On my plane ride, looking out of the window I start to think about my summer in New York (completely romanticizing life in the city). I daydream of meeting famous editor, rummaging through sample sales, meeting young people with similar goals as my own, walking to work in unique and glamorous clothes, partying in Brooklyn with friends, exclusive rendezvous with fashion's elite, shopping on fifth avenue, riding in cabs and daily commutes on the subway. The latter of which had not turn out anything like I imagined.
The first day of riding the subway on my own, I am beside myself - supper excited to learn my way around. Yet, soon (after getting lost a few times) my excitement starts to wither and I sense myself getting a little frustrated with the NYC train system. After a while of making silly mistakes like going uptown when I'm suppose to be going downtown, leaving the station to switch tracks -only to find out that I can not be admitted with my unlimited card because it has been "just used"; I'm starting to feel drained. I'm tired, my feet hurt and I have no choice but to invest my already diminished energy into getting back to union square in time to meet a prospective roommate.
The romance starts to fad and I start to notice all of the other little inadequacies. There's the fact that I've seen as many large rats as small dogs today (I can hardly tell the difference anymore). The random burst of overwhelmingly offensive smells. The realization that every train is an overcrowded train (the term sardines in a can never conveyed so accurate an image). And worst of all, the uncleanliness of places is a bit scary. I've never run out of hand sanitizer so quickly.
On a positive note, I did manage to learn the system well enough not to make as silly a mistake as going uptown when my true intentions were downtown. I carry hand-wipes in my bag so the dirtiness can be put to the back of my mind easily enough. I like seeing the vast variety of personal style, therefore people watching has contributed to making the ride to work a little bit more enjoyable. And the amount of comments I receive on my daily attire doesn't hurt it either.