Turn, Turn, Turn

you know that song by The Byrds?
it's from the 70's or something, and while i'm really more of a 1950's-60's enthusiast i've always liked that song. it goes like this:

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

okay so maybe it's also from Ecclesiastes in the bible. it is quite honestly a blatant rip off but that's beside the point.


The point is this: on March 8th,2009 i got on a plane and ended up in New York City. On March 21st it was the very first day of spring. it snowed like it was winter.
Yesterday (June 21st) was the first day of summer. it rained like it was spring.

and i think that this perfectly sums up my time in the city. unexpected. there are things that you expect from the season of spring. you expect sun, and rain, and birds, and flowers in bloom, and Easter Sunday and graduation. you don't think of snow. or at least i don't.

it's the same for summer. beach, swimming, bbq, hot hot long long days. not rain. thunder and lighting. summer storm excitement. but not regular old rain that won't stop.

and that's the thing about these seasons i guess. they surprise you. new york surprised me. i was surprised by the parts of new york that i liked. the street food, and the street performances, people being out and about all the time. the parts of new york that i didn't like, the stress of being in the city all the time, how difficult it is to get to know people in the midst of all of that stress. but what has surprised me most about my time here is that i'm glad it's almost over.

i was partially prepared to come to new york and adore every second of it and want to stay. and when that didn't happen i was genuinely shocked. there was a time a few weeks ago when i thought, "when this is over in a few weeks i'll be glad to go home" and it's not that there aren't things that i'll miss because there are! i will miss the people that i intern with, and i'll miss my roomate and her family, i'll miss times square, and the Manhattan skyline, and the view of the Hudson.

i remember i used to always talk to a dear friend of mine about turns. how it always seemed like it was everyone else's turn to do something amazing but never mine. lame i know. but it's how i felt. it was always someone else who was having some life changing experience, going off on some grand exploration, enjoying some stroke of good luck, blah, blah, blah. and this friend would tell me that you have to wait your turn. that everyone always has to wait their turn.

and i knew this. i went to kindergarden. my mother teaches preschool i know all about turn- taking.

and eventhough this same friend will tell you that i was scared out of my mind about moving to New York, i am beyond excited to say that when this turn came in new york i was sane enough to take. and i do mean take, i practically had to steal this internship but that too is beside the point. but i also know that it's time to leave. and i am also beyond excited for what my next turn will bring.

I am leaving New York on Saturday June 27th 2009. exactly 111 days after i got here. 1-1-1, that has to be lucky right? when people find out that i'm leaving in a week they say, "OH NO! Why don't you stay?" and my answer is this:

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

I took my turn in New York City, and my season has ended...