It's going to get ugly before it gets beautiful...

So as it turns out... I am living in America. 
Somehow I got here....  (I guess it was on a plane and lots of paperwork and time) but now I'm here and I made it... I made it without jumping back on that plane. Huh.... fancy that.

Because when I first got here... I thought I knew what I was doing but really... I was just like this bear (below). Lets call him Stan. I was just like Stan.

I am now heading into my third month. THIRD MONTH? WHAT?! 
It'll go fast they said, embrace every minute they said. Well what they said was riiiiight!! 
That happened so fast. Or did it happen slow? IS it happening fast? Or IS it happening slow? I'm not sure. Driving around Sydney and sleeping in my own bed seems like a hell of a long time ago. 

But right now... I feel a little like Mr Dog (above). Lets call him Sparky. I feel like Sparky. Laying down, taking it all in, the sky, the clouds, the sun and all that is around me. I feel like I've entered a new phase. Is there phases in this journey? I don't know if there is but I'm making some, but lets call them chapters yeah? Ok so I've entered a new chapter. It's called "I kinda like this place" chapter. 

I feel like I am now entering the point where if I got on a plane back to Sydney I would be starting to miss New York. I now know the buzz, the lights, the chaos, the difference, the change, the bright lights, the new faces, the different food.... I expect it now, all those things that once scared the c**p out of me in the beginning. But now all those things make up this great big thing, called my life. It's got to get ugly before it gets beautiful... Right? 

I know the streets when I'm driving, I know the bus times, the train times, the subway lines.... I know east side from west side, I know uptown, midtown and downtown (if in doubt use the Empire State Building). I have friends (yippee), I have my favourite cupcake shop (Little Daisy's), I have my gym and I have my routine... 

What a crazy whirlwind. At first , when I arrived here... I stood in the open paddock ready for whatever was coming my way, having no idea that what would actually come to greet me would be a world rocking tornado. Up it took me, ripped me straight off the ground before I had a chance to grasp anything that would hold me safely to the ground. Straight up. I got completely freaked out, I was not expecting this! What the heck happened to my sweet shiny transition into my new adventure!? Ah! Ruuuuun Rachel!!

Me in duckling form- running from my adventure!

No such luck! I was up high, I could see things around me but it was all spinning way too fast to actually focus on what my new surroundings really were, I just wanted out! Nowwww! Tears, tantrums, headaches, you name it, I got it!


And then.... just when I thought I was stuck in this tornado forever... it spat me straight out. I stood up, dusted myself off and recognised this place. I know where I am, and I feel good! I'm standing straight and this.... this is actually pretty bloody amazing. 

The other day, whilst driving and watching the NYC skyline pass by in front I was once again taking photos and then I decided... to put the bloody camera down and just look... with my real eyes. What a city. What a life. And now while I write this I'm sitting on the bus... And it keeps bumping along whilst it travels through potholes, howwww annoying (first world problems). Keep it in perspective Rachel. 

Lets add some more experiences shall we?

"With each day, comes a new experience and with each new experience, comes a new you".

Basketball, basketball, basketball. All the children have hoops in their backyards and if they don't they are at the next door neighbours shooting hoops in theirs. Ours at home got 'upgraded' big time. Above is the new basketball hoop at home. There will be no slam dunks with this. It really is sooooo high (and not just because I'm a shorty). I am starting to practice, watch out NBA. 

Last week I finally decided to change from 'The Bar Method' to Platinum Fitness gym. Platinum Fitness, $20 a month in comparison to a hefty $150 a month for The Bar Method.  I cannot believe how cheap it is, $5 a week, that's a coffee at Starbucks. I have decided, after 23 years, that I actually enjoy the treadmill. I used to haaaaate the treadmill, but now I am actually really enjoying it. And don't worry, the picture above is not me running (Ha!) just stretching. 

