I get the beat from maestro

Sometimes I listen to Weezy at work on mah iPod. It's so gritty and so offensive and so ghetto and I love it.

Today marks two weeks. Two weeks until I move to NYC. Two weeks. I can't believe that it's real. I still haven't packed a damn thing. I'm too busy contacting people in NYC, setting up informationals, talking to potential roommates, and applying for jobs. I haven't really been posting about it but that's what I do every day.

Basically I just find these contacts through people at work--some of them are former interns at my current place of work. I send them a brief e-mail that includes something along the lines of the following:

I'm currently interning in the --- department at ----- in Birmingham. I've been here since July, and my internship ends this Friday. I'm moving up to NYC Dec. 30, and ------ gave me your contact information. Where did you intern at ---- and what do you do now? How do you like the city? I would love to talk to you some time soon, just to get some advice about going from Birmingham to NYC. It would be great to have a network of Southerners when I get up there! Let me know when would be good for you. I have attached my cover letter, resume, and clips just for your reference. Thanks!

Sometimes I leave that last part out, if I'm just sending a casual hello e-mail. And if I'm cold e-mailing someone who isn't from the South and didn't work at my current company, I leave out all the stuff about Southerners and the South, obvs. I just introduce myself, give a brief bio of my work experience, and tell them I would love to speak with them about their move to NYC and their career path. I've been doing this every day for weeks now, and I've found that most people write back. Of course there are several e-mails I sent and never heard back from, but that is to be expected. People iz busy, nomesayin? But for the most part, people are cooperative and want to help.

Every time I get a response from someone, I print the e-mail and put it in a green folder labeled "NEW YORK." Yes, I am just that cheesy and organized. I actually started doing this because I was sending and receiving a lot of these e-mails from my work address, and after this Friday I won't have access to them. So the folder is filled with invaluable information: schedules for informational interviews, contact info, people I've e-mailed about potentially rooming together, HR forms, etc.

Green is for GRNY

Two weeks. So many questions still loom. How many bags will I try to take up with me? Two or three? Will I take my laptop with me on the plane or try to pack it securely? Will it be snowing or something horrible when I arrive? Will I have a roommate lined up? Should I use a broker to find my apartment? Most importantly: What shoes will I take? DAMN IT. I fear I will have to leave behind some tried and true favorites.

Majorly yours.