Do the Harlem shake

            I knew approximately where I’m supposed to go. Well, I knew it by looking at maps. So I was totally relying on Google Maps. And here I am in La Guardia airport with violin, backpack and two heavy suitcases that were barely accepted with the limit of acceptable weight.

            I got to the bus station which was pretty full of people. At that moment I relied that communication skills aren't that bad in NYC. People offered me help and put my luggage inside the bus.

            On the way from the airport I was looking at the skyscrapers, bridges, the river, few private cars and the yellow ocean of taxis surrounding our bus. People around me had very serious faces on, while I was smiling as a little child. Everything looked like some part of  a movie to me.

            Asking which stop it was and if I had not missed mine, I finally got to final stop and changed to subway.

-                                - Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I get to subway? Do I need some kind of card? – I asked the lady in the assistance box. 
                                   - 2.50, - she replied to me. Her face showed pretty well that she was amazed with my smartness.

Some people helped me to drop my luggage over the entrance machines. Now I had to get to 145^th. I had no clue which train or which way I’m supposed to go. Asking people, they asked me only one question: “Uptown or downtown?” I didn’t know as I was acknowledged with the name of my final station only.

Somehow, asking people on the streets and working some inner maps in my head, I figured out where the house is. How happy I was! I’m almost home.

In a few minutes I realized that my apartment was on 6^th floor with no elevator.

I experienced a great workout carrying my luggage. After about 15 minutes, sweaty and tired, I rang the bell on my new apartment's door. I didn't realize how fast everything happened and I gave away nearly all the money I saved back in Oklahoma on my move-in deposit. All I had left was money to get my transportation - bike and living expenses for the first week. 

I decided to make my first walk in my first neighborhood in NYC. 

- 'Sup, pretty!'

- 'Watcha doin' here, Snow White?'

I wasn't scared at all, as, first of all, I was mentally prepared for this, and, more than that, I consider myself pretty tough after living in Russia for 17 years. However, I still decided to keep my family back home away from knowing the whole picture of my current location in NYC.

Upper West Side sounds slight better than Upper Harlem, right? (Just saying, but apparently all the songs I sing tend to change my reality. Yep, you're thinking exactly what I've been thinking - 'DO THE HARLEM SHAKE')

My new roommates suggested me to just ignore everything by straight and confident walking. They looked very mature and experience in NY life to me, so I kept asking them about life here a lot.

18-year-old, all by myself, with 70$ in my pockets till I find job, I didn't know how I'm going to survive here, but somehow I knew I was going to be alright.