10 Lessons Learned in New York

There are so many things that a young southern belle such as myself (haha) must learn when making the arduous transition into the mature, hardened New Yorker I yearn to be. It's a lot to take in-- I can hardly keep track of it all! Nonetheless, here's some insight into the knowledge I have gained from my time in the Big Apple thus far:

1. Walking at "New York pace" while simultaneously sipping coffee is an acquired skill -- and one that I am apparently unfit to posses.

2. Street art is cool. Taking goofy pictures in front of such displays of artistry, however, is not. (But when have I ever let that stop me?!)

3. Your feet will never be A) clean nor B) un-swollen (is that a word? well I just coined it). So its really unnecessary to invest in any sort of pedicure cosmetic services.

4. There are so many more options in New York. Take for instance: COCONUT M&Ms (also available: pretzel) -- we do NOT have those in Texas!
(Counter-example: I have yet to find ONE restaurant that serves Dr. Pepper. URG!)

5. Brooklyn is what hipster dreams are made of. To get there, take the L train, and don't forget your Vans/Thick-Rimmed Glasses/Cut-off Jorts (if you're a boy that is)/thirst for Pabst Blue Ribbon and a totally avant-garde (in an ironic way) attitude!

6. Sometimes, it's just easier to hail a limousine!

7. It is imperative to keep your cool when you spot a celeb. It's soooo un-New Yorker to make a big deal of it. They're just normal people! (Celebs I've stayed nonchalant in front of so far: Tori Spelling, Kate Winslet, Marc Jacobs, Julianne Moore & the gay redhead from Modern Family-- I hold no photographic evidence for this because "keeping your cool" involves NOT asking to take a picture with said celebrity. So you'll just have to take my word for it!)

8. BlackBerry trumps iPhone. (Though iPhone 4 looks FAWESOME AND A HALF!)

9. Taking the subway really is safe! Even if your mom told you not to go on it... especially not alone... especially not at night. Oopstini. Sorry, mom!

10. This last one, I'm still working on... Even though signs posted up all around the city read "Taxis, Do Not Honk - up to $350 fine," the alarming tone of car horns is almost always present.