups. By the end of the conversation, we were both kinda looking for a way to ask each other's numbers, but how do you do that?! ... It's like friend-dating! But then we all just kind of blurted it out & I was so relieved. So the next week, my roomies came along & we all went on our first "date" if you will ;) We got thai at our favorite place Yum Yum Too (& by favorite place, I just mean it's all we know) & had such a blast! Then last week, we went over to their place in the UES [Upper East Side] & what did they cook for us? Thai stir fry!

They had an awesome "railroad style" apartment which means you walk thru the kitchen to get to the bedrooms & you walk thru the bedrooms to get to the living room. Crazy layout but tons of space & so nice! Anyway, we had the best time. Hadn't laughed that hard in awhile & are so excited to have made some of our first "real NYC" friends. :)

But they're not the only new peeps we met these past couple weeks! (Also, you better hang on cuz I'm saving the best story for last...totally strategic;) So luckily for me, I chose the world's most in-the-know roommate. Literally, I never know about anything. Ever. And Alekza ALWAYS KNOWS. Because of this, I've gotten to go to a few cool par-tays these past couple weeks. Quick recap:

Das one of our new friends - Chelsea!

Bday Party Numero Uno - We were Alekza's +3's at a birthday party for 2 girls from Apostles - Anisha & Pekky - at a place in Union Square called "Headless Horseman." Super cool place - one of the only stone storefronts in new york - felt like we were in England! Alekza was convinced that this chillax place was about to turn into a dance floor, and I wasn't buying it. But it totally did! Everyone there was so fun, & we had a blast. (Besides the 20+ minutes it took to catch Chelsea a cab. TWENTY.)

Okay, then the next day was DOUG'S BDAY ----

This was the best I could do to capture the view!

Didn't even meet Doug until his actual bday party, but so appreciated the open invitation. Doug was turning 30, and he dun good in planning his party. He goes to Alekza's church as well (Apostles), and his party was literally on-a-ROOFTOP. This night - I will admit - was a pretty cool thing we got to do. Probably one of the coolest nights we've had since we moved here. (Wish Rachel could've gone!!) We danced the night away, and almost didn't even care that we had to stand outside in the rain after midnight trying to catch a cab. In the cold, cold rain. Cuz it was worth it!

Gals from Apostles...sweetest sweetest!

cutie ;) 

So on top of those fun occasions, I've been so excited to grab one-on-one time with some awesome people as well. For one, one of the girls Rachel & I almost tried to live with this summer - Casi! (If you're reading this, then heyyyy Casi;) She is good friends with my good friend Grayson, and I had always heard incredible things about her but never had the chance to meet her...until this week! We met up for dinner at the Chelsea Market, and OH! I just loved that place & that gal. We grabbed thai food (it's almost a joke how much I've eaten this stuff) & caught up on life & new york & all else. It was such a good time. It was so refreshing to finally chat about life with someone who is so like-minded & kind of in the same walk of life as I am. So thankful the Lord placed her in my path!

Also went to the broadway flea market with Rachel, and it. was. awesome. Only wish we had gone earlier! By the time we got there, all the Broadway celebs had long-since cleared out...but it wasn't all bad - people were literally throwing vintage playbills at us! They were trying to raise money for Broadway Cares, so Rachel & I were getting all sorts of amazing playbills for under $1. At one point, a woman literally slid me a stack of playbills and said, "I'll give you all these for a dollar." To which I responded, "I accept." To name a few of our snags: the original cast of Bells Are Ringing, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, War Horse, & a playbill that literally just had Danny Kaye on the front. (I am a Danny Kaye fanatic. Popo the puppet, anyone? A Martin family favorite ;) I even got a copy of You've Got Mail for $1! What? Random? But I didn't argue!

So anyway, after that we visited HillsongNYC with one of my best friends from junior high - Rachel Hull-Ryde! So crazy that we both live in the city now, but SO good to see her. We had a blast with Rachel & her roommate (she met her on "gypsy housing" - a NYC theatre Facebook page - and they just so happened to be completely normal & awesome...PTL, am I right? And her roomie was in the same theatre program as my previously mentioned friend Owen. Small world!)

