Great morning = great day = great life

             Probably it's some mysterious power of the city that makes me wake up every morning pretty early. Who knows what the reason is, but the fact is that I woke up at 4 AM. I decided not to lose my time and do something cool. Instantly I remembered the studio the night before.
             "Morning show! I should go to some morning show!" - the decision I made was more than certain even though I didn't know if I actually can just go an watch how the show is made. But it's New York City, so anything is possible.
           

 Funny fact, but even though I want to work with television, I don't watch TV really. I didn't want to go to NBC morning show because I saw their studio yesterday already, so I wanted to see something new.
As always, I used my one and only Google in my research of where and when to go. After a few pages I picked the CBS morning show.
             I was proud of myself as I was great on time (it was suggested to get to the place at least half an hour earlier and I was planning t

o be there an hour earlier). I got to the address posted online where I got a pretty interesting comment at reception table: "Sorry ma'am, but CBS moved to the other building about half a year ago."
             By the way, I didn't have Internet access on me. So now I had to figure out where to go being led by such a mystical thing as random people's directions.
             Even though Trump International Hotel sounded to me like the weirdest place for the show to be shot, I still got there as somehow all pedestrians were sure that this was the right place for the CBS show to be filmed.
             I ran up the stairs, and was about to open the door, when two gentlemen opened them widely for me smiling at me. The gorgeous hall was full if flowers, expensive furniture and smiling staff people.
             - Good morning, ma'am! How can I help you today?
             Honestly, at this point I was assured that it definitely wasn't the place I was looking for. However, I still told the lady at the reception table that I really wanted to see the CBS morning show. And you will never

believe but she asked me to take a sit and wait until she finds the address online. After about 5 minutes the only place she found was the one I was sent from.
             - Ma'am, I think you should just got to the Today Show by NBC.
             I decided that this decision probably would be the smartest thing to do, so I went back to the place I left just 6 hours ago - Rockefeller plaza.
           

           

             A huge crowd was surrounding the place the show was shot at. Lucky me, somehow I still found a good spot. The main reason for this probably is that I wasn't looking forward to get on TV. All I wanted to see was the working process, the way the show gets created.
             From the very corner I had a great view on everything I wanted to see: cameras, lights, screens. 

             It was pretty funny as all of the people around me didn't see this at all, they were excited to see broadcasters they knew. I saw this people for the first time in my life. However, I guess I was supposed to be excited about this too. But all I saw was the beauty of the working process. Each person was doing some certain part, and all together it created a full picture, just like a puzzle.
             A girl standing next to me asked: "Are you from here?" When I told her that I just moved to the city she got very excited. "Oh my gosh! You got to live in NYC! You're so lucky!" She was here with their choir band from Tennessee. She would almost jump every time she saw the celebrities coming out.
             Apparently her friends and her were even more excited than most of the people out there as some apparently famous people kept coming to talk to us.
             One of the broadcasting girls with NBC tag on her jacket came up to us, and told us that she was an intern from Tennessee. All I heard was "intern." Yes, that's who I need to talk as she definitely knows how to get here! And I just started asking her questions if how she got here. It wasn't something I wanted

here though as she got the internship after college graduation. Well, I needed to talk to somebody who knew a faster way.
             Two more broadcaster came up to us. After they asked us where we from, I was the only one from the group who wasn't from Tennessee.
             - I'm from Russia, - I said.
             - Cool, are you here to visit?
             - No, I'm for school actually. And in a few years we're going to be colleagues, - I still can't believe I actually said this exact thing, but I did.
             - Oh, nice. I'll see you soon then.
             Really, sometimes I don't even expect myself to say certain things. It's just like some mechanism turns in my head and "boom."
             Apparently this morning this "mechanism" decided to do what it wants to do because in a minute I

saw a young guy working with lights who seemed to be the right age to be an intern.
             - Pst! Excuse me.. Are you an intern?
             - Huh? Oh no, I work here. Are you looking for right connections? - he asked back.
             After he explained me that I probably should talk to a stage manager about things like internships and that actually there college sophomores working in studio, I gave him my e-mail. I learnt the lesson that the success in New York City is proportional to the connections you make. Oh, just saying, but this guy was cute.
             The show still was in the process of making and looking at all of this I just got to the conclusion that this is going to be my next goal - get the internship at NBC. Looking at how the shooting worked, how everything was well-organized I just knew that this is the place where I want and I will work.

