Belated Matrimony Update

Aha! Gotcha. That matrimony word caught your eye- didn’t it? 🙂

Well.  Yes.  I went to a wedding.  Three weeks ago.  Which is what makes this update so belated.  It was the wedding of my sister-in-law’s sister (Daria) to my cousin (Bradley).  One by one, we convert the Goodwans to Zimmermans. Well.  That’s the joke anyways.

The happy couple- Brad and Daria- who somehow, miraculously, coordinated a wedding that accommodated guests of great diversity and world views.  We were all impressed at the grace in which Daria pulled this off.  It was a beautiful day, which I believe could be described as classy and sweet, just as weddings should be.

My job at the wedding was simple, take pictures of all the guests for the guestbook.  So, when I arrived I took some trial shots to test the lighting and captured this gem of the mother-of-the-groom with his older sister.

But, as you can see, the location of the photo booth had to be moved due to the chin shadows it produced.  So, this dear bridesmaid posed in front of the mailboxes for me to test out the lighting.  We liked it much better.

The matron of honor and her man (my brother! 🙂 )

Family. LaTasha’s sister, cousin, and aunt.  Such spunky people.  We love them dearly. 🙂

My conversation with Akayla (the little one in the middle) went as follows:
me: wow, you’re getting so big.

Akayla: yeah, I’m 8 now you know!

And, my sister with her cousin, holding out cupcake jar souvenirs favors.

The reception hall as ‘clean-up’ commenced.

And the bride and I.  So blessed to now be officially related to her.

Congratulations Brad and Daria!  We wish you allll the very, very best.  I’m so glad I got to celebrate your special day with you!

The Proof is in the Pudding

Getting a job is a big relief.  The prospect of poverty is no funny business.  And looking at the last $100 in my bank account is.. scary.  And humbling.

That said.  It’s an even greater relief to finally have all my paperwork figured out and to receive this in an email: “Good news, you can start tomorrow.”

This is me on my first day of school, minus the shoes, obviously. This face says, “Here we go…..”

So far, at my fancy new job, I have attended orientation(s), met other SLPs and teachers, visited the principal’s office (!!!) (to ask for a bookshelf for my office- no biggy!), and did some rearranging/decorating of my office space.  I had my first fire drill.  Spent two whole days figuring out a schedule.  And saw my first group of kiddos.   Plus, I got my first plant for my classroom from the teacher’s ‘sunshine society.’

And, my life is split between two schools.  And my offices are shared with other people.

School A

“My” office space before everything is moved around.

My office space after everything is moved (and with the lights on).

My new plant <3.

My bookshelf from the principal.  Now just to fill it… by slowly carrying items in bags on the train every day till all my stuff is here.  Fun fun.

The administrative portion of my office space.

Yes, my room is a closet between two classrooms.  But we manage.

Customary selfie at work (today- on my first day with kiddos). This face says, “I think I’m ganna like it here.”  Even if we don’t have any a/c.

School B

Yup.  That’s all I have from school B.  I’ve only gone one day.  So, not nearly as much progress has been made there.

All in all, I think this year will be appropriately challenging and rewarding.  It has proven to be so already.

NewYorkish

This week involved normal New York things.   Like carpools to Target with this little lady and her family.  (Who claims, “This is how mommy wears glasses.”

A trip to the ocean.

4 interviews, 1 of which involving a walk down this sunny street in Brooklyn.

And evening DUMBO walks.

They say that it takes 7 years to become a ‘true’ NewYorker.  Well.  As of this week, I’ve officially been living in New York for 2 years.  I guess that makes me NewYorkish.  Or perhaps we could say I’ve reached an ‘intermediate’ level of newyorkerness?  I don’t know how the 7 year mark was decided but I will say that there are still things about New York that I don’t know.  Like, I can’t really figure out the defining lines between Greenwich Village and East Village and West Village and SoHo and Alphabet City.  And I’m not sure if each of these areas is considered to be part of “The Village” or if this village place has it’s own separate identity entirely.

I also have a hard time knowing when it’s okay to talk to strangers.  As a rule, I don’t.  Which may, in fact, be very “New Yorker” of me.  But, I think there needs to be a balance.  If someone asks for help, when is it okay to give it?  When people are friendly?  When people ask questions? When people are a little bit weird?  How weird do you have to be for it to be okay for me not to want to talk to you?  And, is weirdness an excuse or a legitimate reason to avoid others?  As a whole, I follow my instincts.  And it’s worked out pretty well.. I think.  But as of late, I’ve wondered if I’m ever wrong.  And, if so, how would I know?

That said, my favorite thing about being NewYorkish has been the transition from full-time student to getting my first ‘real’ job.  I’ve decided that you know you’re a grown up when… you’re excited to get a job.

But I have to be honest.  It has not been easy.  Unemployment is rough.  It makes me easily anxious, insecure, and, as a whole, limited.  I realized that I must really be effecting me because I had started to count Metrocard swipes and lived in fear of wasting them.  This was new.  I actually didn’t make plans with people because I didn’t want to spend the money on food and transportation to see them.  Which, is pretty low for me as I NEED to be with people daily.

So, that was a good perspective to have.  It’s not a perspective I like to live in.  But it makes me very grateful for the employment that I have now found.  I suppose I should say this lightly as I haven’t actually signed my contract yet.  But.  The supervisor said the words (and I quote), “You have a job.”  So.  I’m taking that in faith.

So, here’s to something new.  And to another year of growing into my city and into my life.