Here's a pic of my cute roomies to break
up some of the words-ey-ness. ;) 

Also, here's a pic from the night that we all woke up - like clockwork - at 6am in the morning bc we were absolutely sweating. Sweating! Our A/C unit is only in our living room & doesn't circulate much fresh air to our bedrooms. How we went 2 whole weeks without bedroom fans is beyond me, but needless to say, there wasn't much sleeping going on. And then right when we bought fans, BAM! It turned into fall & we didn't much need them anymore! But hey, who's complaining? ;)

We ain't complainin! (That's Alekza on our rooftop:)

Okay, so for the grand "first date" finale:

Something kinda weird happened my second week in NYC. Hahahaha...ah, just thinking about it... So the day I got hired (I promise, I'll get to that eventually!) I wanted to celebrate, but Rachel had class & Alekza had Young Life... so I ventured out on my own. I only got as far as Bryant Park, but that ain't a terrible place to end up. :) So I was scanning my phone for nearby food joints when an Argentinian man in his 30's who is dressed to the absolute nines - suit, tie, & all - walks up to me & asks for directions. (I PROMISE this story is better when you can get the full effect of his accent. Trust me, I must've told it about 374 times by now.) He asks me where "Broadway Dance Space" is. And I, being the seasoned NY actress I am (ha!;) realize he's talking about "Broadway Dance Center" - and I actually know where that is! So I begin giving him directions as he tells me that he's stressed to be running late because he's actually teaching a salsa class that night. But he must not have been too stressed... bc he began to do like a 50 questions situation. Like, "Do you leev around here? Ah, you do?! I love dis area! What do you do? Oh, an actrees?! You do not SAY!" Anyway, when he found out I was an actress, he insisted that I come to this tango class he teaches for free every Friday, especially since they're "going to need extras for a tango movie soon!" ;) Well, those first couple weeks (& even still) I was trying to train myself to have a "just say yes" mentality, so I was like HECK, WHY NOT? I like tango...right? So anyway, he gave me his email address, & I knew he was harmless because...come on...he had on a pant suit & a skinny tie. Oh & also, he mentioned he's in NYC because he's working as a designer for Carolina Herrera. (Like what?! Who are you?) I might not be the most brand-label-savvy girl, but I KNOW that name. So then I looked at my watch & he asked if I had somewhere to be, & I said, "no, you do - a dance class!" So he did his whole European "kiss kiss" thing & was on his way. But then...

I couldn't get a pic that night of Martín, so I got a pic of the 
site of the crime -- Bryant Park (it's so beautiful!)

Skip ahead a couple emails later, & I officially make plans to meet Martín at his office that Friday. So after asking Rachel to say a few prayers, I show up to his office & thank the LORD, it's legit. Like, garment district & all. So he greets me & tells me we're heading to a dance studio first "to practice before class." Okay... Well, we show up to a pub. So I said, "Martín...you told me we were going to a dance studio." And he reassured me that he just liked loosening up before dancing. And he did. For the next hour, I listened to Martín tell tons of crazy - albeit incredibly interesting - stories about his time in NYC, time in Argentina, and dating life in those countries & several more. Those are stories that I would NOT trade hearing for anything, ha! Well, eventually I ask if he's still seeing any of these girls, and he says "No, no, no...I'm seeing new people. You know, like I'm seeing you now..." 

oh...thanks for telling me.

So this was kind of a confusing & yet enlightening moment. So apparently this was a date. I was on a date with Martín. So anyway, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, I reminded Martín about the dance class. And he said, "oh, oh, yes, we're going to Union Square." So we hop on the subway together, and - as I told my roommates - I was on that train looking around at all the guys in my age-range thinking, "Why is this not a date with you that I'm on right now?" So about 5 stops & 45 compliments later, we stumbled upon a mexican restaurant. This was the moment when everything made sense. We would not be attending a dance class that day. But, in fact, I would be learning salsa lessons from Martín on the dance floor of a mexicano restaurante. And, oh how we danced. Hahaha... I have to admit, this part wasn't all that bad. It was kind of fun! And in the moment, I just kept thinking, "MAN, this is gonna be a good story someday." So I tried my best to actually enjoy myself, and had this not been recently labeled as a date, I would've truly enjoyed my outing with my pal Martín! He's a nice guy! But lo and behold, around hour 3 of this date (3 hours), I regretfully informed him that I needed to head home. So we hopped back on the train, did the whole cheek "kiss kiss" thing again, and I power-walked home like you've never seen. Mainly because I wanted to tell someone this story, but also a little because I was afraid he would casually bump into me at my doorstep someday if he knew where it was.

So that was my date with Martín the Argentinian.

Designer by day, saucy Latin choreographer by night. 

I realize I said I'd tell all about my job in this post, but I just spent 4 hours talking about Martín, so there is no way I'm going to make y'all read any further today!

But I p-r-o-m-i-s-e, next blog post is all about my new job & my newfound adulthood! (Please don't let that drive you away.) Oh and this really cool improv show Victoria took me too! And our first trip to [potentially] the only kolache place in NYC! There truly are some exciting things to come, soooo until next time...

I leave you with a pic of my favorite lunch spot... the
post office (across from madison square garden!)

Sincerely, your could-be-a-salsa-teacher-now-if-I-wanted-to,

Kelsey