City Love(2)

My teaching goal was more of an expected track. I love kids and I love tutoring, so it made total sense. But I could spread the love on a much larger scale as an urban designer. I could reach thousands more people in countless positive ways, maybe even millions, than I could as a teacher. I’m excited to see what my new internship brings this summer.

Rosanna watches me unpack my suitcase. I can’t believe she’s already unpacked. Her boxes arrived right after she did. We both moved in this morning, but she got here after me. I hope she’s not mad that I took the bigger room. My mom said that when an apartment is vacant and everyone’s moving in around the same time, the person who gets there first can pick which room they want. Rosanna didn’t have that much stuff: only the two bags she took on the plane and a few boxes. You would think the girl who moved from Chicago would have way more stuff than the girl who moved less than a mile from home.

“Do you know which drugstore is the least expensive?” Rosanna asks.

“Try CVS or Rite Aid. But you might have to go to a few different places to get everything you want.”

“I almost died when I saw how much toothpaste cost at Duane Reade.”

“Yeah, you’ll want to avoid Duane Reade. They’re outrageous.”

“How does anyone afford to live here?”

“It’s not easy.”

“Sorry to bother you with all these questions. I feel so out of place.” Snap-snap-snap.

I look up from my suitcase. Rosanna’s been emitting her unsettled vibe since the second we met this morning. She has that nervous/shaky/adrenaline thing going where you’re in a new place and you’re scrambling to get settled, but you don’t know where anything is. I want to do everything I can to make her feel more comfortable.

“You’re not bothering me at all,” I reassure her. “I’m happy to be your tour guide. Oh, and I know where the best gelato is. One less thing for you to worry about. We can go there after dinner if you want.”

“Cool. Um, do you want me to help you unpack some of those Target bags?”

“That’s okay. It looks like more than it is.” My mom took me to Target to get a bunch of stuff for the apartment. I had no idea I’d need so much for a furnished apartment. Mom insisted on some new kitchen things. And I’ll need sheets and towels and other basic stuff for college anyway. Before I knew it, we were pushing an overflowing cart down the school supplies aisle, attempting to cram in a few packs of pens between a bright orange pasta pot with a built-in colander and my new comforter.

After working a miracle by finding room in my closet for most of my clothes, I walk with Rosanna to Joy Burger Bar for dinner. They have the best veggie burger ever. This is important. Ever since I became a vegetarian last year, I’ve been on the prowl for the best veggie burger in New York. My prowl has turned out to be a more difficult search than you’d expect. Most veggie burgers fall apart when you take your first bite. It’s so disappointing when the satisfying meal you were anticipating quickly becomes reduced to crumbled bits of carrot and sprout all over your plate. But Joy Burger Bar knows what they’re doing. Their veggie burgers are not only delicious, they’re cohesive. And they have the most refreshing iced tea served with the perfect amount of sweetness, not too much ice, and sprigs of fresh mint. Rosanna will love JBB.

Being outside after unpacking and rearranging furniture all day is a double shot of cheer. Summer is in the air. People on the street are smiling and laughing with groups of friends. I love it when the energy is really up like this.

“Let’s cut through the park,” I say.

“Which park?” Rosanna asks.

“This one right here. Washington Square Park.”

“That’s the one with the arch, right?”

“Yeah. We’ll walk back this way so you can see the arch all lit up. The fountain lights up, too.” This is Rosanna’s first time in New York. It blows my mind that someone my age has never seen these cultural icons before. I’m happy for Rosanna that she gets to experience all of this glitz and glamour for the first time. “The park was renovated so that the fountain is perfectly framed by the arch. They spent some ridiculous amount of money to move the fountain like twenty feet.”

“Really?”

“It’s entirely possible that I’m exaggerating. But the fountain is epic. See how everyone congregates around it? This is the kind of place you could come to if you’re having a bad day and immediately feel better, you know?”

“Yeah.” Rosanna looks around with wide eyes, taking in all the action.

A street performer is doing an elaborate magic trick near the fountain. Lots of colored scarves are involved. We stop behind the deep circle of people surrounding him to watch. Rosanna is a few inches taller than me and can see everything. I have to stand on my tiptoes to see what’s happening.

The crowd is dazzled by how quickly the plethora of scarves is changing colors. They burst into enthusiastic applause. The magician bends down and smiles at a little boy at the front of the circle. He holds a blue scarf out to the boy. The boy is reluctant to take the scarf. He probably thinks it will be snatched away as part of another trick. But then he sticks a tentative hand into the space between them. The magician dangles the scarf. The boy grasps it. His laughter rings out, making other people in the circle smile at how adorable he is.