Biting the Big Apple
I don’t know if you follow Ugly Betty, but if you do then you know three years ago, when the show first aired, she graduated from college and ventured out to NYC for a career in journalism, specifically for a magazine. I was hooked on the show from day one. Here was this awkward Hispanic girl, still trying to figure out who she was while desperately attempting to kick-start her new life. She started working as an assistant at MODE magazine just around the time I started working at Albuquerque The Magazine.
At the beginning of this season, Betty’s job title shifted and she’s now a features writer, but she’s realizing just how many other talented people there are in the business and how many of those writers want her job. Interestingly enough, the same week season three started was the same week I moved out to Georgia and when I started looking for more writing positions.
Tomorrow I’m jetting off to New York City for three days. I’m not going there to sight see and be a tourist (although, I am going to try to make it to Ground Zero again, and have a slice of pizza and a bagel…mmmmm); I’m going to The Big Apple for a magazine writing workshop: two days chalk full of interactive panels, groups, and discussions on anything and everything related to writing and magazines.
The speakers who will be there are some of the best in the industry, and to say—at this moment, right now—that I’m confident and ready for this would be a complete lie. I’m scared shitless. I know I’m a capable writer and that my editor wouldn’t have helped me go if I wasn’t ready, and I know on Tuesday night I’ll be forever grateful for going and learning all that I did, but right now I’m dealing with the unexpected.
There will be magazine editors from Women’s Health, Elle, People, Esquire, Vanity Fair, the Oprah Magazine, Food and Wine, Latina, and the list goes on and on. And they’re all editors for magazines I want to write for…see why my nerves are kicking in?
Luckily, I’m meeting up with a friend tomorrow when I land, so she can help take away some of my nerves. I’ve been online friends with her for a year and a half (we “met” on a military girlfriend’s support site) and she and her (new!!) hubby are meeting me in NYC. And so that we aren’t looking for each other in the middle of a giant New York haystack, they’re staying at the same hotel I am.
Speaking of the hotel, it’s called The Pod Hotel, and the best way I can describe it—sight unseen—is that it may be like a chic, hip, upscale hostel. Check out some photos from their website:
I’ll be staying in their “Single” (picture above) and this is what it says about the room:
With the hundreds, if not thousands, of choices of places to stay in Manhatten, I had a hard time picking a place. I checked Trip Advisor, though, and this is rated #64 for all the hotels in NYC and the only bad things people had to say were that the rooms were tiny, which is expected when the name of the hotel is called “Pod,” and that the elevator is slow. But after the last hostel I stayed at in England (remember, it had NO elevator), I’ll take a slow lift rather than lugging my stuff up a bajillion flights of stairs any day.
So on Monday morning, with my laptop and a notebook in tow I’ll attempt to walk the streets of New York City like I’m meant to be there. So if you’re reading this, please send good luck and happy confidence vibes my way, because on my walk to the conference I’ll probably be repeating “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!” over and over in my head.
I’ll let you know how it all plays out next week 🙂
I'm sending Good Luck wishes your way! I think The Pod looks nice. It looks like you will have a nice view of the city from the top. Have fun! Think of me (and Poppy) when you are eating your slice of pizza and bagel! I'm so jealous! YOU WILL DO JUST FINE! ENJOY YOURSELF!
Have fun! Hope you learn lots, and meet lots of great people!
The place actually looks pretty awesome! As long as it doesn't cost what a normal hotel would, for sure. The last hostel I stayed in in England didn't have a lift either. And we were on the top (fourth) floor. But it was cheap!! Haha!
Love the hotel. I don't understand why people expect a HUGE hotel room in New York. It's NYC, most people live in apartments the size of shoeboxes. That said, I love NYC. It is my favorite city in the world. Have an extra cheese pizza slice for me!
That hotel looks great! I hope you have a great trip and it goes over well!
Best of luck! And I don't think you will be disappointed by The Pod. A lot of my coworkers swear by it when they travel to NYC for meetings. I plan on recommending The Pod on our wedding site for OOT guests. =)
Good luck and happy confidence! I don't know if you'll read this, but I've found two ways to counteract the "I'm not supposed to be here" feeling. 1 – Smile and be silent and people will think you're confident. 2 – When it seems appropriate, confess your nervousness to the person next to you. They'll reply that they are too, or else that they're a Sr. VP and remember feeling that way, and all will be well.