Out and About

It's crazy how time feels warped when you're not at home. Today marks a whole week since I started at Mashable and eleven days since I moved into my dorm at NJCU. It's gone by pretty fast with as many things as I've been doing but at the same time it feels like I've been here forever. This comfort is all probably due to the people I've encountered.

Once again I can't stress how nice people have been since I got here. My roommate, Keturah/Kae, checks in on me if I've been in the city too long (in my opinion, it's never long enough) just to make sure I haven't gotten into any trouble with the local 'toughs'. It blows my mind that we've only just met. Kae has been great at inviting me along with her friends and I just love everyone I've met so far. She went home this past weekend to work and I was still hanging out with people. I am a social butterfly, hear me roar. Butterflies roar right? It's like a gentle wing flap in your ear. Anywho... I've even made friends with some girls on the basketball team and I've been to a few games. 

Work has been fantastic too! I'm convinced I'm in a movie with how surreal it feels. On Monday, my boss took us to Eataly for lunch. Her husband runs the place and his friends in the kitchen kept bringing out plate after plate of what was easily some of the best food I've ever tasted. I felt like a celebrity at a packed club where the bouncer still let's you in, except in this case there was a lot more cheese and I was totally okay with it. The Art Team is super friendly and I basically want to be the illustrator, Bob, when I grow up.  He's from Omaha (small world!) and the stuff he creates is just amazing. I've already had a project published on the site for the coverage of the Grammy Awards. Pretty soon my info graphics for Facebook's 10th anniversary and e-cigarettes will be up as well. It still blows my mind that I get paid to design! Life's just too good right now. The whole place is just crawling with nerds... just the way I like it. I'll post pictures of the office soon! It's blue EVERYWHERE and wonderful. 

My first weekend alone proved exciting! Saturday I stayed in and got my laundry done and all that boring stuff, but Sunday was when all the magic happened. A few months ago over LinkedIn, I met a fellow Theta from Butler (it's in Indiana!) who landed an internship in New York City as well... doing Graphic Design no less! Obviously, we had to meet up and I figured that day would be the day to cash in my free MoMA ticket! When my parents were still in town we went to the MoMA store and in celebration of not having any required textbooks for classes out here... I bought a textbook. I'm afraid my life is an eternal geek out. To take it one step further, I got a free ticket to the museum along with it and it may have made me squeal like a little school girl. But I digress... Not only did I make it the museum without any train glitches, I even managed to get there an hour early. How out of character! So I explored Rockefeller center and took my sweet time so that my new friend Taylor wouldn't get the wrong idea about what to expect in the future (hint: I will ALWAYS be lost in this city). I'd heard of the MoMA but I hadn't realized just how much of it I would recognize there! I FREAKED when I saw Starry Night! Van Gogh has always been one of my favorites and I even did an imitation project on him in high school. Afterwards, we hit up another item on my NYC Bucket List: Dylan's Candy Bar.

Now if you haven't heard of the magic that is DCB... you are really missing out. Ralph Lauren's daughter, Dylan, is a fashion and candy enthusiast. She also happens to be a fellow Theta. We hit up the three story wonderland that easily rivals Willy Wonka, what with in-house grab candy and even... candy cocktails. I filled up a magical ten dollar cupcake with cookie dough bites and anything and everything peanut butter and chocolate... My waistline never looked back.

I've been living the dream, but it doesn't end in the city. Even my classes are exceeding my expectations. Read all about it in my next blog!

Riding the Struggle Bus

I had always thought the phrase "riding the struggle bus" was just a saying, but of course that was before I tried navigating the public transportation system to cross the Hudson River. I'm sure choosing my first day solo on the trains to also coincide with the polar vortex was also probably a poor decision on my part in hindsight.

My commute is probably one of the easiest around. It's pretty much just hopping on the bus, switching to the PATH train, and then a two block walk to the office. Waiting for the bus stop, the lady next to me (who served as a landmark when I asked the guard at the gate where the bus stop was, sometimes it's just easier to look like a foreigner and ask for directions) struck up a conversation about how she's going back to school and her daughter was super proud of her. People here are so surprisingly nice. I spent months bracing myself for the stereotypical "New Yorkers" but so far, everyone has been ridiculously nice, and fingers crossed I never experience that famous hostility. Anyway, according to Hop Stop, my trip is supposed to be about forty minutes. Of course if there is anything possible to screw up, I always manage to find a way it seems. Le sigh... I turned what's literally turning around at the bus stop into a full-on sweep around the block my first day. Whoops! But I managed to make it on the train and survive the walk while only being a little late to work, which I thought was pretty decent considering what all could have gone wrong that morning. I had every intention of the return trip going a million times better considering I know had a clue what I would be doing, but that was before the NSE coordinator, Matt, texted me to tell me afternoon classes had been cancelled. I looked out the window of the intern lounge and sure enough it was snowing like it was nobody's business. Cue dramatic interlude.

