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| My favorite building to pass by on my walk to the office |
Full disclosure: I wasn’t always fond of New York City.
Despite being born there and frequently visiting family living there, I’ve honestly never had a soft spot for New York City...that is, until recently. Prior to the past few years, I had really known the city only for Chinatown, whose novelty wears off quickly. The noise, the crowds, the smells - none of it compares well to the lush, green, calm forests of my hometown in New Jersey.
Other areas, like Brooklyn, Times Square, the Upper East and West Sides, occasionally Queens, FiDi, Soho, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Central Park...we had been to those places, but I never truly experienced them despite the numerous annual trips to visit family. I’ve always wanted to see more, but these places didn’t seem all that accessible. Deep down, I wasn’t independent enough to take the leap and just go off on my own solo adventures.
My internship this summer gave me the opportunity to see the city in a new light. It took a handful of subway rides to master reading the signs, and I found myself wandering from Harlem and the Bronx to Elmhurst and Brooklyn. I didn’t realize how characteristically different each borough is from another, that you can get onto the subway in one place and take a 5 minute ride to another unrecognizable world. In addition to learning so much about the medical and social services fields, I was able to learn so much about myself - you get a lot of thinking and reflecting done when you're alone in new environments. Having to travel to different places for my internship further encouraged me to come out of my shell, to be more adventurous, to get lost and to learn to find my way. It was a growing process, one that was physically exhausting at times, but oh-so-fulfilling and life-giving.
If any of my coworkers are reading this, thank you for taking me under your wing and for patiently showing me the ropes! I've never worked in such a pleasant environment with the sweetest and most compassionate of people. You all treated me with so much kindness, graciously sharing your stories, advice, and recommendations. You all cared enough to take the time to get to know me, and I can’t express how grateful I am for the way you all welcomed me and showed me so much love!
Here's what I saw through my iPhone:
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| Wake up call |
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| Penn Station |
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| Brooklyn bound at 8:15 am |
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| Brooklyn bound at 8:18 am |
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| View as I emerge from the subway station on my way to the office |
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| View from under an umbrella |
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| As seen on my walk to Main Campus. Very possibly my favorite street in all of New York because of these houses. |
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| Main Campus. Got to shadow a hospitalist on her rounds - I can't begin to describe the incredible service and facilities witnessed. |
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| View from the 18th floor |
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| Rockefeller University |
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| Lincoln Hospital |
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| Lincoln Hospital Farmers Market |
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| Kings County Hospital |
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| Elmhurst Hospital |
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| The little things - sights on my way to a health fair |
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| Fresh produce at a health fair |
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| Health fair at a senior center |
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| Subway madness on Monday July 17th - 50 minutes and 3 trains to get to Penn Station from Midtown |
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| Waiting. NJ Transit at Penn Station |
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| "Text claw" in the making |
In the span of 2 months....
Umbrellas broken: 2
Languages spoken: 3
Hospitals visited: 5
Desk assignments: 8
Projects: 3
Data entries: too many to count!
Co-workers: 8
Books read: 16
Cups of coffee/tea: too many to count
What an exciting ride it’s been.
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