Sarah is a rising sophomore interning at the Sadie Nash Leadership
Project in Brooklyn, NY. SNLP strives to empower young women to become active leaders and proponents of change in their communities.
Surely that’s what Gershwin would have written if he had placed Porgy and Bessie at the heart of Greenwich Village. At least, that’s what I think to myself as I hum the tune while standing in line at the Whole Foods on Union Square. It’s 10:30 PM on a Sunday, and it’s packed. So is Walgreens, and the Food Emporium around the corner. Each store is so fiercely illuminated the light spills out onto the sidewalks and seeps through the park, where it mingles with the bright glow of stores down Broadway and along 5th Ave. Squinting my eyes against the piercing glare of a Duane Read, I head back to my dorm and think: who needs street lamps when this around-the-clock frenzy of grocery shopping makes it practically daylight?
It seems this city truly is rarely asleep. This is demonstrated to me again as I hit the sidewalk 6:30 Monday morning, expecting to be one of the few miserable, sleepy souls on the prowl only to realize that every store is already open and has apparently been for quite some time (the smells of the bakery on 14th continue to follow me down the street). If I found this surprising, what was more so was the number of New Yorkers out jogging, walking their dogs, looking generally awake and alert and on their way to do something important. Which is basically how all New Yorkers look, all the time. Having grown up across the way in Connecticut, I, too, am in the habit of walking fast and looking slightly harried while doing so. We all have places to go. Lately, however, it feels like life might be at a faster pace than what I was ready for.
In the past 24 hours I have moved my life into an NYU dorm, gotten hopelessly lost in Manhattan for two hours on a walking tour gone awry, and found my way to Brooklyn (after taking the G train in the wrong direction, of course). I’ve met up with the incredible student cohort of the Moxie Project, which will be my sounding board and grounding force these next two months. And I’ve started my internship with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, an outstanding organization dedicated to the empowerment of disadvantaged young women from all over the city. (The office at SNLP has blue floors, in case you were wondering. Very trendy.) I’m excited for the next few weeks to unfold, to settle into a routine – this includes efficiently navigating the Subway – and to learn from and work with my supervisors. It can be a lot to adjust to and process at once. Life in the Big Apple is always moving. For now, I’m trying to soak in as much of my surroundings as possible: the buildings, the restaurants, the people. Moxie and SNLP provide a wealth of incredible resources right at my fingertips. The challenge of the next two months will be to take full advantage of what they, and this pulsating, vibrating city, have to offer.
As the slogan goes, it’s the city that never sleeps, and you’ve begun to learn this firsthand. I look forward to hearing more about your internship with the Sadie Nash Leadership Project, the connections you develop with other Moxie students, and how these experiences affect you personally and professionally.
Dear Sarah,
Getting lost is a great way to get to know a place! And while the pace of New York can indeed get harried, it is also important to step back a bit and allow yourself time to set your own pace. I do look forward to hearing more about how your first days at your internship have been, what surprises you have found, and how you are helping define your role within the organization.
Sarah, I loved your description of the pace and energy (and nonstop activity!) of life in NYC. As a New York transplant (who also lives in Union Square), your post took me back to my own introduction to the city eight years ago. I encourage you to embrace the possibilities that NYC offers this summer because it is an incredible opportunity – but also carve out time and space for yourself separate from the hustle and bustle. Whether it’s your dorm room late at night or a few square feet of grass in Central Park on a Saturday afternoon, find your place where you can take a break from all the chaos, even for a few minutes! I really enjoyed your writing in this first post and look forward to hearing more about your internship and the work of SNLP as the summer progresses.
NYC’s subway system is an apt example of the intricate web of connections that binds us all together on this earth plane. Never has it been more evident to me how much people need people than when I lived and worked in Manhattan.
I hope you are able to make your own substantive connections during the course of your project, as you empower other women to make live-enhancing connections for themselves, their families and their neighborhoods.
Best wishes,
Beth Davis
Sarah,
I look forward to hearing more about the Sadie Nash Leadership Project and the work that you will be doing there. Tell us more – where is the office located, what are your impressions of the project’s goals, missions, and successes, and the neighborhood where the office is located — same vibe a Union Square or maybe something different? Good luck over the next few weeks. Welcome to NYC.