I made it back to the path station no problem - high fives all around - and watched the person in front of me swipe their card only to have the gates close just in time for me. The worst voice I've ever had the displeasure of hearing came over the speakers to announce this train was no longer running due to the weather. Wait what? Despite the voices in my head screaming "But then how the hell do I cross the river?" I overheard two girls in front of me say they were just going to take the train from the World Trade Center then... literally the only other part of town I was even somewhat familiar with. Hallelujah. At this point I may have sort of followed these girls. The point is, they were dressed in pea coats just like mine and that makes them good people because that's how the world works, right? Right.  I felt super creepy but I made it to a different station and a train that was actually running.

I knew there were other ways to get home, but of course it didn't occur to me to re-map a route until I was already underground and there was no service. And barring an appearance by Rivers Cuomo himself, there was no way I was heading upstairs, cashing in my metro card AGAIN, and braving that whiteout. So it was time to improvise. I remembered there was a route that ran through New.... something. So I hopped on the train that FINALLY came and was heading to Newark.  As soon as the doors closed I checked my phone only to realize I had meant to get on the one to Newport. In the middle of my panic attack they announced the next stop was Journal Square. That's right... I got on the right train by accident. I'm considering making that last sentence the title of my upcoming autobiography. Just kidding... but seriously.

In the end, what should have taken me forty minutes ended up being three hours. THREE. LONG. HOURS. But I made it, because in short I'm basically invincible. When I explained that in those exact words to my mother she told me that I scare her when I say things like that. Woman, please.

But that's just how it goes. Public transit can be a gamble. There are days it goes perfectly and I manage to rock that journey in only an hour and a half, and then there are days like yesterday where I wave at the bus driver as he just drives on by me in eighteen degree weather. You take the cards you're dealt.

Assuming I survive the train, I'm gearing up for some more touristy adventures tomorrow! I'll cover all the fun I've been having here in my next blog - I just really needed to vent about my hard times underground. You stay classy, audience.

The Long and Winding Road

Well, I made it... from the cornfields of Iowa to the concrete jungle. It was a very long drive. I know this, not from my own experience, but from Dad and Amy's bitter comments the next morning after I slept all through the night and the infamous Pennsylvanian white out. I passed out, sandwiched in my army of pillows somewhere in Ohio, after thinking I lost my wallet in an Indiana casino (story of my life) and a quick stop at the Hall of Heroes comic book museum. However, before passing out I managed to get a picture with the sign to Sandusky, Ohio! Super fangirl right here!

We made one last tourist stop at Greystone, an abandoned insane asylum in Jersey. Because what else could be more family friendly? We were taking pictures near a creepy tree, which I obviously climbed because that's how I operate, and after the flash went off and I was climbing down a branch fell and knocked me down. I'm convinced it was probably a ghost of an escaped convict. Clearly I wasn't alone in that and we hightailed it out of there. Just kidding though, because the branch also knocked off my glasses and we  had to go back for them. Typical. Danielle. Move.

After arriving in NJCU, it was a pretty big rush of things. Dad, Amy, and I moved my ridiculous amount of things into my dorm room. Seriously, the car was packed, but I'm still amazed that I got everything I needed into a car full of three people. It remains to be seen whether or not I forgot something that was obviously important. If history is any indication, my money is on yes. Yes I did. Still waiting to realize what it was.

I met the NSE coordinator out here officially and his small cohort of ambassadors who showed me around campus. There were six of them, so of course I was bombarded with information. Just the way I like it.  My classes are pretty close to my dorm which houses the majority of the administrative offices, so it should be a breeze. In theory of course.

Most of the weekend I spent with my dad and his awesome girlfriend as they stayed in a hotel right along the Hudson. We made our way to Times Square on Friday, where I scoped out the caricature scene for when I make my grand debut. Look out pedestrians. We also hit up the Hard Rock Cafe, Hershey Store, and various street vendors where I got to hold a blue rat. Apparently I excited the little guy, as he ended up peeing all over my hands. Only in NYC, right? It's cool though, I got loaded up with hand sanitizer over Christmas (who knew how soon it would come in handy?) and the booth man felt so bad he ended up giving me two free tickets to a comedy show. Apology, accepted.

Saturday after waking the dead, we made our way to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. After getting on the wrong ferry (embarrassing, and typical Hernandez fashion), we ended up making it there and photographing the dickens out of everything. Similar story at the 9/11 Memorial, still in progress, with waterworks for all. After that we made our way into Greenwich for Lobardi's pizza. It was... insane. Dessert was Eileen's cheesecake, one of the Beatles' faves, and for very good reason. I'm going to need to pick up on my cardio this semester, I can already feel it in my loins.

I've already met the majority of people living in my dorm and everyone seems pretty friendly after I introduced myself with candy! Making Friends 101: Never knock on doors empty-handed. My roommate seems pretty cool and I've already met a girl in my art therapy course! Also I ran to the cafeteria by myself only to be invited to sit with some new friends. It's going to be a great semester.

Stay tuned, because tomorrow I brave public Jersey transportation solo for the first time as I make my way to my internship. Let's see if rush hour NYC can handle ME.

P.S. As much fun as Manhattans in sight of Manhattan might sound... they're a little too much for us Iowans. Would not recommend sipping!