Hello everyone!
I've sat here for several minutes now trying to think of a witty/quippy title to this "Season Premiere" blog. Hopefully, you like what I came up with...even though it isn't all that witty and not quippy in the least.
Previously, on Nick's Adventures in New York:
July 2009
Nick: "I'm moving to New York!"
Mom: "Oh! MY BABY!"
Dad: "You're a damn fool!"
Nick: "Maybe. But it's my life. I don't wont yerr liiife." (Bonus points if you know where that's from...)
August 2009
People of NYC: "Welcome Nick! Here's an apartment. Here's a job. And here's the key to all your dreams--people that believe in you."
Nick: "Thanks People of NYC! What could I ever do to repay you?"
People of NYC: "Pay it forward!"
June 2010
[Phone rings]
Nick: "Hey Ib, you beautiful man, you!"
Ib: "Hey Nick, you're gorgeous! Guess what? I got a job with AmeriCorp and I'm moving to NYC!"
Nick: "Holy Animal Crackers, Ib--THAT'S GREAT!" (Pause for gears to start turning in our heroes head...) "Let's get an apartment together!"
Ib: "OMG, Nick, you're gorgeous and brilliant! You'd be the perfect roommate!"
Nick: "You're telling me."
Ib: "So what now?"
Nick: "Well, how much do you think you afford?"
Ib: "Probably not much, maybe #@*&%?"
Nick: [Head spinning] "How's a hostel sound?"
Ib: "LOL!"
Nick: "Don't worry, Ib. I'll find us a kick ass apartment that we can TOTALLY afford."
And that's what you missed on GLEE! Oh, wait, wrong show...
Welcome to Season 2!
Mid-August
Nick: "Ib, I found some places, come check them out."
Ib: "WOW, Nick! I love it. Let's get it."
Nick: "I concur."
September 1
Nick & Ib: "Hello NEW APARTMENT!"
OK, so now that we're up to speed, let's get down to business. When I last left you I was on the hunt for a new apartment. Well, as you just found out, Ib and I moved into a new apartment in Washington Heights, a neighbor on the Way Upper West Side of Manhattan. That's right, kids, Nick is now a Manhattanite! It's taken some adjustment because Astoria was so homey and quite. There's not a whole lot of quiet here, but I'm definitely getting use to it. Slowly but surely I'm meeting more and more people in my building and they all are very nice, so I finally feel safe and welcome in my own home--and it IS my home! Due to some strict budgeting and hardwork at the restaurant, I was nearly approved for the apartment on my own. With a little help from my good friend John, who agreed to be my guarantor on the lease, this apartment is solely mine. Yes, Ib lives here, but he is for better or worse subletting from me.
Let me give you all a little background on Ib, for those that don't know my beautiful Pakistani-god-like friend (seriously, he's pretty). Ib and I met at Miami while in Glee Club and Chorale together. Aside from being an all around great person, he's quite possibly the most kind-hearted person I've ever met--next to you, Mom. For example, Ib has always just wanted everyone to get along and not judge each other. As such, he accepted a job with AmeriCorp where he works in the NYC public schools teaching a class about being a Peacemaker. The idea is that since so much research has been done to prove kids can learn violence, perhaps the opposite is true and they can learn peacemaking skills, as well. Pretty cool, huh? Anywho, when Ib told me about this job, I knew I would love nothing more than to live with him through this year of his changing the lives of the students of NYC, so I put my nose to grindstone and pulled at every resource available before finding our beautiful two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan's northern end.
I'm sitting here at my dining room table by candlelight listening to my "blog-writing" playlist on iTunes realizing just how blessed I feel to have what I have and accomplished what I have accomplished over the last year. It's soothing to know that these walls are mine and this furniture is mine and I could not be happier than to be sharing it with one of my best friends. WELCOME TO NYC IB!
Speaking of which, this past weekend we held a house-warming party. I invited everyone Ib and I know in NYC. Unfortunately, most people I know work in restaurants and Saturdays are big days for them. Why I chose a Saturday, I'll never know... Anyway, lots of brownies, cookies, corn brea, and chili were made, in addition to some fantastic guacamole from Ib's girlfriend Kaitlyn, who's something of a third roommate, even though she lives in Ohio. Oh, well, she's a pretty fixture around the place, that's for sure!
Slowly but surely I've been buying little odds and ends to fill the apartment, including a beautiful sectional couch and this dining room table I bought from my friends Kim and Brian that are in the process of moving themselves and decided they couldn't think of a better home for these furnishings than my new place. I have to admit, I love them! (The furniture and Kim and Brian!) There are still things to get: a microwave, toaster, kitchen and bathroom towels, recycling bins, and some decorative things. It'll all come together soon enough.
In other news, I had another really great audition a few weeks ago! My good buddy Nadia contacted me to tell me she was producing a short film a friend of hers had written and she wanted me to come audition for them. GREAT! Right? Of course. Everything went really well and the director/writer was digging everything I did. It got down to whether or not I was believable as a rookie cop that would put up with my partners corrupt ways. In the end, it seemed more logical that I would beat the guy senseless instead of give in to his ways. However, I got a personal e-mail from the writer thanking me for auditioning and ensuring me he would be passing my info along to his other friends and keep me in mind or other projects. Pretty cool, I think.
My next steps are to (finally) start taking improv classes at the PIT, make some more connections, and hopefully get back into the audition circuit. We'll see how it all unfolds.
Until next time...
Happy Adventures!
