A week in NYC at my friends’ house
Background
One of the worst thing I am being taught in Grad school is monotonicity. There are assignments due every end of the week from start of the semester to end. There’s no room for spontaneity and adventure. The only randomness in my life right now is the randomized algorithm taught in one of my lectures XD.
Well, these are the excuses that I give to myself for when I don’t do things which make me happy. I chose this life and I like parts of it and I have to endure the rest of it. I am learning a lot, learning things which I would have admire if I knew earlier. But I don’t want to do the same things every week in and out. Because of this, I can’t plan anything random as when sometimes I want to do, I get repelled by the deadlines. Most I did was go to Northampton one morning ( just 14 miles away).
I remember those days when I just made a plan in 2 days and then drove for 18 hours straight to Nepal. I even took the steam iron because I just had time to wash the clothes. And to this day, that was the best trip I’ve ever done. For me, spontaneity is not always doing something big or adventurous but to just escape the reality which I did in the NYC trip.
Aaditree told me that she is going to New York to her relatives for Thanksgiving which gave me the idea to go meet Akash (also in NYC). Akash and I are on the same boat. I feel that we are on the same boat from last 7 years (lol). Moreover, what I like most about his place is that I also have a good bonding with the other 3 of his flatmates ( Aditya, Rishav, Gokul) because we explored NYC together for the first time (consciously and unconsciously). Although, this was a “planned” trip, we didn’t even plan a single day. I went there just to escape my reality.
Akash is the friend we all need in our lives. In this phase of our life, where we are neither young nor dumb but broke, I appreciate people who does a little more for others than expected. He not only ordered a mattress from Amazon for me but paid extra 15 dollars for it to get delivered on time. When we were employed, we didn’t care about spending on each other but now, even if he would’ve not done it, I would be more than happy of getting accommodated. But sometimes, we’re tested before we get the price. The mattress was lost or stolen from the doorstep which made him very upset. The no mattress condition didn’t concern me at all as I was not seeking comfort in the form of a mattress but maybe the conversations and understandings.
For context: Aaditree, Anushka are my friends from Amherst.
The story
My bus was at 1:30 PM which as usual I didn’t knew. I thought it would be in the morning. So, I got ready early in the morning and then checked the schedule. Nonetheless, I utilized that time and worked on a project proposal. I had one more assignment due which I planned to do in bus which I didn’t. I boarded the bus and went to New York!! (“Empire state of mind” playing in the background). I got off at 1st Avenue, 38th street with three others who were also trying to find a way to metro. There was a girl who I guess has visited New York before and one Mexican lady with her daughter who didn’t have much idea about the streets. We walked to 3rd Avenue, 42nd street where there was a metro station. It was around 3 blocks away. We greeted each other for Thanksgiving and then we all went separate ways. I had to take two metros to reach Journal Square where Akash lives. As carefree and adventurous (dumb) I am, it sometimes comes back to haunt me in enigmatic ways. I forgot to take any cash with me and I didn’t had any physical cards activated (I had them with me) because I don’t use cards in my college as Apple pay works everywhere. But, it doesn’t in NYC metros. I was left with no option but to call Akash (as always from the past 7 years). And as usual, he freaked out. He asked me to ask strangers to lend money (which is the last resort as not everyone has time to help you).
There was someone who I asked and got a negative reply but then she said that I am going in and will open the backdoor of the subway. And the adventure began! I went through the back gate and then caught the train. For the second train, there was an Indian person who came for a conference. I asked him to help me but he didn’t had Zelle or any mode of online payment. But he gave me the motivation to jump the barrier and I did. We talked throughout our journey and I told him about some of the places to visit. He got off at Newtown and we exchanged numbers.
I reached their home at around 9 PM with no intention of working on the assignment. I was planning to skip it as I don’t care much about marks. Rishav gave me an online software which corrupts any file so that I can submit an empty PDF. But eventually, I submitted the correct assignment. And then we all talked for few hours.
One of the things that I miss a lot in Amherst is talking about anything without thinking about the consequences. We talked about the most important (JK) things which was no way near about studies. I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden, I was at peace. It was like the days where you know you’ve a lot of problems but also have the energy to tackle every one of them.
But we had one problem which needed a solution ASAP. There was no mattress to sleep. When I went to their place in August, it was still fall. So, we alternatively slept on mattress and on the floor. But now, as it is winter, sleeping on the floor could’ve been gut-wrenching. But I had no problem doing it (as I didn’t know the consequences. I thought at most, I will get sick). After a while of talking in Akash’s room, I went to everyone’s room separately just to talk. That’s when saw Adi’s yoga mat. I got the idea that I can use it. Something is better than nothing. And then I used the mat for next 3 days. Akash was not happy but he also went with the flow.
Rishav planned the next day with some amazing itinerary but I was not feeling well. I got sick in Amherst few days before and was surviving and completing the assignments on Dolo-650s. So, I and Adi were the ones in the house. We talked about many situations which happened in the time from when we last met and were brainstorming about how we could’ve reacted better. He was going to his relatives in California the next day. So, we got that day and we talked about random stuff. What’s happening, what’s missing, what’s entertaining, etc. After a while, the other three came back and they brought food. We ate and then Akash ordered gaming controller which got delivered that day.
We started playing FIFA. At one time, two of us were playing and others were just mocking the players. For the next hour, it was ultimate sh*thousery. If somebody could hear us, they would be devastated. We played till 3 am, finished all the chips we weren’t meant to and then we all went to sleep.
The next two days went pretty chill. We didn’t even go out. Most of the time, I was laying on the bed and Akash was sitting on the chair and all we did was send each other reels and see the reaction of each other. Then we also studied for some time (more than some time).
On the third day, I finally bought the instant coffee and I drank a cup so I can study a little. The next minute I got a sad (not serious) news and I wanted to drink from 3 PM but we were out of soft drink to mix and all the shops were closed for thanksgiving. The best remedy to when you feel is to sleep it out. And at that moment, the coffee didn’t even work as it should. I woke up after 2–3 hours fresh.
On the fourth day, all of a sudden we started having FOMO. FOMO that Shivam came to see New York and hasn’t even visited New York yet. We all woke up early and made a plan. It was the Black friday day. Rishav and I planned to buy some things.
But before that, something magical happened. In our childhood, we all have read the story of a wood cutter whose axe falls in the lake and then the lake goddess comes with a gold axe and asks the wood cutter if this is his axe and the wood cutter says no and so on. At the end, she gives all the axes to the wood cutter. The mattress got delivered and also Akash was refunded all the money that he spent on mattress along with the 15 dollars delivery charge. Basically, he got the mattress for free. In the end, everything happens for a reason.
Back to the story. We went to Newtown first to grab some deals. Then we went to Oculus to get some other deal. At Oculus, we had to wait for around 4 hours to complete the process. Rishav and Akash waited for 3 hours and went ahead and went to Timeout market in Brooklyn. When the process completed and I called them but they were already on the way home but they suggested me to go to Timeout market. By that time, Anushka messaged me asking where I was and we were both in Brooklyn. But our timings didn’t match as such and also I had to catch bus next morning, I went home and they went to some places. I inaugurated the new mattress and had the most peaceful and sound sleep in US. Next day, I woke up and left for Amherst after re-charging and re-energizing myself to face the problems till the semester ends.
