Bye Bye New York

I have closed the final door on my life in New York. Just after 1 pm today, when I received a check for six figures with my name on it (it was awesome but frightening at the same time), I shook a few hands and walked out the door, into the streets of New York. This was the first time I was wandering the streets of Manhattan as an official visitor, no longer as a resident. Since August of 1994, i've always had a place to call home in the Big Apple - until today.

As I was taking a leisurely stroll to my closing appointment at 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue from Penn Station, I couldn't help but to reminisce. Coming out onto 7th Ave from Penn Station and looking at the Pennsylvania Hotel, I remember the night my father and I stayed there in early 1994 for my audition for the dance program at NYU - that was the beginnning of it all. As I walked north on 7th ave towards 34th Street I remember walking this same route from my apartment in Chelsea to my acting class at Bill Esper studios in 1999-2000 on 35th and 8th ave. In particular, I remember a conversation I had with one of my acting partners in that class who was 40 years my senior and telling me of some sex toys he and his first wife had experimented with (gotta love crazy artists).

I walked by Bryant Park and remembered having lunch with my friend Leon one spring day in 2004 and just a bit further, on 5th Ave in front of the NY Public Library, I remember walking with my trainer Lee from a pilates studio on Madison Ave to our gym on the westside. I reached my destination fairly early and it was a nice morning, so I decided to walk a little bit further, past sparks steakhouse where I recalled having dinner in 1999 with my roommate Yuki, her mother, sister, and cousin for her sister's graduation. It was amusing, 4 Asian women and myself - when we ordered the wine the waitor didn't know who to bring the wine to for tasting, so me being the oddball out and the only native English speaker, I had the privelege of making that decision. I got drunk with my roommate's mother from Japan that night - it was great! Just next door was corporate housing that a guy named Matt I dated in 2003 had lived in. Poor guy - we started dating in October which is the worst time to date me unless you're an avid sports fan like myself - with the Yankees in the postseason and Eagles Football season in full swing (and if there happens to be a free night, there's always Flyers hockey), every date we went on centered around being near a TV so I could catch a game. We never had a chance.

I met the couple buying my apartment - they were newlyweds, both working in the theatre like myself. Very nice people. It was a close call - we went through all the paperwork and when it came time to the last step, the money, my buyer's bank attorney hadn't shown up. We waited and waited, kept calling, couldn't get a hold of anyone. Both my attorney and the buyer's attorney had other appointments scheduled and we were in danger of not being able to go to finish closing and having to reschedule another day. At the last minute, the representative came in with the checks and saved the day.

So as I was walking back to Penn Station, I couldn't wipe a silly grin from my face. I wasn't sad at all - looking back over the dozen years I lived in NY, I had some wonderful memories - but it was the people that made it so memorable - not necessarily the place. I'm making more memories everyday being back in Philly - like getting to have lunch with my girl Beth every week since we work right around the corner from each other.

I had a great run in NY - but my time is up and I finally feel like I have closure. This was a positive move in my life. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders - I feel free!! And isn't it ironic that I have to be back in NY this weekend for the marathon....can't wait for that trip either!