These Lights Will Inspire You

New York, New York. Greetings from the Bronx and welcome to my blogspot- a journal of sorts, tracking my journey here in the New York for this next year. I believe an apology is in order for not having posted sooner, and a great deal of gratitude to my family and friends for keeping me in mind and prayer and for all the wonderful packages and letters sent my way. You all are incredible!

Now it’s been two months since my three roommates and I made our way over the bridge and through the traffic to home sweet home for the next year, and boy! Calling our experience an adventure would be an understatement. Just pulling the car through our “driveway” (which is a concrete alley the size of our car & curves more than once) is a journey alone. We live on the third floor of St. Rita’s- an immigration center where two of my roommates teach English. Cozy, and yet surprisingly spacious, our apartment has been our shelter from the storm, our headquarters for spying on the street below, and a place we have all begun to share as home.

I live with three incredible people- two girls and a token male (God Bless him), all of them equally unique, all teaching me something new. As I said before, Alli and Brian teach English at St. Rita’s. Brian- a graduate from Villanova who I believe will one day be a fantastic lawyer and my sports question shout-out on ANY gameshow- also works at the UN two days a week. Alli- a graduate from Merrimack College who can turn the grumpiest person into Shirley Temple just by smiling at them and has a knack for arts and crafts- also works in daycare. Natalie- another Villanova grad and a true traveler of the world (seriously ask her where she’s from- she’s so cool)- works at Siena House, a shelter for women either pregnant or a mother of an infant. Mondays and Tuesdays, I work with Natalie at the shelter, and Wednesday through Friday I work at Universal Pre-Kindergarten working with three and four-year-olds. I need a whole other blog for that one. Needless to say, though, I LOVE my jobs.

Community here in the BX is beyond fantastic and I have felt nothing but welcomed since we got here. For example, our neighbors, the Augustinian priests, are all incredibly different and a hoot to have Monday dinners with. I work with Sister Mary, a nun with an incredibly sarcastic nature and compassionate drive, at Siena House, and Sister Margaret, whom I call Saint Maggie due to her consistent acts of love and kindness for all those around her, at UPK. Our religious alone have been incredible resources of comfort and information.

I believe the last bit of introductory information should be about our “Cambodian Thugs” with whom we “stoop” with in the evenings. These gentlemen come out around nine and literally hang out on the steps, enjoying each other’s company. I love them. D, Mobbx, Sandman, Lazy, AJ, Pawn, and Potatohead (yes, his name is Potatohead) have all become a part of our community. They share their stories with us, look out for us, and have also so graciously given me my nickname and title of my blog: “the Bronx Snow Bunny.” As the sole “white girl” on our block, the boys lovingly refer to me by my new nickname thanks to the color of my skin. I actually find it pretty funny.

Though adventures have been had and should be written about, I believe this entry is long enough. Thanks for tuning in, and until next time, you all are in my prayers.

XO BXSnowBunny