“Sleeping on the city” Arianna T

 

Pink. Not the kind of pink I’m used to. When I think of pink I think of sunsets and neon lights, not a notice of uselessness. I have been working for the company Juniper for 12 years as a payroll manager and have now been handed a pink slip because a computerized system can work faster and more accurately than me. It was a job that I took because I had to. I am a high school dropout but I am a hard worker. I dropped out of high school because it was as plain and simple as I didn't enjoy it. It wasn't for me and, don't get me wrong, the dances and Friday night lights were fun but that was only a few hours compared to the long days I had to be there. I didn’t think my job would be replaceable.  Now, I have no education to save me. Though it was a job I had to take, I loved it. My coworkers and the atmosphere were great. I could walk downstairs and grab a cup of coffee supplied by the company. There was a beautiful view in my office of the Malibu canyons. It was miraculous, but that was over in the blink of an eye. School was a miserable place for me and I’m certainly not going back now.Though I was happy at my job, I was always looking for a sign to follow my dreams and become some sort of  fashion designer kind of like my mom. My mom really just worked for fun, she didn't need a real job. I guess she wasn't necessarily a designer, but a seamstress by trade. I grew up with money. There was not a ton of it but enough that we were comfortable.  My parents were able to visit the city and the Hamptons for a couple weeks in summer every year with a new wardrobe and take me with them since I was born. It was time for our trip. I love the Hamptons and the city well, not so much. The subways were dirty but New York City was just something we did. Everyone in the Hamptons  was fashionable and had much more money than we did. The residents of the Hamptons were who everyone wished they were. The women wore long flowy dresses and the men wore Ralph Lauren purple tag collared shirts. Everything the women wear is beautiful, nothing flashy.To us the Hamptons was a getaway but flying into JFK and having to see the city was another story. But, there were a few perks about spending a few days in the city.  Of course, we had to stop at Zaros first for a black and white cookie. After we got settled into our hotel we were hungry so we made a quick stop at Joe's pizza because why would you need anywhere else? We headed back to the hotel and called it a night we were too tired for the city that never sleeps.The next day was a classic day in the city, you wake up head to Rue 57 for eggs benedict before heading to the Edge of Hudson Yards then to Columbus Circle for some shopping. Lunch was an obvious option, serendipity for truffle mac and cheese and to split a frozen hot chocolate. Then we took a train to New Jersey to Liberty state park for a nice view of the city and ended the night at Juniors for coffee and fresh strawberry cheesecake. It doesn't get much better than that. I know that my family and I are technically tourists, but I don't feel that way. I understand the city and its dynamic. That doesn't mean I like it, it just makes sense to me.Though some may argue the streets are confusing; there is only one street that really matters anyway—5th Avenue. More specifically, Tiffany’s. My parents always took me to Tiffany's. There is something about the Tiffany experience that is just incredible. A man or woman dressed in all black with some sort of Tiffany piece on them (usually on their wrist), will walk up to you and ask if you are in need of any assistance and when you say yes they assist you and depending on what you're looking for they ask do you like your water sparkling or still. When you respond, he or she will walk to the back while you are looking at what piece they pulled out for you. When they return your body will fill with excitement and you get to decide what you want. When you find the perfect piece that you decide you can't live without and it just has to be a part of your collection, they will take it and wrap it up in that iconic Tiffany Blue box with a beautiful white ribbon wrapped around it tied in a bow that any woman would be proud to carry around the city. This trip my parents saved a lot so I could have whatever I wanted. Though Tiffany’s always executes well, the piece I wanted just wasn't perfect. It needed some adjusting. I saw a link necklace on their website. I just  thought it could use some adjustments so I brought in a drawing I made to see if they had something like it. The sales representative said no, but it could be customized. So they sent it to be redesigned and everyone loved it so much it made it to a higher up. When it was finished it was given to me from the hands of the hiring director and she offered me to be a designer for Tiffanys on the spot. It was perfect. I was job hunting and this was it. I was getting to fulfill my dream. I was given an apartment until I could find my own and that was it. Then just like that I was happy, fulfilled, and knew exactly what I was doing with my life so I hated New York City, until it was everything I ever wanted .