Erin Miller

The big apple.
Last week, Dan helped me pack the mini van my mom and I rented perfectly full. And the next morning, my mom, Spot, and I headed off on a drive across the country. We traveled 1,792 miles, through parts of 9 states, in two and half days. Spot did incredibly well on the drive. Only once, somewhere near the end of the first 12 and half hour stretch in the car, did she refuse to jump back into her seat. We were at a gas station and I took off her leash and told her to “load up,” (our command for getting in a car) she looked up at her seat and walked away. She did, however, come back when I called.

Spot in the packed car
Somewhere near Nebraska we stopped at a gas station and took a look at a museum dedicated to sod houses. It was an interesting bit of history for a couple of history buffs, and Spot liked the walk. Apparently, the ground in the Midwest made for bad adobe, and as in Honduras, good wood was scarce and expensive, so families made their prairie homes (walls and roof) from strips of sod. Sounds like it would have been full of crawling creatures.

The Sod House museum
After our significant preparation, my mom breezed through driving into Manhattan. It took us an hour to get over the George Washington bridge, but we enjoyed the extra time for finding our exits.
I am living in Harlem (some people call it Hamilton Heights when they are looking for a more uppity name.) Basically its at 151st and Broadway, right in the heart of little Dominican Republic. The “I heart NY” t-shirts around here have been replaced with “I heart DR” I am in a decided minority. I was walking Spot last night when a black guy walked passed me and said, “Hey man, this neighborhood even has white people.” The neighborhood is growing on me. I like the Spanish music that fills the streets and watching the kids run around playing at all hours of the night. You can buy oranges cut just like they were in Honduras, and sliced pineapples and mangoes on the streets. I am loving the opportunities to practice my Spanish as I order food and ask to get my shower fixed. I live about a block from the Hudson River and Spot and I take lots of our walks up and down Riverside Park. The location is also convenient for me because it is right in between the Columbia medical campus where my classes will be at 168 and Broadway, and my work down at the main campus at 116.
The apartment is pretty nice, very nice for what I am paying to live in Manhattan. It’s a bit dark and occasionally the smells from the restaurants downstairs get a bit strong, but overall its nice. The building as a terrific rooftop garden and my apartment has a lovely “balcony” overlooking sunny Braodway. OK, really, it’s a fire escape, but it works about the same except that you have to awkwardly crawl out the window to get to it. But crawling out windows to “balconies” has sort of become a motif in my life. Pictures probably describe it better:

My bedroom

The Kitchen

The amazing fetch-playing hallway

The living room

View uptown from the “balcony”

View downtown from the rooftop garden
I miss Dan, a lot. But it is easier for us to talk than it was in Honduras. He sent me lovely flowers in honor of my first day alone in the apartment and my first day of work. I am going to have three flatmates, but none of them have moved in yet.
I have already started my job. I got a graduate assistantship position in the Columbia intramurals and club sports department. I am enjoying working in recreation again, and they are going to cover about two thirds of my credit hours the next two years and give me a small living stipend, so that’s pretty sweet.
I kept my mom REALLY busy while she was here helping me move. Between signing the lease, unloading the car, unpacking, buying and installing an air conditioner, and putting together a bed, a desk chair, a lamp, a book case, and some drawers, oh, and did I mention a horrifically expensive trip to the busiest Target in the country? We didn’t have much time to enjoy the city. We did find the great deli downstairs that is full of friendly workers that make terrific sandwiches. And they stock drinks, beers and juices, from all over the world. I am sure that we will have time for sight-seeing in future trips.
My aunt and cousin came into town less than a week after I arrived for my cousin’s eighth grade graduation trip. So, I have been able to meet up with them and do a few fun touristy things.

Shelly and Katy as we got ready to go into RENT

Time Square
I hope everyone is doing well, sorry for the lag time between posts, but I guess it’s understandable while one is moving across the country. Let me know if you ever want to visit the city!