Over the Hills and Far Away

Hellu all!

There has been a slight change in my life as of my last posting, and that change is that I now live in Brooklyn, NY.

                                                                            Here.

If you don't count me moving into a dorm in Buffalo -- and why the fuck would you? -- this is also my first time living on my own in a new city. Like really living. Paying rent, not having a dining hall option, actually NEEDING a job, which I only sorta-kinda do right now. It's freelance. And it hasn't started yet. But it WILL be an income. Someday.

Alack, I digress, loyal readers. I have only been a Brooklynite for nearly two weeks, but honestly it feels like it's been longer, in the best possible way. I'm sure that has something to do with the fact I'm not living in Manhattan and that I don't have shitty roommates (give yourselves a pat on the back for not sucking, Garrett and Steph). The only drawback so far is that...well, I don't want to sound intolerant, but there's a certain type of...person...that makes up a large part of the local population that I just can't help but feel a little uncomfortable around. I'm sure you guys have figured out what kind of person I'm referring to.

                                                                                       In their natural state.

Brooklyn feels like home already, though, and I am very happy with my decision to move. I even feel that perhaps I'm moving too fast into this new chapter of my life. I mean, I've already accomplished the following:

• Killed my first roach
• Attended multiple show auditions
• Possibly ruined a friendship from back home
• And gave money to a subway performer

So I've hit the ground running, as it were, especially in the auditions area. I've been going to at least two a week so far, which is a lot more tiring than you'd imagine. However, it is also a lot less soul crushing than you'd imagine as well. Back home if I didn't get cast in something it was like, "Shit, what am I supposed to do for the next two months?" Here it's more, "Meh, I've got another shot tomorrow." Also, people at auditions are a lot nicer here than in community theatre, both the people auditioning and the casting directors. Go figure, huh?

                                                                                      "Thank you for trying."

But that's all big city business, I try and avoid Manhattan unless I have a specific destination in mind. In Brooklyn I have pretty much everything I could need within walking distance. And by that I mean there are lots of pubs and cafes, and these cafes love to play Sigur Rós and David Bowie on their radios. And by radios I mean it's probably just a Spotify playlist. That's just how they roll here, I guess.

However, all of this wonder and awe cannot come without it's drawbacks, but they are few and far between, aka "white people problems." For instance, we have noisy upstairs neighbors whose kid runs back and forth all day long. We can't control whether the heat comes on in our apartment or not, and when it does it tends to go for hours and when it's not needed. Another upstairs neighbor owns a washer and floods our kitchen sink with detergent water occasionally. Every once in a while someone will blare music from somewhere in the building. The hot water knob in the shower gets hot when it runs and gives you a Joe Pesci in "Home Alone" moment if you grab it.

I know what you're thinking: "Tyler, how can you take it?"

*Shrugs* It could be worse in like 1,000 other ways.

Oh, and there's no dishwasher.

Oh grow up.

So since those problems barely associate as problems, my only concern is with how many people still ride skateboards around here. But I've had to put up with worse.

Don't get me wrong, friends and family and cats (so friends, again) from back home, I still love you all and miss you, but this move for me is one of the best things I could've done for myself and just about the ONLY life decision I've made that I've been happy with. Now don't become strangers to me when I come back to visit so you all have my number and Facebook. If you'd like to mail me something message or text me for my address. I've already received one excellent piece of mail which included a heartwarming message and this lovely photo from my past:

I hope to be able to post a little more frequently now but when have I ever come through on that promise? So I'll post when I post and I hope you all read when you read. You're all what keeps me writing, so thank you for that.

Until the next post, loyal readers!

To the end of time,

Tyler

P.S. "Showtime" on the subway is one of my favorite times.