Beautiful NYC Day!

Today I had two good conversations with two good friends about my future here. As I mentioned, I feel torn about whether or not to stay here or go back to Hilton Head. I know if I were to find employment here I would stay but Lana made a good point today at lunch. She thinks that while I am looking hard for jobs here in the city, I could be looking harder and that part of the reason I am not is to have an excuse to go back to Hilton Head. I have to agree with her but I think it was on a subconscious level. I have never thought, "Maybe I shouldn't get a job so I can go back". She told me about her moving to the city and how she was depressed for three months when she first moved here but she is so grateful that she stuck it out. I think in my situation though, I have to the option to go back before the end of May but I don't have the funds to stay past May if I still don't have a job. After lunch I talked to Jen about it and she had some good points to. Overall, she just wants me to be happy with whatever I choose to do in life, which I have always known. She thinks I want to go back to Hilton Head because my life there is secure but that I want to stay here because it is a challenge. She hit the nail on the head with that one too. She also made a good point that I have been thinking all along, that if I go back to Hilton Head I can always hang out, work, and try again when the economy is better. The city isn't going anywhere and I am still young. I can still try again in the future if need be. Maybe it is just the wrong time for me to be here (AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR 'I TOLD YOU' SO FROM ANYONE! I'm serious!)

On a far more less than serious note, after getting off the phone with Jen, I made my way over to the Abercrombie and Fitch flagship store on 5th Avenue. I have never really been a huge fan of their store seeing as how their clothing is super over priced and their stores are dark and loud. This store was like all others times a billion. I don't know where to begin, with the real kicker or just the mildly funny things.

First off, the only dressing room to my knowledge (more about this later) is on the bottom floor of this 3 or 4 floor establishment and even then kind of hard to find. You could ask an associate, if you can find one. It is SUPER dark in there, like being in a club with the music pumping. If you find an associate, you basically have to do cartwheels to get their attention even though they are honestly just standing there dancing. Not straightening or folding... but standing there being pretty and dancing. Not with each other, but by themselves. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING! They dance! No like hardcore pop and lock it style, but like standing-in-a-club-waiting-on-the-line-for-the-bathroom kind of dance. I approached one, who I assumed to be an associate, to point me in the direction of the nearest fitting room and she seriously turned around and started talking to another model/dancer. I could not believe it! I quickly found another one who was more than eager to tell me it was on the bottom floor, not show me the way, or where on the bottom floor, but just that it was there. Horrible customer service! Not only is the store confusing and easy to loose your orientation in, but like I said, it is dark! Under those circumstances, she should have led me there and then given me a discount for risking my life to try on a polo and jeans.

OH! JEANS! I forgot that part! They have a 'denim bar', if you will, where they have all of their styles of jeans in a case and you point to the one you want, tell the denim-tender what size, and they find it and hand it over to you. What if you were self-conscious about your size? You wouldn't want to approach Mr./Ms. Perfect Body behind the 'denim bar' to make the selection for you. Which brings me to another point regarding customer service. You have someone to remove a pair of jeans from the shelf for you but no one to show you the way to the fitting room because everyone else is too busy dancing in place. What the heck is that about?! I ended up just purchasing a polo because the jeans I had 'ordered' from the 'denim-tender' were too big and I was not about to make my way back up the stairs, find the 'denim bar', get a new style/size, trek back through the darkness weaving between the dancing models just to try on another pair of pants. Besides, the shirt alone was $60 which I charged to my credit card and have every intention of returning after my interview on Friday. Also I would have preferred to wear khaki pants rather than denim since it is an interview, but their stupid company apparently doesn't carry khakis in their spring line. If they do I missed it due to the darkness and/or dancing models standing in the way.

OH!!! I forgot ANOTHER part of my experience! They have shirtless male Abercrombie models throughout the store. They don't do ANYTHING, not even dance like the others. They just stand there wearing only blue jeans and flip flops but they have a person with them, like the characters at Disney World. I can understand if Pluto has kids fucking with his tail, the poor Disney intern in that costume has little defense and therefor needs a chaperone, but these are well built, muscular men. I think they could hold their own.

I made my way out the door and set out to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day in Manhattan. Whenever I get discouraged and ready to pack up my shit and leave, going on a walk in a different Manhattan neighborhood always reminds me why I am here. Today I headed down to Washington Square Park situated beside NYU. It was a beautiful park full of life and culture. They even have a dog run! I stood there and watched the dogs play for a few minutes then walked along the main thoroughfare where there were people eating, playing musical instruments, studying, chatting, and just enjoying being outside on such a nice day. I snapped a few pictures of the park's signature arch, highlighted in the movie August Rush, and made my way down towards China Town, passing through the Bowery on the way.

I didn't realize how far of a walk it was and by the time I got there I was about ready to leave, but then I remembered that China Town turns into Little Italy, so I walked around a little bit there and got some strawberry gelato. I was totally lost and the sun was beginning to set so I decided I should make my way back to familiar ground. I walked and walked and have no idea where I was. I did see some interesting buildings and stumbled across another park where this group of guys were playing a game that resembled polo, but on bikes! It was so neat and I am pretty sure I would be really bad at it. I took a video with my camera and will post it soon. Finally I found 2nd Avenue so I kind of got my bearings and walked up to Astor Place, beside the East Village to catch the train up to Lana's apartment for a couple hours of mindless TV and relaxation. Now that it is well after midnight, I will embark on the job hunt that got pushed aside today due to the irresistibly nice weather today.