(Sackets Harbor, NY 2008)For the first time in my life, I'm okay with taking everything one day at a time. I have been able to chill out by myself, and lay out all my cards in front of me to figure out what I need to do. I've been able to be patient with the amount of time it is going to take to get where I need to be. I'm content in this empty apartment, and have finally let go of my ridiculous expectations and settled with the fact that I can't snap my fingers and have this place be furnished. Every week, I am setting money aside to purchase all these little thing this apartment needs. I have a very practical mission, and I really like (/need) that.
Every day, I find another reason why I like my current life: where I'm living, what I'm doing, and who I'm becoming. I love my neighborhood, even if it is a little ghetto. I keep bumping into people I haven't seen in awhile and realize they live very close to me. I can walk to work. There are a few really great bars within walking distance. A great beer distributor with a wonderful selection of locally crafted beers is just a few blocks away. My building is safe. My apartment is adorable. (sidenote: do I have rooftop access? I need to find this out asap.)
I can't WAIT for warm weather. I can't wait to take the bus to Coney with Atiya and brown bag it the whole way there, then find crazy things to take photos of, stumble around drunk, probably get some Nahtan's, and MAYBE go on a ride there, since I never have before.
I've started training to manage the restaurant I'm currently working at, as well as picking up all marketing/PR duties to try and get us more hip to the north slope crowd. I can already tell what I'm doing is working, and I like that feeling a lot.
I can't imagine not working in a restaurant. I practically grew up in one with my mom working in one my entire child hood, and Erica's mom, who was also my babysitter from time to time doing the same. I never realized how much hospitality lives in my bones, and that I own it. I love helping people out, and I fucking love food. Serving it, cooking it, learning about it, teaching other people about it... But I have so much left to learn.
I'm just taking baby steps to get there.
