A Reflection on Living in NYC the Past 4 Years

July 29th, 2021 marked 4 years in New York City. Each year has been brought so many unique experiences that I thought would be fun to reflect on.

This may not be the most interesting blog post but I love a good list and reminiscing on my time so far in the greatest city in the world.

2017 (from July 29th, 2017 until the end of the year):

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

1. I finished working at Commonwealth Counseling Associates, sold my car, packed up my stuff, and moved to New York with help from my mom, sister Beth, and brother-in-law Mark.
2. I started working at the Starbucks in Crown Heights on Franklin Avenue.
3. My sister Heidi was the first person to visit me shortly after I moved in early August. Then, my sister Sarah and niece Lily visited during the holiday season.
4. I saw plenty of plays with the first one being The Great Comet with my friend Rachel and the second being The Play That Goes Wrong with my friend Kristina.
5. My sister Rose got married to Mike which was a fun weekend with my whole family.
6. I hosted an epic Stranger Things Party the weekend of Halloween.
7. Moviepass was a big thing so I went and saw a lot of movies (30 in total) – sometimes with friends and sometimes by myself. I think one of the loneliest nights I had after moving to NY was New Years Eve when I went to the Alamo Drafthouse to see Call Me By Your Name which I watched by myself since a “friend” cancelled on me. A little while later, she posted an Instagram story of her hanging out with other people that night which obviously hurt my feelings. I learned a lot about myself and friendship after moving to the city. I learned who are the people I truly know support me while also feeling more comfortable doing things alone.
8. I took advantage of a lot of free things that NY has to offer – kayaking, events at the libraries, movie nights at Bryant Park, Broadway in the Park, pop-up food events, etc.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

2018

1. I was lucky to have lots of VA friends come to visit.- shout out to Lindsey P, Lindsey K, Kaitlyn P, and Mariya V.
2. I started working at New York Road Runners which made for a busy summer and fall but was a nice way to break up the monotony that Starbucks had become and I met several of my good friends during my time with the company.
3. I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 during the two opening nights and it was pure magic on stage.
4. I got to stand on a Broadway stage when I saw Aladdin with Lindsey since our High School class mate Jacob Dickey played Aladdin!
5. My sister Beth came to New York for an epic bachelorette party and got married that September.
6. I helped with Rock n Roll Debauchery which was a fun event with Broadway performers. I later got to go to Cirque Du Soleil’s Volta and got to hang out with the cast afterward since a few of the Debauchery cast performed in it.
7. I saw Candide at Carnegie Hall and the documentary Songwriter at the Tribeca Film Festival.
8. I did a bit of background work for Central Casting. You can see me the easiest about 11 minutes into the 5th episode of the 3rd season of Crashing where I am singing a song (that I didn’t know well) during a church service and very visible behind Pete Holmes.
9. I auditioned for The Rockettes vocal group just to say that I tried.
10. I found out about the deliciousness that is Westville and had my 28th birthday party there.
11. My mom came to celebrate my birthday and we had a jam packed, fun weekend that included visiting The Met, seeing The Band’s Visit, and going to Shakespeare in the Park.
12. I saw Taylor Swift in concert during the Reputation Era.
13. I trained for and ran the NYC marathon with Team in Training and surpassed my fundraising goal. I ran with my VA TNT coach Bob. My sister Rose and her husband Mike came to visit and support me throughout it which made the event even more meaningful.
14. I found out my sister Rose was pregnant!
15. I worked on a production of The Laramie Project with my amazing friend Trey and met our now very close friend Anita whose acting made us cry.
16. I met my friend Megan who I knew would I would be close with the moment we grabbed coffee and chatted the first time.
17. I took acting classes with the Victor Cruz Acting Studio and felt like I did a convincing job with the roles I was given.
18. I hosted the First Annual Apple Day which was a very joyful day.
19. I met Pete who has changed my life for the better in so many ways! ❤
20. I was able to quit Starbucks and NYRR because I got an Office PA job on Desus and Mero.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

