Buckle up.

This city buzzes with 8.2 million people. Thirty-six percent of the current population were born outside of the United States and that creates some fierce diversity. Opportunities are everywhere. This morning I woke up and I was ready to throw that box of tissues in the 'trash'. An email from my best friend also arrived this morning, who was kindly exercising her right to 'tough love'. She lovingly told me to harden the (***k) up.  And so it begins. 

Some of my first 'memories' I made with New York was through the television screen.  Me, Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. And didn't everyone? I can relate to each of those characters in a different way, just as I can fit a part of each of my friends into their personalities. That's why the show was so popular, each woman, in every lounge room around the world could connect with those women as they sat around their table and drank cocktails. While looking through images of New York, I came across this image (below). And how fitting that Miss Carrie Bradshaw spoke these words through the screen at just the right time. 

So how do I plan to buckle up?

Today started with getting the boys ready for school, scrambled eggs on toast in our dinning room.

Meet my dinning room.

Meet my kitchen.

8am arrived and I messaged another nanny (M) (can't reveal any of those names) who lives two doors down, grabbed the school bags and put the boys coats on and we set off for an early morning play date. M and I had a coffee in the kitchen , the dreaded drip coffee, but I added a new found ingredient 'coffee mate' which made my drip coffee not so foul, but added some vanilla latte taste. I asked M what she does in her free time and she told me about Bar Method. 

The Bar Method™ is a 60-minute workout that integrates the fat burning format of interval training, the muscle shaping technique of isometrics, the elongating principles of dance conditioning, and the science of physical therapy to create a revolutionary new workout that quickly and safely reshapes your entire body, with these results:

• Sculpts and elongates all major muscle groups

• Burns fat

• Carves muscle

• Enhances posture

• Creates strong, flat abdominals

• Lifts seat

• Stretches the most chronically tight muscles, namely those around the hips and lower back

So come Monday morning I will be starting Bar Method. 630pm class every night, keeping my body and mind nice and busy.... annnnnd getting my body ready for those summer Bikins!!

Whilst I sat in the kitchen with M, I heard the backdoor open and S walked in (the nanny from next-door). She also does Bar Method and started when she moved here and has since lost 11kgs!! Sheesh this place must be good! Anyway, suddenly I lost the conversation as M and S started speaking in Spanish. Did I mention already that a lot of the nannies speak spanish? This of course doesn't bother me, they speak english 90% of the time but I completely understand how easy it must be to slip back to your native language (it's easier!). But then the greatest idea hit me. Rachel you should learn spanish!! I have 3 friends who live close by, M, S and A who all speak spanish, the perfect opportunity! See how brilliant this place is with its fierce diversity! So I am unsure the best way to 'teach yourself' spanish, I'm assuming books?! and then practising?! I'll keep you updated. 

Take a leap.

I've also taught myself how to play Rihanna's song 'stay' on the piano. Turns out its quite easy with a few repetitive chords but singing is not included! Only piano playing this week (and forever, my singing voice can stay away).

It's Friday morning here which means in a few hours the weekend will be starting!! Making plans and keeping busy is key. Tonight I'm off to the movies to see The Great Gatsby (America gets it first!) with A and M and some others I haven't met yet. Tomorrow I will be driving out to another town to see a friend I met in training and then Saturday afternoon into Manhattan to have dinner and drinks with an Aussie (woooohooooo!!). So slowly but surely I'm figuring it all out.

And counting my blessings.

See you soon weekend.