Here

I have class tomorrow for the first time since late April. For the past week, I've been living in this dream world where time doesn't exist and the word "no" is almost entirely absent. Except for when it comes to drinking in large groups. I really dodged a bullet on that one, which like how embarrassing would it have been to be written up for drinking during Welcome Week. A week which at times has been Welcome Weak. (Group [they'll get nicknames later, I guess] and I didn't go to any activities really. A wise woman told me you meet the best people when you skip things.) 

The walls of my apartment? dorm? (but it has a kitchen, granted, a small one) are stark white. Very institutional. Except for the pictures I finally got around to putting up today which made me miss just the senior year of high school and you guys so much. I don't really feel like a college student yet. I guess that'll change once Tuesday is over (Class pretty much from 9:30-6:30) I have a great roommate as far as roommates are concerned. I have one good suitemate. An OK suitemate. And one who maybe moved in earlier today. It's noisy outside all the time and I live on the 13th floor with the windows closed. It's also bright all the time. My view is excellent. I live 45 minutes from home. I miss it a lot but I promised myself I wouldn't see my parents for at least a month. I have the luxury of making that decision instead of circumstances making it for me. I wish my mom knew how to text. I wish my dad wasn't so sad sounding when I speak to him. I was kind of surprised how emotional he got. And I realize you guys haven't really met my dad at all. 

I spend most of my time with the same four people. Practically all day. We do a lot of walking. A lot. It's been a week and I think these people are going to stick. Three of them are in serious relationships. Meeting people at a school like this in a frame like Welcome Week is kind of convoluted. And everyone knows that. I've had the same Where are you from? What's your major? Where do you live? conversation about 100 times. That's no exaggeration. I've started to answer it in one word like this: longislandstudioartthirdnorth. That just makes me all the more glad I have those four friends. Part of me really hopes people not from around here will stop thinking Times Square is a cool place to hang out. That bothers me.

I've never gotten so much exercise in my life. I went to the gym earlier in the week. I went to yoga the past two days for about three hours. I walk everywhere and everywhere is a lot of places. I have the blisters to prove it.

There are A LOT of white people here. The most white people I've ever seen all gathered together. I was kinda surprised by that. Considering NYU. Whites are followed by Asians with cool clothes, Asians who don't have cool clothes, people from the Mideast, Hispanics and then anyone else. There are a crazy amount of wannabe hipster kids who try very hard to have everyone not like them. Almost everyone shops at three stores: American Apparel, Urban Outfitters (you say you hate these two stores, but it's just so convenient to shop there [and here it really is]) and vintage/thrift stores. I got a cool shirt and an awesome pair of shoes for thirty bucks total. And if you thought I had an eating problem, come to any place that has a purple and white flag hanging above it. Everyone pretty much sticks to their race. For serious. We were all just talking about it. I could write so much about the type of people here already. Socializing here is kinda awkward because unlike other schools, we don't have frat scene. There's no real organization. You either hear about things happening or you start your own small party and then meet up in someone's dorm and try not to be loud. Drinking in public out of brown bags/off campus is just better.  No one's offered me coke yet. I've seen some famous people. Last night I was at the same "party" with Chris Matthews's son. It was at my relatively new friend's boyfriend's (my even more new friend) parent's apartment on the Upper East Side. When I was there, I thought immediately, "Well here's something I never would've done if handed the opportunity a little more than a year ago." Funny how people change.

I miss all of you so much. Living in this city just reminds me how close I am to home but also how far. Sometimes I'll think that we should all just get an apartment together and live here and work odd jobs and it will be awesome. But then I remember that it's impossible to get odd jobs. Every waitress/waiter is a model/actor. This is the East and West Village's service sector: incredibly good looking people begging for money. But then you go outside the restaurant to see someone actually begging for money. It kind of breaks my heart. It's only been a week and I'm exhausted. 

You guys should all transfer here. I think you'll all like it. A lot. I miss you all terribly but now at least every time I look over my computer screen I can see your faces. Love you all. I can't wait for Thanksgiving or whenever we all see each other again.