LONG POST WARNING

So its been 10 days. Officially. A lot can happen in 10 days ya know. Apparently, proof of Kate Hudson, you can't lose a guy but what does she know....

All I know is that I, in 10 days, have fallen madly, crazy, upside down, your-going-to-have-to-bribe-me-to-ever-leave LOVEEE with this city. Going back to springfield will definitely be bittersweet...*please note the sweet part of that word. I AM coming back. and I AM excited to see everyone and go to Trolley Tuesdays :)*

Whats so different about New York, you ask? Well let me just tell you. Besides the amazing landmarks and the obvious impressive history of the city itself, i just plain like the culture here. It's definitely a 180 from Springfield...or really St Louis in most ways...and those differences are difficult. SO I've comprised a list of my fav things about living here and my least. Please comment if you have any questions, concerns, etc. Please and thank you have a nice day.



ASHLI POLLARD'S REALLY POPULAR LIST OF THINGS SHE....

LIKES:

• Public Transportation

Ok let me preface. The subways smell. The old ones are gross. There are homeless people everywhere. I get it. But ya know what else I see? How simple and easy it is to get around. That the new trains are so NICE!! There are performers (like really good, i'd pay money to see them) everwhere with their violins, cellos, circus acts, etc. all over the subway stations. I think its really cool. I love the subway. I love that I can get uptown in 10 minutes where if I walked, it would take 2 hours. I love it when guys give up their seat for a girl. I love it when random things happen on subways like when I was on the downtown 6 and this guy got the WHOLE subway car to sing clap and dance to "CELEBRATE" while we were in motion. the thing was PACKKKEEEDDD too!

I love walking. I think its cool that Manhattan is so compact that it takes a minute and a half to walk one block...even if it does take 5 minutes to cross an avenue. But if youve never been here you probably dont know what I mean. It doesnt matter. I like the walking, you get used to it really quickly. And its not like Springfield or St. Louis where you have like one barnes and noble so if you have to go to one you know its location. There are like 20 different barnes and nobles, 150 starbucks, 65 paneras, etc. Anything you want is, in fact, in walking distance. And if your location isnt, a subway is! VOILA! I LOVE IT! It's also a lot safer to walk and text than to drive and text...except I've almost gotten hit by a taxi that way (these drivers are craaazy)...

• New York restaurants

As I was just telling my good friend Jeff Wasserman, my favorite thing about this place is the lack of chain food restaurants. Besides the tourist trap of the city, Times Square, I DARE you to find a chain-food restaurant business somewhere in the city. I'm sure you can do it but it's a lot more rare than you think. I have seen onnne in my time here. Every place is someones own. They chose the floor, the walls, the menu, the floor layout, the recipes, etc. Everything is made to order and oh my gosh sooo good! No matter where I've gone something on the menu is a specialty there. I went to this place the other night with my friend Steph and literally, there were 3 chairs there. Thats how small it was. I guess it was more of a to go place but we sat down. And it was the BEST gyro i've ever had. And i've had a few...im slightly obsessed. Thats just one example...blueberry pancakes at "Westside" in..guess where...the West Side?! I've never ever had a pancake like that before. Its just amazing really, I could eat for hours.

• Proving stereotypes wrong

I'm going to make this short and simple. Everyone here that I've met is soooo nice. And also, almost none of them are from here. Like Hi, I was born and raised in NYC. No way. Everyone here is/was trying to make some success for themself here and everyone kind of bands together. Theres a really cool unity about it that I've never witnessed in another city. It's a nonjudgment "help-a-sista-out" type of thing. I love it. Sidenote: NYPD officers have been the nicest. Swear on it, I do. And theyre always genuinely worried that I REALLY understand the directions they gave me lol

• The art of the city

Of course Im referring to the museums: The Guggenheim, the Met, MOMA, etc. But more than that, this one is simple too, the architecture of all these old buildings really just blows my mind. Grand Central is one that always makes me in awe. It's just beautiful and I love the set up, the columns, the tile floor, the entrance, its just SO awesome.

• Having a sweet job

Can we say SHWINGGG! I wont get into details cause I dont want to violate confidentiality (see revised post earlier where I disclosed all info from my job. If you saw that, feel lucky, you know more than most people will from reading this. wanna know about my job? ask). I will say this. ITS F-ING AMAZING! I love it. I love the owners (who i work with very closely), I love the responsibilities, I love the history but mainly...ohhhh myyyy goddddd do i love the client list! We work with larrrrge quantities if you buy from us...(I think our minimum is 500?) so we work with everyone from Walmart to the people who make graduation gowns to the people who make body bags (morbid, huh...but kinda cool?), to flotation devices, to....drumroll...Michael Kors, DVF, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Prada, Miu Miu and then large companies like Victorias Secret, Hollister and A&F, Puma, Adidas, Urban Outfitters, etc. I get to work with these companies closely and make decisions that affect what their next fashion choices will be. And sometimes, they listen!! It's pretty sweet. Besides the not paid thing.

DISLIKES:

• The smell

Obvi.

• The New York sensitivity to weather

Ok. THE MAIN difference between life in MO and life in NYC--not the weather. Nope weathers actually just the same. Gets just as hot and just as cold, just as much time in all the seasons and everything. However when your walking down the street 6 blocks to get to the subway and then 6 blocks when you come out and you have to wait to cross streets and you look freaking fabulous cause it took you 20 minutes to do your hair and your new heels make your butt look good....YOU HATEEEEE that its raining. Or snowing. Or that the sun is beating down on you so bad you cant tell if someone threw a bucket of water on you or if your just sweating. Or when the wind is blowing so badly that your convinced that dust spec that blew in your eye is really a large tractor. You feel ALL the elements here....which I guess could be kind of poetic? But its not. Its miserable and you have to prepare for everything. EXAMPLE: left my place today because there was a 20% chance of rain in Manhattan. Did i bring an umbrella? no sir, not for 20%! Did it rain so hard you couldnt see 2 feet in front of you aka possible monsoon weather? Why yes it did! There you go folks. My reason for not liking the weather which brings me tooooo.....!!

• Not using a car

Last but not least and probably the most obvious of all, I miss a car. My car. Anyones car. Being in a car, period. And a taxi that goes bumper to bumper in stop and go traffic for 15 blocks and smells worse than a subway doesnt count as a car. Thats a tragic misfortune, not a vehicle. But seriously I miss it...

And now Im being a negative nancy lets end POSITIVEEEE!

Bottom line. Its different. Everything here is different. And like I said above this list is shortened. Theres obviously way more I can (and will!) discuss ... like Central Park or how every single guy here thinks they have the right to my phone number just cause I happened to make eye contact with them. These make the pros and cons list as well. Im sure you can guess which goes where.

Sorry about the long post I just wanted to make up for being such a bad blogger this week.
What is to come?
My thoughts on Central Park, my trek across the Brooklyn Bridge, my feelings about the Yankees, and the 3 trends I see everywhere and got really excited when I realized I could wear them all together!! YAYYY!!!

Love you all!! Good night!!

(P.s. the thing i realllllyyyy miss the most is the dirty dozen aka my homegirls...I love you all so much and I'm really doing my best to keep in touch..if i'm sucking miserably text me! i miss you all!!! cant wait to see your faces!)