New York City is hauntingly a specter of what it used to be. The city is hard enough to bear with its bitter winters and bone-chilling temperatures. But I always loved New York no matter what time of year, in the unbearable swelter of summer or the frost-bite of Christmas. There is an energy or force field that surrounds the city that makes it the greatest city in the world. It’s not that anymore. I hate to say it. For as long as I can remember, I had longed to live in NYC. I’m over it. The bars were dead. The people were sad. It’s depressing. But maybe I’m mistaken…because maybe that’s what Americans are feeling everywhere else in the country and it just happens to be that NYC magnifies what the country is feeling: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Right now, it’s just plan horrifically ugly.
New York, New York
Over the past few days, I’ve been told by three people of lay-offs: financial services, technology, and media. We’re all affected. My advice? Everyone needs an exit strategy. Everyone needs to be prepared. And if you are one of the unlucky ones, go home, move in with your parents, go live in Asia or South America for a few months to ride it out. There are no jobs. My company is not hiring. I’m sorry, I cannot help you.
So it’s with this backdrop that I went on a mini-vacation to attend a friend’s beautiful wedding. She was gorgeous, the wedding was beautiful and done exactly right for these times. They rented out a restaurant: open bar, never-ending appetizers, sit-down dinner. Her dress was $200 from BCBG. It was amazing; she looked amazing. No make-up artist, no hair stylist. No DJ, just music from an iPod. No florist. She bought vases, then had them filled with hydrangeas. Intimate, beautiful, not over the top. Sunday brunch the next day at a nice restaurant. I want to follow her lead, and make a game out of getting the best deal for my wedding. I placed dibs on her dress.
I had a great time with my date. This is going to sound snooty, but I always feel like I have a lot to talk about with fellow business school friends, especially now with the economy in the toilet. What did we learn? Did it help? How are we and our companies going to ride this out? So we were totally chatty the whole time which was perfect. Plus I think he is super hot. This is a picture of us at the wedding. We were the last ones along with the bride and groom who were cleaning up. We thought people would be interested in going out afterwards. Nope! Just us.
Everyone asked what was going on, what does the future hold. I can’t imagine a future with someone who lives in LA. No matter what people say or think, that will always be long distance for me. I need someone to come home to every day…not once a month, not every other week, but every single day. Someone who will stay with me every night. Someone I can wake up to smothering–a warm body I can latch onto with my freezing cold fingers and toes.
what? did you say you’re moving down to la???