Grand Central Station during morning rush hour, it’s such a calm place (insert, sarcasm). While bolting from the Times Square shuttle, I tried to cut people off. On that particularly cold morning, an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese with a coffee was much needed. Rather than starting off with a magical bagel and coffee, Instead, I had an epic fall, gliding across the marble floor of the fabled station. Dusting myself and embarrassed, I looked around.
“Gee, in just a few months, I’ll be back in California. No more subways, no more crowds, just me, turning into a proper hermit,” I thought to myself.
During my first two years back in Riverside (my hometown), I didn’t have a train station to glide across, or crowds to deal with. Instead, my hometown went from conservative bore to multicultural and liberal. Art galleries, coffee shops, scenic drives, little bookshops, mom n’ pop restaurants, and even a few gay bars littered the dusty old town. With less people, life was grand. After two years, monotony took over. I grew bored. It was the same thing over and over again. Without the proper funds for exquisite international travel, frustration loomed.
With monotony and frustration came the lack of accomplishment. I applied to graduate school for English Literature, and had still not heard back. Being accepted into graduate school was a huge factor in the cross-country move. Fearing not getting in, I thought this move might’ve been a mistake. Creativity dwindled. Depression and anxiety were inevitable; my whole future depended on getting in. My goal was to become an English Professor.
Checking my email everyday, nothing had come in. Then on my most dreaded of places, the dread mill (tread mill), there was a buzz on my phone. I was accepted into the Master’s Degree Program for English Literature. It was a milestone experienced in my least favorite place, the gym. Life began to feel less monotonous. With grad school in the horizon, life had newness to it. I appreciated my surroundings again. However, it would be amazing to live in a new country or move back to New York City. We’ll see, I’ll need my Master’s Degree first.
Coffee And Cardigans 