Its up to you, New York...

NEW YORK!

After all of the drama; going/not going/delayed......we are finally here!

17 days in...I am in love.

And it hasn't been easy.

My fabulous Eloise fantasy went out the window at about day two. There was no time for endlessly roaming the swanky Bowery Hotel for my own city adventure, we were homeless and decisions needed to be made swiftly.

I like to think that I was somewhat realistic in what several thousand dollars per month could get you in Manhattan for a home.....but I was sorely mistaken.

Depressing spaces with windows that looked straight into brick walls. Dark, dingy, crooked rooms with crooked neighbors to match. Where was the views of the skyline? Central Park? Where were the cobblestone streets and friendly neighborhood bistros?

It took 4 days and 7 crazed real estate brokers until we found "the one". Granted she wasn't exactly a beauty. A little rough around the edges, but she had charm. And more importantly; sunlight. Located in the East Village on a charming block with two quaint Italian restaurants, a corner market, a fortune teller and a custom fang store. We knew this had to be it.

Relief set in and I began to think of all the amazing things I could do now that we decided on a home. A little shopping in SoHo perhaps? An afternoon visit to The Met maybe?

Nope. It turns out painting and cleaning is not always done before new tenants move into an apartment on this coast. So naturally, I, as the unemployed one, was delegated the task of deep cleaning and painting. Neither of which I consider my specialty. I learned how different cleaning can be when it is not YOUR dirt you are tending too. It is so much.....dirtier! I was the lady out on my fire escape wearing a pink bandanna and fireman yellow rubber gloves scouring the windows while covered in Benjamin Moore 'Linen' paint splatters.

With my new home-ec skills firmly in place I was ready for our next step: the movers.

To be continued!