My life in NYC was many things. What it wasn’t was ordinary and uneventful.
Our first place to live was a basement apartment. For those who are not sure what it is, imagine opening the building door and going down, instead of going up. Our one window was on the same level as the street. It was our place, however, and it was in Astoria, NY.
A couple of months later we moved into a much nicer one bedroom apartment (you had to go up the stairs to reach it) very close to the subway stop. Those who know anything about the city will understand the importance of this. Although most of the time the ride on the subway would make me nauseous and leave me grasping for air, having to walk just one block to get to it was very convenient.
The chef got hired at a restaurant in the heart of the city – The Sea grill at the Rockefeller center (now permanently closed). I wasn’t doing bad for myself either. I started at the same Rockefeller center working as a sales girl in a Christmas store. Later I got temporarily employed at the Teuscher (https://www.teuschernyc.com/ – the best job hands down in my ‘jobs all over the world’ career… I got to taste so many champagne truffles it was ridiculous. I’d even send packages to my family in Europe).
Finally I ended up at Tristan and America (https://www.tristanstyle.com/) steps away from the chef’s restaurant and the 5th Avenue. I got hired because… I had the most beautiful blue eyes! True story that, the one that still makes me smile today. The manager of the store was touching me quite a lot during the interview, but later he told me not to worry about it as he was gay! He admitted after some time that my eyes did the talking that day, and he was instantly captured by them. We became very good friends. Just like the city itself, our store was a great mix of races, nationalities and sexual orientations. And we all got along. We all belonged. That is what I loved about NYC the most.
The highs were truly high. I was going to the top rated restaurants, trying out tasting menus and enjoying champagne with gold. I was marveling the famous spots and museums the city had to offer. I was exploring the shopping venues and finding hidden gems of any cuisine in the world I dreamed of. Even the one from back home. And it was delicious.
Our love was blooming. Life in the city suited us. But just like Nelly Furdado in her song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pBo-GL9SRg), I’m wondering: why do all good things come to an end?