katie & cynthia circa 2006 ~ first roomie outing
I am feeling a range of emotions as I sit here at my desk today. It is a normal kind of day with typical boring-ish busy work here and there, some wedding to-doing, some coffee drinking and some pandora listening (currently playing: The Beatles station. All Beatles. All the time. Bliss). But in the midst of all that, I am acutely aware of the changes that are coming in the next few days. At the end of the week I will be packing up my life on the east side for good, saying goodbye to my roomie of the last 3 years, and moving myself over to the west side.
This is something I have been waiting for -- looonging for -- for months. Ever since Dan moved in across the park, it has become harder and harder to tear myself away from him at the end of a night. Hard to feel like I had one foot in my old east side life, and one foot in my new west side life. Hard to not fully settle into my new "home" which started to feel more like home than my east side place simply because Dan was there.
But now, after packing up boxes over the last week, trying to figure out what is mine and what is hers, that wave of nostalgia has started to rise. I think about how, 3 years ago, when I was living in Jersey and desperate to be in Manhattan, I randomly answered an ad on craigslist, hoping she wasn't crazy, never imagining that I'd find not only an amazing roommate, but a good, good friend who felt more like a sister than a roommate....someone who helped me find my footing in this great big city, who always challenged me to try new things, and who constantly reminded me to believe in myself and dream big. I am convinced that had I not found myself in this particular apartment with this particular roommate, my New York experience would have been WAY different, and probably not nearly as life-changing and fulfilling. After all, would I even know Dan or have gotten to experience acting in an Off-Broadway show if it weren't for her? Probably not (it was her nudges...ahem -- okay, shoves!...that got me to dip my toe into the world of online dating which ultimately led me Dan...and it was her late night
I know it is time to move on to new chapters and new beginnings. Both of us are on the brink of very exciting things. But that doesn't take away the twinges of nostalgia and sadness. After all, it's the end of an era, people!
So while I am a giant ball of excitement right now at the thought of marrying Dan and getting to spend all of my days and nights with him in our lovely home on the Upper West Side, I will savor these next few nights with my roomie, my sister, as we pack up and reminisce and watch episodes of Friends together.
The end of an era, indeed.
2 comments:
Whoa! I was there for that first roomie outing :) And I feel a twinge of your emotions as I tear up now. You guys have been so fortunate in having each other - what a blessing! The good news is, you're not moving a few states away, just across the park! So you'll still be in each others' lives, just in different ways. Enjoy these days! Thinking about you in all of this. Hugs :)
anna, i think it was you who took that pic! that was my first outing with you, too, i think :) aww, so many good memories....
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