6 Lessons I Learned From My First Week Living In NYC

These past 7 days have been quite the whirlwind but I’ve survived my first week in New York City.

#winning

I am settled into my apartment, the new roomies are pretty fabulous and today is the first official day of school! I’m excited to finally be out of the transitional period I’ve been in for the past month and actually have a permanent home, that feels soooo good. And I’m excited to be back at regular blogging. I’m still trying to figure out a rhythm with school, blogging, Nutshell, etc etc but I know that will come with time.

It’s been a steep learning curve since getting here on Tuesday and I have a whole lot to learn about living in NYC. But even over the past 6 days there have been a few important things I’ve learned…

1. Exercise really isn’t my priority because you do SO much walking here! I walked a lot back in college and then when I began working as an RD my walking decreased significantly to virtually nothing. I was working a desk job and sat a-LOT. Since moving to the city I’ve been walking 5+ miles per day and my legs can definitely feel it. And so can my feet. Next up on my list is ordering a pair of Birkenstocks because my feet cannot do all this walking in Target sandals. I love all the walking and lately that’s been my workout. Some morning jogs here and there but really, with all this walking and having zero time between school, Nutshell and an attempt at a social life…working out just isn’t my top priority. And I kind of like that.

2. I’m hungry all the time. With all the walking and just being way more active in my day to day life I feel like I have a hollow leg. I wrote about this last week at the beach and things have not slowed down. I’m trying to pay attention to my hunger, pick nutritious stuff over just shoving my face with whatever is in sight [which happens] and as long as the hunger continues…I’ll just keep eating.

3. Grocery shopping is a whole different ball game. I stopped by Trader Joes on Friday after hanging out with some college friends in Central Park and quickly realized how my grocery shopping strategy will have to change. I usually just stock up on an insane amount of produce, throw some other things in my cart and call it a day. Well, now I have to carry all my groceries onto the subway and back to my apartment so I have to be choosier with my produce…womp womp wommpppp. But can we talk about how I let out an obnoxious “YESSSSS” when I walked into TJs and realized their prices for the most part weren’t inflated. YES.

4. People don’t have time for my indecisiveness. On Friday, me and a couple girls from my program stopped by a little cafe outside the hospital for lunch and it was a “build your own salad.” Well, I was a little slow deciding what toppings I wanted and before I knew it the guy stopped listening to me, made my salad, packaged it up and I was shoved down to the cashier to pay. Ohhhhhkay New York, I’ll hurry up next time.

5. Takeout is a lifesaver. I’ve never really been a fan of takeout because I’ve never lived in an area that had awesome takeout. Well, I’ve come to learn NYC has amazing takeout that’s actually pretty dang cheap. I’ve already found my favorite Indian spot that is super fresh and only about $8 for a whole lotta food. I’m going to try to cook as much as I can, but I can already see this becoming a regular thing and I’m not mad about it.

6. My mindset about nutrition + working out has shifted. Back when I was working as an RD, I had the time to cook recipes and go to yoga or workout classes…I had a lot more free time to focus on food + exercise. In the short 3 days that we’ve had orientation and that didn’t even include homework, my entire mindset has changed. I mean, I love a great sweat and I love food…a lot. I love cooking recipes and browsing food blogs and grocery shopping and everything. But that’s just not a priority anymore and it’s really refreshing. It’s refreshing to have this entire other passion to focus on- becoming a Nurse Practitioner and being the best healthcare provider I can. And if that means walking is my exercise, great! If that means I’m eating takeout or simple dinners of sweet potatoes, sauteed veggies and quinoa [like I did last night] then I’m happy. And if that means making a quick grocery haul once a week with the bare essentials, well…my wallet will thank me. I’m hoping that my eats + approach to staying active will be even more relatable as I navigate grad school.