Musings after Interview #1

I have just finished my first residency interview. I guess the season has officially started.

Cons:

1. Being stuck in the middle of Queens in the dark near some sketchy Wal-Greens store on my first night in the city; the cab I called apparently didn't feel like picking me up and my hotel had NO idea where I was. I don't recommend spending 60 minutes like this. Hilarity did NOT ensue. On the "bright side," I'll never again forget to bring pantyhose with me to interviews.

2. Wandering around Queens in the dark because I am directionally challenged and got lost upon exiting the subway station. Somehow, I turned a 5 minute walk into a 90 minute walk. [Note to Queens borough: you have an abnormally large population of weird men that hang out together in clumps after nightfall. You should fix that.] Hilarity did not ensue here, either - however, I did have an anxiety attack in the middle of the Flushing Meadows Park. Another first for me.

3. Spending 3 hours with the good (and, on occasion, scarily interesting) people on the NYC subway. It was supposed to take me 40 minutes but I kept getting on the wrong trains.

4. Having to settle for a visit to the Natural History Museum instead of the Met because I was just so tired of getting on the wrong train and the NHM happened to be right in front of me. Even I can't get lost when it's right in front of me....generally....

The program was good, for sure. But I just don't know about living in New York City, when it comes right down to it. Manhattan is nice, but too expensive...and from what I saw of both Queens and the Bronx, I can't live in either place. I guess we'll see how this all turns out.