But While I’m in New York, I’m Going to Live It Up

So. We have spoken at length about my struggles adjusting to life in NYC. If you missed it, that blog post is definitely worth reading. Since writing that piece, I’ve had to get really real with myself and have some honest conversations. I came down to this: I can either grit my teeth for the next two years and allow the inconveniences of my experience to overwhelm me OR I can choose to dive head first into the task at hand and live it up while I’m here. I’ve chosen the latter.

I noticed quite some time ago I feel much more like myself when I take the time to take care. As much as a resident can take time, I have been doing just that. There are rotations such as Emergency Medicine, CMM, Pediatric ED, etc. that allow me to have more than one day off per week. Some of those days are weekdays which is all the better. And on those days, I began forcing myself out of bed (it can be very easy to sleep through your days off as a resident physician working 70+ hours a week) to explore the city. Over time, my exploration took no force at all and became something I truly look forward to.

Going forward, I have decided to shift my mindset to that of an NYC tourist. I am not just a resident physician. On my days off, I’m a tourist of the city. This new mindset accomplishes two tasks: 1) it reminds me that my time in New York is temporary and 2) it encourages me to work hard so on my off days I can play hard. I remember how much I used to enjoy the city before moving and having to deal with the nuances of living here…as a 33-year-old grown woman who wants to lead a life of comfort and stability. I decided about a month ago that I do not want to build up so much resentment toward this city and my experience here that I never want to come back. As I’ve stated before, I love visiting New York. I just don’t enjoy staying full-time. So here I am as a resident physician fashioning myself as a tourist. And all the touristy things…I will do.

I was just reminded that my frequent childhood trips to the Bronx to visit family yielded few if any tourist attractions. When your family is actually from New York, it’s not likely they’ll necessarily want to see all of the things with you—things they have been seeing from young. So now is my time. There are so many places I want to go before leaving NYC in two years and my running list absolutely gives me something to look forward to. I cannot even tell you how much I love planning my days off and how great it’s been for my mental health. I’m sharing my NYC bucket list below especially for those who simply want ideas on what to do when visiting AND for those who, like me, relocated to NYC and are having some trouble adjusting. Here’s what I plan to accomplish before completing my residency program:

Catch a show at Apollo Theater

Apollo Theater official tour

Brunch at Row House

National Jazz Museum in Harlem

Africa Center

Buy chocolate from Harlem Chocolate Factory

Dinner at Corner Social

Grab lunch at Barawine

Staycation at Modern Haus Soho

Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture – done and definitely going back!

Studio Museum in Harlem

Listen in on a jam session at Minton’s

Have a girls’ day out at Paint N’ Pour

Attend a Dance Theater of Harlem show

Watch at least 10 more Broadway shows – “Thoughts of a Colored Man” was beyond amazing

Get orchestra seats for Alvin Ailey

Frequent more quaint coffee shops

Go luxury shopping at Hudson Yards

Live it up in a really nice apartment. Y’all. Depending on how my blog is doing by my 3^rd and final year of residency, I really might do this. Strongly considering it!

Go shopping at Harlem Haberdashery

Host an event at Ginny’s Supper Club

Vacation in the Hamptons

Tour the Empire State Building

Visit the Ellis Island Museum

Karaoke in Koreatown

Meet Dapper Dan – I really hope to run into him one day!

Spend more time walking Central Park

Omar’s Kitchen

Coney Island

Shop at Brother Vellies

Harriet’s BK Polar Lounge

Golden Unicorn Dim Sum

Seneca Village at The Met

QC Terme Spa

While We Were Young

2nd Street Vintage Shopping

Junior’s

Walk Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Promenade

The MET: Seneca Village

Shop at Farm Rio

River Cafe

SoHo pop ups!

Shop at Dressed in Joy

Bryant Park Movie Night Mondays

Super Taste Dumplings in Chinatown

Jack’s Wife Frieda

Uptown Night Market – every 2nd Thursday

And as you might imagine, I have been wanting to shoot at Edge NYC for quite some time. I’m so glad I finally made it here. I hope you all enjoy the photos in this post! I definitely plan to go back and just sit inside the observation deck and enjoy the views. They have an indoor café and seating near windows. It’s so peaceful up there on top of the world and I absolutely look forward to returning one day. Catch my video on the observation deck here!

Time is flying and very soon I’ll be writing a blog post on how I survived my first year of residency. By planning various excursions around the city, I do a bit better with staying in the moment and being ok with my current locale as opposed to clocking all my time and counting down to when I can leave. The city has so so much to offer and I’m glad I shifted my mindset so I can enjoy it. Enjoyment. That is a top priority for the rest of my time here. That and becoming the most competent and confident clinician I can be, of course (but that goes without saying). I hope this post encourages you all (especially residents) to be honest with yourselves about your true feelings on where you are in life. I hope this post also encourages you all to find ways to have joy and fulfillment anyway. It’s often in the “anyways” of life that we find the unforeseen beauty and wonder we otherwise would not have experienced. I look forward to my next, but I also look forward to my now.

Next week, you can catch me at BLVD sipping on a martini and possibly enjoying some SoHo shopping. In one episode of Sex and the City, Carrie gushed, when you’re in New York, you don’t need a date. You can simply date the city. I’m still into real dates (ha!), but I completely understand what she was saying. So while I’m in New York, I’m going to live it up. For any other NYC transplants also trying to survive, I hope you live it up too.

xx,

Photos by Dadou Studios

Preset by Tina Smith