I try to make the gym 5 times a week, cardio and then weights, if I get the opportunity. This gym at night is filled with some serious serioussss weight lifting men. These men resemble Kimbo slice and Eminem 10 years ago and take their training serious. As you can see in the picture above, this guy is wearing a mask that I believe measures oxygen and carbon dioxide intake and expireation.  Basically I'm in no hurry to push them aside to lift some weights. Mornings are best for weights without looking silly lifting my 5 & 8 pound weights in comparison to their 45 pounds. Morning weights it is for me. 

I had the day off on Wednesday so I decided to spend it in Manhattan and visit the New York city public library. This place is honestly magnificent. The origins of this institution date back to the time when New York was emerging as one of the world's most important cities. The library eventually cost $9 million to complete. During the summer of 1905, the huge columns were put into place and work on the roof was begun. By the end of 1906, the roof was finished and the designers commenced five years of interior work. In 1910, 75 miles (120.7 kilometres) of shelves were installed to house the immense collections. Today, research and circulating collections combined total more than 51 million items and the Library serves some 18 million people who come through its doors each year. Wow, wow, wowwww, completely lives up to expectations. 

New York city public library.

New York city public library.

New York city public library.

New York city public library.

I found a spot at one of the study tables in the same room that was used in the film "The day after tomorrow". People filled the room, each reading and studying their own materials. Meanwhile I sat with my laptop, I see the tall buildings filling the windows and the sun shinning in. 

New York city public library.

New York city public library.

New York city public library.

Thursday I was running errands for work, in the car and out onto the expressway. Staring back at me is the New York city skyline. What a beauty it is. The moment still hasn't happened that my heart doesn't jump when I see it. I'm not sure if it's because I've seen it on movies so many times growing up and yet here it is in front of me or if it's just simply beautiful and beautiful things never fade.

Thursday night I went to dinner with some other Au Pairs I have met who live and work in my area. We went to Tarro sushi restaurant for Sophie's farewell dinner, who after a year living in the United States as a nanny is returning to Mexico. Good luck Miss Sophie!

Tarro Sushi. Farewell Sophie.

Tarro Sushi. Farewell Sophie.

Tarro Sushi. Farewell Sophie.

Tarro Sushi. Farewell Sophie.

Friday morning, the little boy I look after is now on school holidays. The weather was hot, really hot so I cut up some fruit and we went out by the pool and went swimming. I'm starting to utilise my swimming teacher experience from Australia and teach the kids to swim :) 

Putting my swimming teacher skills to use (every child should know how to 'ride the seahorse'). 

They may have been a little pricey BUT I booked tickets to Electric Zoo 2013!!! I am beyond excited. This is a 3-day music festival on Randals Island in New York which I will be taking a short ferry ride to get too. This festival is on the Labour day weekend which many class as the 'close of summer' weekend. I decided to purchase a 1 day ticket, Saturday 31st of August (the day before my birthday). 

Electric Zoo. New York.

Electric Zoo. New York.

Electric Zoo. New York. 

Electric Zoo. New York.

First official day of summer in America, Friday June 21. Yeaaaaaaah. How should we spend this? Well we planned an afternoon picnic in the park with the kids.

Saturday morning in Manhattan. I missed my bus, so what better way to fill an hour than visiting Cake Boss? The famous cake store. I got a cheese cake and a latte and then I phoned my Papa in Tasmania for the morning, so good. 

Cake Boss.

After catching the bus home I got off and met with my two friends. I was dying to introduce them to my favourite cupcake store, everrrrrr. So accidently, my Saturday morning consisted of a cheesecake and a cupcake, whoops! But so worth it.

So many experiences. So many more to come xxxx 

Where the hell am I? Are we actually here?

Where the hell am I? Are we actually here??

That is the conversation that my friend A and I had as we stood knee deep in the ocean in Atlantic city staring back at the beach, while hundreds of people danced along the shore line. 

