The One With The Box

So I packed my first box for New York today. I had a few things in Houston I wanted to take. I'm headed back to LA on the 10th so I figured I'd get it ready before then, knowing I won't be back.

Starting the packing process is always really interesting to me because it's as official a starting of a new era as you have in life. Whenever you move, the second you start to pack, you know things are about to change. I remember packing for LA at this exact time last year and it's amazing to me how much things have changed since them. Some of the things I packed today include books on writing, some other fiction books, dress clothes, and a few small mementos that hold significance to me. It remains to be seen if those things will ever make it back to my little room in Sugar Land once they leave.

It's interesting to me how my excitement about my move from New York differs from how my excitement was last year when I moved to LA. The thing that, more than anything else, excited me about the move last year was the fear of the unknown. I knew that I did not know a single person in LA. I was also leaving my safety net for the first time. It was fear mixed with nervousness mixed with curiousity mixed with doubt mixed with excitement. I knew that I'd really learn about myself and what I'm made of.

With New York, the fear is gone. I already will know several people in New York the second my feet hit Manhattan ground including two people who I'm pretty close with. In LA, I knew I'd be alone from day one and that I had to create a life for myself from scratch. That aspect doesn't exist with New York.

I'm also not new to life-changing moves anymore. I've done it already. I already packed everything up and left once (I don't classify Austin or Dallas as life-changing moves). Last year when I did it, I was scared. Now, I'm confident I can do it again. And so that part doesn't exist either.

But there are new things to be excited about with New York.

First off, the artistic influences I'll be surrounded by. I feel like I will grow as an artist in the city due to the people I'll be surrounded by, as well as the inspirational nature of the city.

The allure of New York City also is something that LA didn't have. LA seemed like a cool city before I moved last year, and it proved to be so, but LA never had the raw punch that New York City has. New York City has a glamour and aura all its own. The fact that I won't have a car, the fact that I will rely on public transportation for the first time in my life, the fact that I'll be living in what is basically the center of the world, the fact that I'll be in a pedestrian dominated place for the first time in my life, the fact that I'll be somewhere that actually has seasons for the first time ever, it all gets me excited. The tough image that New York has also has me excited. They say that if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. And I always like to think I can make it anywhere. I'll be living with roommates for the first time since my freshman year in college, I have so many plans and goals for New York. All these aspects differ from when I went to LA.

In many ways, I went to LA confused. I wasn't sure who I was and what I was doing. A year later, I feel like I have a much better grasp on who I am as a person and what I'm capable of. Because of that, I feel like New York will offer me a stage to get a lot done. I'm much more focused now on a variety of things, everything from writing and business to volunteering and politics. My interests are so diverse now and a city like New York will give me a lot of opportunities in a somewhat confined area, things LA didn't offer me.

I also have a sureness with New York that I didn't have with LA. Before I went to LA, I was filled with a lot of doubt. I wasn't sure if I should go. I wasn't sure if I knew what I was doing. A year later, I'm so glad I went, but before I went, I wasn't sure. With New York, I'm sure I want to go. I'm sure I should go. I'm sure that right now, I'm meant to go to New York. That sureness in and of itself has me more excited about New York than any other factor.

So yeah, the first box is packed. Next time I see the Bag of Love, the Tomahawk, my Eternal Sunshine screenplay, and the other things in the box will be in my NEW apartment in NEW YORK!

The One With The Intro

So I've decided to complete my fall into internet stupidity by creating a blog. I say complete because I recently joined MySpace and Facebook which still has me shaking my head. And of course I'm a dotcom celebrity ya know. That's right, I said celebrity. What? Shutup. No you're an idiot. Leave me alone.

But alas, I have a point for this blog. I'm moving to New York City on July 25th. I figure it'll be cool to keep some sort of record of my experience leading up to the move, and my experiences in the city, at least for the first year. This way, when I'm old and have nothing left to do, I can go back and read it all and smile at how I actually did stuff with my life. Least that's how I justify it to myself. I guess the whole thing might make a good short film or something when I look back on it in all encompassing fashion as well.

So yeah, basically I plan to put things related to my New York experience in this blog, as well as whatever other random stuff I want to discuss or rant about.

For today, I just want to briefly mention that my current hope is that I end up in Manhattan, specifically in Midtown, the Village, or Downtown. I figure part of the experience is being in Manhattan and not one of the other buroughs, but I have roommates to think about so we'll see what happens.

A few topics I plan to rant about in the coming days are: my goals for my first year in New York, my thoughts on living with roommates again before I actually start, the apartment search process, thoughts on potential neighborhoods, my predictions on what my frame of mind will be a year from now, what I expect New York to be like, and my overall closing thoughts on my year in Los Angeles. I'm sure I'll think of other things as well.

That is all for now.