Goodbye New York

            As the summer comes to a close, I would like to impart some final words of wisdom to anyone who will be interning in New York City. Living in New York was overall a very overwhelming experience and the following are a few words of advice to make the most of your experience.

            This first piece of advice was given to me before I left and proved very useful. As my old high school teacher put it, “never pay for anything.” What he meant by that was there are so many discounts available in the city, you should never settle for paying full price for something. I was able to attend about twenty on- and off-Broadway shows this summer and only paid full price for one of them. Even though New York is a very expensive place to live, there are a multitude of websites that provide good deals in return for signing up for a free membership. It is also a good idea to look for monetary help before you move. The Career Center at Dickinson offers grants to help students with unpaid or even low-income internships. This grant helped me deflect the costs of food, rent, and travel to and from work.

            On top of looking for all of the good deals, you should ask your coworkers about things to do in your free time. If they are from New York City or have been there a while, they probably know some cool places off the beaten path. New York has many well-known areas filled with tourists, which can get very crowded and annoying, especially when you work in midtown Manhattan right off of Times Square. Your coworkers probably feel the same way and know where to go to get away from all of the hustle and bustle. The city can seem overwhelming with all of the opportunities it presents, so use the people at your office to weed through those choices to find the most interesting (and cheapest) options.

            Another thing I realized one day while making my morning commute is that people in the city rarely look up. It’s really easy to get caught up in the New York swing of things and barrel down the sidewalk every morning with earphones in and your head down. It is important to remember that you are in a city with some pretty amazing sites that you probably pass by every day without noticing. If you just take the time to look up every once in a while, you will be reminded of how marvelous New York really is.  Just remember to keep walking while you’re looking up, or you might get trampled.

            I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog this summer, as I have enjoyed sharing my experiences with you. I have been provided so many wonderful opportunities and I have learned a lot about where I want my career headed after college. I wish to thank Second Stage Theatre for providing me with this opportunity and allowing me to expand my network of contacts within the theatre industry. I would also like to thank Dickinson College for giving me the very generous grant as well as a helpful support staff to stay in contact with over the summer.