arrival in nyc

so....
here it is! round two of my away rotations for my 4th year of medical school. except this time, add in a new city, cold weather, 5 or 6 more cities for interviews, interviews themselves, and a board exam. it's like my last experience on crack. so i'm gonna blog about it.

first thing though: my place doesn't have internet! so i'll try to blog on microsoft word and post them when i make it to coffee shops. there's a starbucks with free wi-fi on 96th and madison, which is 5 blocks from where i'm staying. i hate to come to starbucks given the selection of cute coffee shops around here, but it'll do for the wi-fi.

anyway! some background on the last 6 wks since my trauma surgery rotation in davis ended: i spent two weeks doing plastic surgery, two weeks off, and two weeks during orthopedic surgery. essentially 6 weeks of play, receiving interview offers, anticipating and preparing for this trip....but mostly alcohol, surf, exercise, sleep, friends. and oh yeah, throw in that i started to really like a guy...who as for now, turns out to be just another one of those 'oh well, at least i'm learning how to do this intimacy /communicating feelings thing'. but that's another story. it's all good.

last time, i could get away with packing a small-ish suitcase because sacramento was 90 degrees. and i didn't have to bring a suit...this time...i bought a big brand new larg-ish suitcase, so large i named him igor, especially since after i packed my winter clothes, suits, clinical gear, some warm weather clothes for my trip to LA after this, he weighed 65 lbs. yowswers. damn those new charges for extra weight on airlines!!

i flew to seattle, and finally got a chance to breathe on the flight. it's always a little hectic before trips. i get to seattle and just as we're about to board at 10:45 pm, we find out our airplane is broken. oh well. they find us another airplane immediately, i get on the plance...and it's packed. thank God i'm full-fare. you know people always talk about getting stuck in the seat next to either 1) the fat guy who's flanks and sausage arms spill into your seat or 2) the irritating passenger who wants to talk story...i'm adding one more to the list. i got stuck next to the adolescent hippie/skater boy (he was somewhere between the ages of 16 and 22, i couldn't tell), who smells of old sweat, with big hair, so big i had to lean away from him, with a nasty double cheeseburger all wrapped up in a ball, that he retrieves occasionally though the flight to munch on, who falls asleep and breathes dragon stinky breath with his mouth open...who at one point actually sneezed on me, i could feel the spray of his infectious droplets on my arm. yup. i had the window and plastered myself to the window, i wish i was paper thin just so i can get as far away from him. anyway...only 4 hours of this, and i'm grateful it wasn't a flight to asia or something.

i'm excited to get to newark and anticipate my arrival in NYC. i expect it to be freezing! it's surprisingly sunny and 50 degress. Not bad, huh? i expect it to be crazy outside of the airport, with gypsy cabs hounding me to jump into their rip-off of a ride. surprisingly there's a huge official taxi sign with official taxis and official taxi drivers.

i see the skyline in the distance and get excited. we make it through the city, no traffic-it's sunday- and arrive to my apartment right on central park, on the museum mile of 5th ave. there's a doorman, and the building is comfortably older and cozy. my apartment is bare...it's wooden floors, with a kitchen, a huge living room, two rooms , one labeled 10D-1 and my room, 10D-2 (with the view of central park!), and my own bathroom. it's literally a bed and dressers. no sheets, no towels, no toilet paper even...but i like it already and can fill in the details later.

i spent the day walking around the upper east side, picked up a pillow, cheap sheets and a light flannel blanket, toilet paper, some snacks. the upper east side is really really nice with expensive stores and restaurants. i read in my guidebook to walk with confidence to appear like a native. it must have worked because 2 people on 2 different occasions asked me for help or directions. haha. i almost laughed but responded with 'i'm sorry, i wish i could help you'. i lug my stuff back to my apartment and can finally take a shower because i have a towel now. i call wendy and we make plans to meet up at 5 pm...it'll be my first experience on the new york subway....alone! i'm nervous but it's okay. it's only because it's new. we're going to meet at union square, halfway between her place and mine. she lives in brooklyn. ...i take a quick nap, and now am at starbucks, confirming where i have to be tomorrow. tomorrow i take a shuttle to new jersey to englewood hospital, then go straight from there to JFK airport, hop on a flt to D.C., take a shuttle to cactus cantina, get to a hotel, sleep while i can, wake up early the next morning for my interview at georgetown university hospital from 7 am to 3 pm, go straight to the airport to catch a flight back to JFK and back here. phew! i just got here and i'm leaving already...it's crazy now but i'm rolling with it....

anyway, i realized i forgot to bring a leather bound notebook. apparently it looks professional on an interview. i will go on a quick mission to find one before i meet wendy!!

adventures!