A Little Bit About Me and New York

This is basically the view from my apartment, but not exactly because I stole this from the internet.

Two years ago I was attacked on my street.  It was 3 am and I was walking home from being out in my cute Queens neighborhood.  I had made it almost all the way home when half a block from my house a man came out of an ally, punched me to the ground, and tried to take my purse.

A month later I discovered my apartment had bed bugs.  This was nearly as traumatizing as the attack and I didn't tell very many people.  I spent the next few months sleeping on the floor and living out of plastic bags.  The only slightly positive part of this experience was that it took some of my thoughts away from being attacked.

I spent much of 2009 not wanting to be in my apartment but being too afraid to leave it.  I also spent the first 4 months unemployed as I job searched post college in one of the most expensive cities in the world.  My senior year high school English teacher, Ms. Cravedi, had told me New York City would eat me alive.  She was a mean lady, but at this point in time she was correct.

My New Year's resolution for 2010 was "to maintain".  I wanted nothing to happen in my life, positive or negative.  I wanted to go to work at the job I had finally gotten and just live.  And that's what I did for the most part.  The only thing of note that happened was that I was having stomach aches everyday and was finally diagnosed with Celiac disease.  This was major and life changing, but quite frankly, I'd rather be gluten free for the rest of my life than be attacked or get bed bugs ever again.

Don't worry, this story turns positive.  Having basically maintained in 2010, I decided to make 2011 "the year of a better me".  By March I had quit my full time job that I hated for a part time job at a company I had interned for before and really loved.  I started this blog to help me cope with my Celiac diagnosis and as an outlet for all things gluten free to give my family and boyfriend a break from hearing about it all the time.  As of last Monday, I turned my part time coordinator job into a full time manager job.  I've been baking gluten free, exploring new restaurants, and trying to embrace this whole new way of life.  Things are finally starting to come together and I hope to continue bettering myself throughout the year and on.  Take that Ms. Cravedi.