This past weekend I travelled to Atlantic City, NJ with 11 girls (some Au Pairs and some new friends), my friend T and my friend R. We took the Greyhound bus from Manhattan to Atlantic city. This bus service was.... well not what I expected. You buy a ticket for the 10:00am bus, you arrive and then depending on how many people are in the line before you, you get on the bus. Well in our case, the line was enormous.... really really reallllllyyyy long. So as you can guess, we didn't make it on that 10am bus, we had to wait another hour IN THE LINE for the 11am bus. Not happy Jan. 

But after a 2 hour bus ride. We finally made it to Atlantic city ($35.00 round trip is not bad!).

Getting off the bus it was hot, really hot (no complaining from me). Our hotel was a little further back from the main strip than I had expected so we had a short 5 minute walk to get there.

We checked in at the Sheraton hotel, dropped our bags in our room, bikinis on and off to the beach. With no less than 14 people!

So here is that boardwalk. Completely alive with people. Tourists, locals and crazy people sitting on chairs singing to anyone who will listen. It's a real mixed bag. Hotels and casinos line the shoreline. It's similar to a mini Las Vegas on the beach.

The beaches here are something else. The music is absolutely pumping, you can hear it so loud and so clear, whether you're standing on the boardwalk or swimming in the ocean. Incredible.

The place above is called Bally's Bikini Bar. It is a closed off area on the beach where the DJs play and live music is sung. There is a big bar serving alcohol, but even more amazing is that waitresses walk all over the beach serving drinks. So you can lay tanning on the sand and order a drink and she will bring it right to you. This surprised me, not only because it was a waitress on the beach but also the fact it's legal to drink alcohol on the beach!

Of course we took full advantage of this and went to the bottle shop, buying an esky, ice, plastic cups, vodka, juice and coronas. Then we sat down, listened to music, played some volleyball, chatted together, laughed together and had an absolute blast. 

             My $10 American flag beach towel, very good and worthwhile purchase I say.

The weather was hot. The sun was shinning. Sunglasses on. Hat on. Sunscreen on. 

   

How did I end up here? How did I manage to bring this into my life? A big imagination I suppose. But seriously.... wow.

This was the most amazing day in Atlantic city. Within our group of 14 we had a mix of Australian (me of course), English, Scottish, French, German, Brazilian, Mexican, Columbian and American.What an awesome bunch of people.  And so much fun. 

I got some new shoes in Atlantic city. My ankles are acting old these days so I have to wear shoes that hold my ankle. I thought they were pretty and 2 women who walked into the shop as I tried them on said "Damn guuuuurl those look gud!" so of course I bought them. But I may or may not have walked out of the hotel, down the street and then swapped them for my flats. Whoops. 

Saturday night we went for dinner at TunSun and E tried a beer that 'tasted' like cheese, yuuuuuk. There wasn't anyone at our table that liked it and I was too terrified I would vomit if I tried it so I stayed right away.

Sunday morning. BEST BREAKFAST EVERRRR..... I mean seriously. It was one of those little hidden gems that you would normally walk straight past but gosh I'm glad we went in. Maria's Lunchonette. Waffles, yuuuuummmm.

After breakfast it was time for more exploring. Back to the boardwalk and inside the famous Rainforest Cafe.  I once saw this cafe on some fish tank restoration show on television but now I'm here :)

Then onto the beach to see the World Championship Sand Sculptures (no Australians). So incredible, they look like sandstone rock sculptures but in fact just plain old sand from the beach. Impressive. 

Then back along the boardwalk for more exploring. 

My best friend messaged me to ask if I had tasted saltwater taffy! Well at first I didn't even know what she was talking about, but I soon found out and got some! Tastes like wizz fizz, pretty nice.

The boardwalk theme park. Still standing after super storm sandy. 

Sitting up high with Atlantic city beach below. Waves rolling in and a $3 Jimmy Buffet beer in my hand. 

And then just when I thought I'd seen everything Atlantic city had to offer.... I saw an Iguana in a shop window with the note "he is not for sale, he is ours and we love him".

Thanks for an amazing weekend Atlantic city. You really rocked my socks.

xxx