Memorable moments during my time in NYC Part I

I’ve been back in the little red dot since January and it feels surreal to think I was just strolling down Union Square last year! Oh, how much have things changed. I spent one year in the most amazing city where everyone (well, almost everyone) is extremely driven and talented. They don't call it the City of Dreams for no reason. The concrete jungle where dreams are made of. The place I thought I would have things figured out.

But alas, many things have happened and that was not one of them haha. Here are some of the more memorable moments I had during my one-year stint living abroad on my own. It's New York, baby.

My first public breakdown in the office

When you reach a certain age, you start to think about the meaning and purpose of your life. June, July and August were horrible months that left me with more questions than answers. I guess I thought that New York would be a defining point in my life where I finally figure out what I want to do, where I want to be and all that jazz. I assumed that it would be a grand, fun experience with all these friends and parties to go to, and hopefully embark on dreams of creating my startup. But it ended up feeling lonelier than I've ever felt before. I felt like I was invisible. As though as if when I close my eyes, I would disappear and nobody would even notice. I had no dreams, no ideas, and I kept questioning my self-worth and why I was even in this program in the first place.

Yeah, not a pretty sight. I've cried on my way to work, in the phone booth, on the subway, at the empty parking lot next to my apartment, and so many other places by myself. I still have no idea what I want to do in life. But I think I'm moving closer to finding my raison d 'être, so that's a relief. I think. :)

My first encounter with llamas

Have you ever been to a Llama farm? I strongly recommend it. Llamas are the epitome of adorable. One of my all-time favorite places, Dakota Ridge Farm, houses more than 60 llamas at a time - can you imagine that! I met old llamas, baby llamas, cranky llamas, and cheeky llamas. We spent most of our time with Katrina; her love for llamas and the farm shines bright because of her. Feeding, petting, walking, and just musing over how they stare at you with vacant dark eyes; it was simply the best of times.

The best part of the entire trip was learning how the farm started in the first place! Katrina and Gary, the lovely couple who owns the farm, actually got engaged when he proposed with a llama. Not a ring, a llama. That is relationship goals. :’)

My first burglary experience

This was honestly one of the weirdest situations I've ever been in. It took my entire house three days to realize that our items were missing. Oh, this guy was sneaky enough only to take certain valuable things that we hardly use at home. We caught the guy on CCTV. But, nothing was done. Welcome to New York, baby.

Not my first but getting drunk (and puking in a bank)

I remember this pretty well, mostly because I was heartbroken, and so, my friends and I went out to drink. I was pretty hammered after the fourth glass. Beer was ridiculously cheap, each pint costs $1.50. It was a ton of fun, though, until the alcohol subdued the rational side of me. I started dancing on the streets, and not surprisingly, sprained my ankle. As if dancing on pieces of furniture wasn't embarrassing enough, the alcoholic in me wanted to leave a mark on every pavement and turn I made. I shall not name which bank it was, but yes, I did puke in a bank. Why was I in the bank at 4 am? Haha, my friends deemed me incapable of walking any further and the only safe decision would be to deposit me in a bank until they return with their supper from Halal Guys. (That's a great supper place.)

Part two will come soon, hopefully before I forget everything that transpired in 2019.