Here.

We arrived Saturday before noon. Unpacking the car was quick, as was the quick trip to Home Depot to get rugs and other items. Mom and dad had a short window of time in NYC (their first trip to the Big Apple), so we wanted to make time to do some sightseeing. And we did, but obviously there is so much to see and do, you can't fit it all in in 24 hours. A GREAT excuse to come back and visit! 

Happy to report that the Astoria area and my apartment has surpassed my expectations. So far, I'm very comfortable and happy with where I'm at. I think mom and dad were happy with the area and apartment as well. Dad had a couple beers on the porch area Saturday night -- my guess to scope out the area for any late-night shenanigans in the area. No suspicious activity was reported. 

Here's my subway stop:

Trains outside of Manhattan run above ground and go underground in Manhattan.

Cody and took a walk yesterday afternoon over to my nearest park -- Astoria Park. It's about a half a mile away, so not a bad walk at all. It's got great views!

The park has a track. People walk, run, jog... I love the bridge view. This is the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which connects to Randall's Island. 

This is the opposite side of the Robert F. Kennedy bridge along the East River. Great view of Manhattan from here.



And I leave you with Dad trying to find himself in the street cam in Times Square. Talk about sensory overload with all the lights, sounds and people! (That's his arm waving.)

Another new adventure

Well it's finally happening... after 12 years of dreaming about it. I'm off to a new adventure in New York City. Cody has also become quite the road trip traveler. A year and a half ago, we were driving from San Diego to Georgia. The time, obviously, has gone by in the blink of an eye. It seems to be doing that a lot these days. 

As much as I loved -- and continue to love -- San Diego, I have no regrets whatsoever spending time with my family. I needed it. I needed to establish a special bond with my nephew. I needed to be near my sister, my till-death-do-us-part best friend. I needed to annoy my brother-in-law with my stubbornness to do things my way and not his, and visa versa. I needed to remind mom that she could have just as much leisure time as dad takes ... the laundry CAN wait. 

For what I realized about myself... well, I think the worst in situations as some sort of coping mechanism. This was in full effect during the NYC apartment hunt. I also eat way too much ice cream -- still. My dog is like my child, so I really dislike when people talk bad about him. And I'm still ready for more adventures in life.

So we'll see how the big city treats Cody and I this next year. I'm excited and nervous, but more excited.