Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

"And now I know, Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say. I thought I knew, but now I know 

that rose trees never grow in New York City

Until you've seen this trash can dream come true, You stand at the edge while people run you through

And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you, I thank the Lord there's people out there like you

While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters, Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers, turn around and say good morning to the night, 

For unless they see the sky, but they can't and that is why, they know not if it's dark outside or light

This Broadway's got, It's got a lot of songs to sing, if I knew the tunes I might join in, I'll go my way alone, grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City

Subway's no way for a good man to go down, Rich man can ride and the hobo he can drown

I thank the Lord for the people I have found, I thank the Lord for the people I have found"

This really is the city that never sleeps! One half of Manhattan is up at 5am with their tall skim double shot capps, making deals, buying, selling, trading and tricking. The other half ends some restaurant industry shift around 4am, then heads home to get a good 'nights' rest. So there on the subway sits a Wall Street guru leaving his luxury high rise, to his left is a bartender en route to his five floor walk up shoe box, and across from them is a homeless man just trying to stay warm. Being here has forced me to really think about my life, life in general, and the possibilities that this city holds today, and has represented for over one hundred years.  People came from everywhere, suffering through illness, poverty, and loss, for the chance to live a life of freedom and opportunity. There is no telling where you may end up, how you get there, or who will be there at the end. What really matters is today, where your are, what you are doing now, and who is by your side or in your heart...

Facebook messages that I never want to forget:

Cass Nash:

Hi Jamie!! It was so fun hanging out with you guys yesterday! You are so awesome! I still can't believe you are actually moving to NEW YORK! I'm so excited for you and can't wait to come visit!! Good luck girl!! Remember...ANYTHING can happen. :) Love you lots...

Danielle Morris:

Okay James, I guess this is my "goodbye" I love you VERY MUCH and wish you luck. I know you don't need it, though......You are an AMAZINGLY AWESOME woman and you will LOVE it out there, when the snow is gone! New York is the PERFECT place for you. Good Luck in school. You will do AWESOME! We will all plan a trip out when it gets a little more warm! HAHA! LOVE YOU! ♥ ♥ ♥

Michelle Morris:

Hi Cousin, I am so going to miss you!! We will plan a trip out there soon, hopefully we all can come at the same time... a cousin thing. THAT would be awesome. I love you and have a safe trip and good luck in nursing school, your going to be great!! ♥♥♥

Carrie Neiman:

Hello my favorite gypsy! Me and my six bags will be seeing you tomorrow evening! LOL I am so excited for our adventure! I don't think I could've chosen a better partner in crime ;) I'm so thankful we are in it together and I just cannot wait to get there! Love you to pieces :)
♥, your nomad

Jessie Martin:

I will be missing that smiley face of yours ♥ :) Have a great time! Post post post. Xoxo

Stefanie Haggerton:

Just read your first blog to Amanda and Sara and when I finished Sara got teary eyed like she missed you and I looked at Amanda and told her this was the way we would be able to hear about all aunties adventures. Amanda was just looking at me and I couldn't read her face, so I finally said, "What's wrong, you miss Auntie?", and she said, "I'm just happy she followed her dream." Ahhhh!! After a few minutes, Sara sat on my lap and said, I'm glad Aunties following her dream too!

Janna Denhart: 

I was just thinking about those precious little ones missing their auntie. She is the best aunt ever and so loves her nieces and nephews.

Sara Sullivan via Stefanie Haggerton:

Sara: "When is auntie gonna come back Mommy?" Me (Thinking...is this just Day 4 w/o her?) say...."I miss her too, baby, we'll see her soon." We miss and love you Auntie Jamie!!!

Kristie Kretchman Linhares:

Love you Jamie!!! It was so nice to hear your voice! So glad your living your dream. Miss you like crazy, enjoy every step of your adventure!! Xoxo

Gina Meyers:

Nurse Auntie Help, Marina had a very loose tooth, told her to pull it before she fell asleep, its morning and the tooth is gone, cant find it! I think she swallowed it!

Susie Lopez Walsh:

Enjoy your last week of your 20's. It only gets better in your 30's : )

It's A Dance Party

...to everywhere! We have got moves you've never seen before- The Scarf Toss, The Ugg Stomp, Mitten Pump, and don't forget the Muff Nod (get your mind out of the gutter, we're talking ear muffs, people). With a little singing and dancing, we stay warm on these streets!

I must have the New Yorker look down because someone asked me for directions yesterday. Well, actually he said "This train is going downtown, right?" Hey, I had the correct answer so that's good enough for me;) As long as I stick to this side of the park I can find my way around. I've become quite accustomed to my routine though it is still somewhat nostalgic to take the train everyday, even more so when trudging through snow to get there. I am definitely not in Cali anymore...and the midnight snow plows are a loud reminder of that! Still, loving everything about this place.

Work is going great so far. This non-corporate business style is crazy, yet a huge breath of fresh air.  The training lasted about nine hours total and basically consisted of the other servers showing me the table numbers and computer (or non computer) system then giving me a section. They even gave me $60 for training! CRAZY! Plus, you get a free meal on every shift.... which I partly take home and use for my next meal as well, this place rocks! The most unusual aspect of Windfall is that due to the location and business clientele, they are closed for the weekends. I have been in the hospitality industry since I was sixteen and have never encountered this before. I'm hoping the weekly income will be good enough to maintain this schedule and stay at this place.

