Lessons from the Concrete Jungle

The New York Arts Program has flown by like a whirlwind. This whole experience felt like just a couple of weeks even though it was four months of living in the city. From the slightly chaotic start of figuring out my new life to settling into the city culture, NY has equipped me with new …

Central Park

One of my favorite places to go in New York was Central Park. One of the very few perks of COVID was that our program moved to different dorms located in the Upper East Side. This made Central Park only a short walk away from home, and I’m so grateful for that. Whenever I didn’t …

Artists Block

A message for my creatives.  Have you ever been through a creative desert? A place where inspiration and motivation seem to have dried up completely, but you still have the task of creating before you? Although constantly surrounded by art in NY, for some reason I felt more overwhelmed than inspired. Days and weeks roll …

Food Glorious Food

Walking down the streets of New York City your nose is bound to pick up some of the delicious smells wafting out of the restaurants lining the streets. These smells are a lovely break from the often overpowering smell of the trash and sewers, but hey you win some you lose some. Having spent about two …

How I get around the City

Public transportation was one of the many things that intimidated me the first few weeks in New York. From the bustle in the subways and busses to the fast-paced walking New Yorkers flooding the streets, getting around can seem like a mission! Although it was intimidating at first, it was actually very simple and fast …

Let’s Eat!

New Yorkers are known for a lot of things, but one thing that goes unnoticed is their love for eating out! In the Upper Eastside, it is hard to walk around without seeing New Yorkers enjoying a hot meal and socializing. One thing that I absolutely love about New York is its diverse selection of …

Finding Community

Although coming to a large city has opened a door for a lot of independence, it has also shown me how easy it is to feel isolated. With COVID-19 regulations and being in an environment where people don’t know me very well, isolation often feels inevitable. Especially if you are an introvert like me, initiating …

Rockin’ Around Rockefeller Center

I recently went on my first solo adventure in New York and thought I would share. For my adventure, I decided to go exploring around Rockefeller Center. This was partially because I had been desperately trying to figure out if Saturday Night Live was doing live audiences (30 Rock is where their studio is), but …

Navigating Transition

The topic of mental health has always been daunting to me, especially when it pertains to my personal life. I have always been open to supporting where I can, but this topic never seemed to be something I wanted to confront for myself. Maybe it was because I was raised in an Asian African household …

New York At Last

First moments in New York “Are you going to LaGuardia airport?” This question startled me as I stared blankly into the plastic screen that divided the driver and me. I had just gotten off my Delta flight at JFK airport and was now waiting in a black van to get to my apartment. “Excuse me?” …