Sweeping up the Wreckage of a NY Tornado

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At long last, I have escaped New York City. This place grabbed me and spun me around like a roller coaster. It's easy for me to see how people fall in love with the place, as there is everything and more importantly, everyone there. I met all sorts of people, which of course happens in every city, but even *unique-er* here. As it happens, the blog I wrote about the steam explosion was a "featured blog" on xanga.com, so my email was flooded with comments and still is. The day after the steam explosion I did nothing all day but think and houseclean (and pics up), then headed to Amy's work to drop off a book and try on glasses. Found some really fantastic ones. Turned out I was in Greenwich Village, I had to wipe off my iPod "Hopper" that morning, so I went music shopping. Found a couple used CDs "Collective Soul" self-titled, which I don't like as much as I remember liking. Also Moby - Animal Rights, which is one of his older CDs and is amazing. Lots of anger in it, which you don't really hear in Play or 18, also a lot more guitar, and it's much faster-moving. Loving it right now. Also got talked into two hip hop cds by a couple of street rappers I met on my way to Washington Square to look for a chess game. Marvalous lives up to his name. Sensational, not so much.

Went to the Trader Joes by Union Square, still completely lost as to my purpose on this trip and happened to meet "the Famous Intuitive Spiritual Healer" Tedevan. I agreed to buy him a bag of oranges in exchange for a healing. We walked with his friend Stephen to Union Square where Tedevan had me sit on a bench in a meditative pose as he made single-notes with his voice and plucked things from my aura. This caused me to have a pain in the heart area of my chest, I'm not sure if it was related or not, but it was nice to meet up with him and Stephen and hang out with them for a while. That was actually more "healing" than the other thing, but I do better with those things knowing what's going on going into it. Anyway, It turned out they were couchsurfers so I invited them to accompany me to the Revival meetup. Went there, met some people, saw some other couchsurfers, then went to a karaoke bar with Amy, Seth, and some Danish guys, singing "Build Me Up Buttercup" on the way. Karaoke was good but too short, but after THAT I got to have a Pastrami Sandwich at a 24hr diner place. Didn't get back to sleep til like 7am. The next night was the same deal... out to a Harry Potter release party where the street was dolled up like D_____ Alley and a whole bookstore of people were dressed as wizards and sorcery students, drinking magic punch and getting really excited about the books under the tarp in the corner... up too late at a party at Seth's place (very nice, got to go atop a skyscraper). It's a blur... really... I didn't get enough sleep and just kept going out seeing and doing stuff. At this point I just HAD to leave NY but kept finding things to keep me there. Saturday I was all packed up to go but I hadn't said bye to Amy and saw Adam for a bit in Union Square (and Tedevan again too, look for him at Lollapalooza and tell him I said hi) then headed up to Upper West Manhattan to see Annica, my Collegeworks buddy from freshman year of college. The crush I had has not gone away, so that's an interesting feeling. I had much more innocent crushes in college. Hung out with her for a bit sharing ridiculous stories of stupidly awesome things we've been doing, met her friend and his boyfriend for a bit, went out to this Italian place and got this fabulously good duck ragu made with fresh noodles.... ohhh man it was good. Then parted ways and I went to Tory's to play Apples to Apples. I won, and the game tagged me as "ridiculous, fabulous, technological, creative, trustworthy, tame, and frivolous" I don't know how it's always so dead-on. I should try and lose the "frivolous" though. Great game, if you've never played it. It was too late to make my escape, so I spent one more night at Amy's, then in the morning barely caught a 10am train. Sunday I slept all day except for a cookout at my aunt's which I wouldn't have pushed for had I known my cousin Sasha hadn't finished Harry Potter yet, Monday I did the same with the addition of some Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with Gema and some reading of Noam Chomsky's "Profit over People" that has gotten me kinda angry but unsure what to do about it.

My mind is starting to recrystallize after that NY madness and I've spent a lot of time thinking about Annica and friends. They seem so settled and comfortable in themselves and jobs and lives. Fantastic! and it's pointed out what I've been lacking on this voyage of self-discovery: **Self-discovery** Duh... I've been spending so much time running around sightseeing and socializing with new people that I've been able to completely avoid figuring out who I am and what my purpose here is, which is really the point of this trip. For example, I was asked "what kind of music do you like" and I gave that stupid answer "all kinds" that always requires further explanation. Luckily he didn't let me get away with it... so I've had to think about that and I'm always going to be more specific in the future. "Most kinds, but specifically I like downtempo electronic/ trip hop, oldies, blues, emotional female singers, any flavor of club music, and bluegrass. From here on out that's going to be my priority, answering questions about myself, figuring me out, with sightseeing and socializing only when I am unable to politely avoid it or need a break from self-reflection.

I have another day at Gema's, and then Thursday I'll head to see my aunt and uncle in Avalon on the south Jersey coast, where things should be pretty relaxed. I left NY two days ago and I'm still exhausted. I think if I were settled in NY and had a home, it would be easier to handle. Being unsettled in NY is about as unsettling as it gets. Oh! And I figured out how to walk around in the dark at Gema's house! If I hunch over to Gema height, it's EASY!

http://picasaweb.google.com/wired1000

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