So how does one move to New York City, anyway?

Step 1. Decide.

Philip and I had reached a leaping point in our lives. He had a stage position in NYC, and I was yearning for something new. I mentioned once that we should move, and then he brought it up again. That was all it took. The opportunity presented itself.

Step 2. Banish and Plan.

Sure, there's never a good time to move to NYC. I've learned that I'll never have enough money and that I'll never really be ready. So I took those facts as THE FACTS. The facts are A) we're moving, and B) we have limited funds in which to do it in. Also, C) We don't have jobs. So the Planning began.

Step 3. The Plan

We started planning.

Cars need to disappear. Philip and I both have cars. He makes monthly car payments on his, and mine belongs to my parents, technically. We thought about having my car sit in his parents' garage, but it turns out that we need to visit my family anyway, so we're driving to Oklahoma to see everyone and meet the new baby. Philip's working on selling his, but he'll probably need to make another payment on it soon.

Apartment needs to be released. We stay in a gorgeous one bedroom apartment one mile outside of downtown Cincinnati. Our landlord is doing his best to understand our situation, but we're still waiting for that perfect person to come in and swoop up the rest of the lease. 

Housing needs to be located. Since we don't have the funds to get an apartment right away, we're working with our friends that currently live in the city to stay for a few weeks till we get our feet under us. That means JOBS and $$ for a down deposit. It's tough work securing a roof for two people for free, but I'm doing my best, and we're playing it by ear. If we run out of weeks in the city to stay, we'll dip into our limited funds and sublet a room for a month or so--whatever we need to do to stay afloat in the city.

Tickets need to be purchased. And they have been! We're flying to the city from Oklahoma on the 13th. I love having a date set. 

Jobs need to be found. Philip has some work lined up. I've been throwing myself into internet job searches like there's no tomorrow. Any national retailer or business online, I'm applying for. Whole Foods, Godiva, Starbucks--things that are great starter jobs in a new place that just give me a foot in somewhere. I've submitted resumes and cover letters to temp agencies, and I had a GREAT interview with a Medical Center who does the kind of work I'm interested in. That job, if it does, will pan out end of January, so I may have a few weeks in the city of figuring out my next step.

Fun needs to be had. The biggest problem in all of this is that it's so much that it's sometimes overwhelming. Coupling packing and finances with a big day of work is a sure sign of disaster, and I've been doing everything I can to compartmentalize my focus onto the tasks at hand. Days off are rare and busy, and I did recently have a temper tantrum with the world where I railed my desire to have this be easier.

But it's worth it. This is worth it, and this is how we're doing it.

If you have any pearls of wisdom or helpful leads, I'd much appreciate.

Thank you, 

Allyson