2019

1. I went to my first NY Hockey game at Barclays in which the Islanders lost to the Oilers.
2. I hosted an epic Oscars / Desus and Mero Premiere Party.
3. I told Pete that I loved him in March.
4. My face swelled for a truly unknown reason but probably because of my acne medicine.
5. I took my first ever hip hop class via Class Pass and it was a blast.
6. I experienced the wonder of the Museum of Color with Rachel and Caitlin.
7. Pete and I had a super touristy day at the Empire State Building.
8. My niece Brooklyn was born and was such a cute little baby!
9. I was promoted to Production Secretary and ran the intern program for Desus and Mero.
10. I went to a cool Marvelous Ms Maisel event at Greenwood Cemetery and somehow didn’t feel creeped out at all being surrounded by gravestones!
11. Pete and I went to a bunch of live sports games – Soccer, Yankees, and the US Open – all just during the summer.
12. I worked with the audience team for the VMAs with 1iota.
13. I visited Long Island with Pete’s family for a relaxing weekend and a wedding for one of his family’s friends.
14. I experienced the San Gennaro Festival with Caitlin and had yummy arancini and cannoli.
15. I saw Carrie Underwood perform at Madison Square Garden.
16. I joined my dad for his 50th High School Reunion and hosted the 2nd Annual Apple Day all in the same epic weekend.
17. I saw so many plays including Tootsie, Oklahoma, Come From Away, Network, Puffs, and many more.
18. Desus and Mero had their 1st season wrap party.
19. Pete and I went to Dyker Heights to see the Holiday Lights displays.
20. Pete and I planned an entire trip to Italy for May 2020.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

2020

1. The pandemic hit in March 2020 and all of our big plans were put on the back burner for another time – the Italy plans were cancelled, my 30th birthday celebration became a quiet dinner with Pete, and most days we spent at home by ourselves. Zoom brought people together which was a gift, but it also became an exhausting social outlet.
2. A lot of fun stuff happened before the pandemic surged though: Pete and I went to the Lumineers Concert for Valentines Day with Rachel and Cayce, we went to a Rangers game at MSG, my sister Heidi visited and we went to this awesome restaurant to celebrate one of her coworkers called Famous Sammy’s Steakhouse (which sadly closed in January 2021), I won third place in trivia at The Belfrey with my friends Mitchell and Moriel, and spent a glorious weekend full of theater (saw Company and SIX) and a long walk from Hamilton Grange to midtown with my friend Kristina.
3. And luckily, even after COVID, there were some pretty big moments – My sister Sarah announced she was pregnant with my first nephew. Pete and I moved in together in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I hosted the 3rd Annual Apple Day. I traveled to Sleepy Hollow with my friends Mitchell, Moriel, and Jon. I got really into baking by making breads, bagels, pies, and baked oatmeal which is part of the reason why I started this blog back up.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

2021 (through July 29th, 2021)

1. My nephew Zachary was born and he is such a sweet, cute, baby! ❤
2. I was promoted to Legal Rights & Clearances Coordinator and then LR&C Associate Producer at work.
3. I got my blog up and going again with renewed excitement and plans.
4. I helped with the pre-production of my friend Anita’s short film, The Missed, that will be in production in October.
5. I got the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine.
6. Pete and I visited The Edge for his 30th birthday.
7. Beth came for my 31st Birthday party (that I was able to host on my apartment’s rooftop!!) and we went to the Harry Potter NY Store.
8. I went to my first concert since before the pandemic with Rachel and Megan – Brandi Carlile at Forest Hills Stadium and it was awesome.
9. I saw my first live play since before the pandemic – Merry Wives at Shakespeare in the park with Megan.
10. Pete and I moved into our second apartment together in Long Island City.
11. My Dad came to visit for the first time and I got to show him my home, eat some delicious food, and see a little bit of the city. He rode on the subway for the first time in his life!
12. I’m training AGAIN for the 50th Anniversary of the NYC Marathon and raising money for Team in Training.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Making lists like this one always helps me feel so grateful and at peace with some of the decisions I have made so far in my adult life. The items above are really just the NY centric events that have happened over the four years. It doesn’t count the fun activities I did in Virginia, Boston, or Colorado with a variety of family and friends. I am lucky to lead a life that is full of fun adventures with the people who bring so much joy to my life. I came to this city feeling a lot of hope and drive and I am proud of the things that I have accomplished and experienced so far. The years in this city have definitely not been easy at times but the friends I have met here and the experiences I’ve been able to have so far have made it so worth it. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year will bring.

If you’re reading this blog, what are the events or activities that have made a place feel like home for you that wasn’t your home city or state? How did you overcome homesickness? Shout out the folks who helped you through those times!

Sending you all lots of love,

Alanna