On the school note however, more challenges arise. When attending for a nursing program that is designed for those that already have a Bachelor's, I would not expect to be required to take random writing and cultural diversity classes. I have a degree, clearly I can write. I come from Los Angeles, how much more culturally diverse can I be? LOL, let alone the fact that California schools require those as well. So this probably adds another semester and thousands of out of state tuition dollars to my plan, but at this point, whatever. If I want to live in New York right now, and become a nurse someday, this is what I'll have to do.

We checked out another apartment this morning. Fairly small, and only a one bedroom, but with a huge, private backyard, fully equipped with a grill. I think only two Cali girls would contemplate giving up a bedroom for a sunbathing and barbecue area... So of course we're thinking about it! I still could not be happier with my partner in crime, the wifey, Carrie. There are mornings when we are each doing the exact same thing but not even saying a word to each other... just a well oiled machine, or as her mom calls us, the perfect married couple:)

The World Is My Oyster

...grains of sand and all! It's a good thing that I like a good challenge because life is full of them. Serving here is not the part time gig it is in Los Angeles, it is a full time career in New York. Apparently most of the restaurants and bars here only want to hire people that have absolutely no other obligations. Clearly, with nursing school on the horizon, I do not fall into that category. Could it be that where I want to be and what I want to do are contradicting each other? Going from the comfort and joy of substitute teaching everyday and serving at night, to the dreaded fear of job searching through unknown territory, I couldn't help but feel estranged, and as if I was taking a huge step backward... Aside from the fact that I had just taken 3,000 huge steps to the right.


While I did have an offer from a place that a friend's sister manages, I decided to try and find something that would be a better fit for my personality and interests... and really, as much as I rock I deserve to be a little picky;) So this week consisted of walking, interviewing, walking, and more walking. It may be freezing outside but all that walking (in heels, nonetheless) keeps you warm! Finally, an interview that I had been eagerly awaiting went very well and I got the job. The manager claims that they stay busy so let's hope he's right and that the money is good! The place is near Times Square on 39th Street and is called Windfall. By definition that means: A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune... Coincidence? I feel that coincidence is just a word that was created to take the magic and romance out of destiny...

In the mean time, I have delved into the streets of this amazing city. An evening stroll from 19th to 85th nearly froze my fingers but was well worth it. With my ipod in and my jacket on, I danced my way up Madison Avenue, ahhhh. Not only are the buildings gorgeous but so are the guys. As they say, the West Coast buys cars, the East Coast buys clothes... and they know how to wear them! (I may have stolen that quote from someone, sorry and thank you;) A hot tea, 66 blocks, and one "How you doin, blondie?" later, I arrived home to the 'wife' (friend/roommate and currently sharing a bed with Carrie, lol) and we headed out for some fun. The greatest thing about this city is that you can walk out your door and find a plethora of options within a 5 block radius. 


You can also meet a lot of people within those five blocks. Some random and hilarious Genine Gerafalo look alike sound alike chick assumed that I was 24 as Carrie is. So when we asked her age she said  "Oh, I'm 29. Ugh, the day I turn 30 I'll shoot myself" to which I laughed and informed her that I am 29. She then laughed and revealed that she was 34! Wait, what, who does that? Attention New York, we're just two fun gals hanging out in a bar, you don't need to lie about your age to us, especially if you're a chick, we don't want to date you so we really don't care. Another acquaintance worth mentioning is our new friend Finn, the adorable Irish bartender at our new spot Doc Watson's (side bar: there are a lot of Irish here). We've only been there twice but he already feels comfortable making fun of the crazy stuff that flies out of my mouth, LOVE IT! Quick note to the Haggertons, we have been saying our last name wrong. He taught me the correct Irish pronunciation. I claimed it was the American Indian half that made us change it, lolol!


We finally made our way to Central Park for a Sunday afternoon. GORGEOUS! Nothing like the snow on the ground, the sun on my face, and the wife by my side... Loving life and love living in NYC. 

I Fell In Love

...with New York on my first visit in April of 2009. Exactly one year and nine months later I got off the plane in the Big Apple with no plans of leaving anytime soon. My heart broke with every 'good bye' and it still hurts to think about my loved ones that I will not see for a while. To those I say this: I love you with every ounce of my heart and think about you every day. I did not move here to leave you. This is just something that I want for myself and need to do now. For those that are too young to understand, please know that Auntie loves you and misses you. Some day you will want to venture out and I will support you all the way. This blog is for you, for me, and anyone that ever had a dream. I hope my stories entertain you the way that living them has for me.

My partner in crime, Carrie, and I spent our first day here turning our apartment into "our" apartment. A cute one bedroom in a three floor walk up on the Upper East Side. A fairly large living room, nice kitchen and a washer and dryer IN our apartment. It's awesome and certainly starting to feel like home... though I sure hope the air mattress and futon arrive soon! We went to Banc (apparently pronounced as 'Bank', yet I think 'Bonk' sounds better) for dinner and drinks to celebrate our arrival. Whoa, the cucumber martinis go down way too easily!

Woke up to the bright sun rising in the East and blazing through the window. Growing up in Southern California, I've always enjoyed the beautiful sunsets and the relaxing sensation of another day coming to and end. Yet there is something so romantic and inspiring about a sunrise and the new beginnings that it represents. It feels like I am starting over, and the sun is right there with me.

We are getting used to the subway and walking, a lot of walking. Aside from a minor mishap with directions, we found our way to Trader Joe's! Ahhhh feels like home. I've got my cereal for the morning to fire me up before we head out on the job hunt. Hopefully it will only be a one day search!