It's always an amazing feeling when you set the goal, when you know exactly what you want to do, and especially if you know it's possible to reach what you want. I was ready to work hard and do everything I could to get it.
Probably there is something special about the city because it leads you where you're supposed to be. I don't know how it would turn out if I went to CBS show. But I was totally happy to be this morning at Today Show as I just set my new goal that I was ready to achieve.
             As soon as I saw everything I needed and talked to everybody I wanted to, I left the show.

             It was only 8 AM and I had the entire day free, which, I knew, was going to be amazing. 

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.

It’s time to press “Play”

My conversation with my adviser after she got the withdrawal form wasn't long at all. I really respected and loved her; she showed me the world of communication and showed me my place in it. She worked for us only; she wanted us to be great professionals in what we do.

- Linda, you’re really fast in your decisions. You need to think about this opportunity more, put all of the advantages and disadvantages on a scale…

- I know it’s only May and school starts in September. I understand I have money to pay rent only. I realize that I don’t know anybody there. But I also know that’s what I want to do, that’s where I want to be, and exactly when I want to leave.

- Do what your heart tells you to do, but please remember that you can always come back.

I loved and respected her more than most of the people I met in my life. But even she couldn't stop, because nothing could stop me.

I found some place online to stay at for the price I was able to pay. It was great to understand that I’m moving to New York, Manhattan.

Packing my staff I realized I’m a shopaholic, and I need to stop… Yeah, the United States changed me a lot by involving me pretty intensively in the pure consumer society. I mean, I never really refused to do that, but 4 pairs of jeans kind of surprised and scared me a little bit.

As my flight was at 6.15 AM my friends and I decided not to go bed. We've been talking for hours discussing our plans for the future, dreams and travelling ideas. It was great… At that moment I realized that probably it’s not that safe to live in Oklahoma where tornadoes are not that big of a deal, the landscape is pretty constant and food is all pretty much fried (dear reader, I’m giving you full rights to blame me for not liking fried food). But honestly, traveling around the world and specifically in the United States, I found out that Oklahomans are probably the greatest, the nicest, the kindest people you probably ever going to meet in the entire world.

They never refused to help me but refused to take money for gas, they listened to me if I needed to be listened. Moving up north I knew that communication between people is going to be in a very different way. However, I was ready to pay this price.

Standing in the airport customs’ lane, my friends stood next to me, and id didn't feel like I was leaving. I couldn't and I’m pretty sure my friends weren't able to understand that this is THE MOMENT.

I hugged them and smiled. “Bye guys! I love you so much. Thank you for everything!”

‘Cookies or pretzels, ma’am?’

‘Umm... cookies and orange juice please’ – I mumbled waking up.

I couldn't get back to sleep on this flight again because the only thing that was filling my mind was New York which was now just 2 hours and 45 minutes away of flying.

Finally after reading some random magazines, looking at duty-free catalog  listening to on-air radio and watching kind of a random movie about some old people in elderly house with tons of drama there, I heard the flight assistant announcing that we’re close to destination and it’s time to buckle up.

‘Don’t forget to turn off your electric devices,’ – the voice repeated a few times.

But no, I wasn't going to do that as I was about to fulfill one of my mini-dreams and make a check point in my buckle list. I opened my music gallery and found the folder “Favorite.”

I could both feel and see the plane getting lower every minute. It was the perfect moment and pressed “Play.”

Looking for the first time at the New York City from the bird’s point of view and hearing the first chords of Frank Sinatra’s unofficial hymn of the city, I could see us passing above Central park, Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and other iconic details of the city.

If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere.

It’s up to you, New York, New York

Living this moment I was realizing that I will always remember it as it is my official start of brand new life.