Manhattan’s Millennial

I can't say that I've had the privilege of growing up in Manhattan, but I can say that I've the privilege 'adulting' here.

A day where I don't get attacked by a flying plastic bag walking on the streets of Manhattan, I consider to be a great day. Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, I became accustomed to driving myself everywhere and anywhere, whether it was {grudgingly} to school, the mall or just to get food from the greatest convenience store there ever was... Wawa. So making the move to the city without a car was definitely a struggle for this lazy, giant potato who groans when she leaves the remote across the room.

Making the move to Manhattan a little over a year ago has definitely changed my perspective of the world more than I ever thought imaginable. Most days I stop and look up at the tall buildings surrounding me wondering how a girl like me got so lucky to not only be working in NYC, but also to live here. I imagine how mini Shea used to feel in school when she would let teachers, exams, coaches and classmates tell her she wasn't good enough, smart enough,fast enough, or tall enough {those damn amusement park rides}. All those negative thoughts pushed me to be the girl I am today, and I have worked my buns off to get where I am. I have changed for the better. Other than the height problem... I haven't grown since 5th grade, but blame my parents for that. I won't name names, but one is 5-foot-nothing... MOM!

How does this giant potato land a killer job in the most bad-ass, diverse city in the world? That's still a question I ask myself everyday when I walk through the city and see people rushing to get from one place to the other. It's just the atmosphere.

Monkey see, Monkey do... You look around to see 9 out of 10 people rushing, whether it's walking or in cars, but what's it like to actually "smell the roses" {or garbage} in New York City? What would happen if we all took a step back and looked around at the tall skyscrapers, the people, the beautiful trees, and the fluffy {kind of smelly} animals who ARE NOT, I repeat, NOT afraid to take that delicious hot dog you just bought off a street vendor, out of your hardworking hands?

My favorite thing I can do in the city is actually something I acquired a taste for in college... it's called "people-watching" {but not in a creepy way}. You just sit and watch what people do, and how they interact with others. It will teach you a lot about the world. Both good and bad. There are people who will not give others the time of day, who will ignore the poor man begging for something to eat, or some spare change. You can see how cruel some people can be.

But do not fear, because hope is not all lost. You do see those few who will stop and talk to those who want to be heard, or will lend a helping hand to those in need. Though some people can be cruel, there are those who choose to be extremely kind... and those are the types of people that make living in NYC totally worth it. Those are the people who will change the world, even if it's only one person's world.

So how did this lazy potato land a job with CBS News in the city so great they had to name it twice? That I cannot answer yet, maybe it was just luck?

I like to think I was meant to be here. Maybe to change the world, maybe to brighten someone's day, or maybe just to make someone grin. To give someone a friend they hope to find. Everybody needs someone, even me.

Stay tuned to find out as my journey continues in the city that never sleeps.

Hasta la Pasta viewers.

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