on my way!

(written at about 11:00 a.m. PST on Sunday)

I’m on my way to New York. Though it’s one of the busiest travel days of the year, I got through security in 15 minutes, and the only empty seat on the entire plane happens to be next to me. It’s the simple things….

I love flying, mostly because I love people-watching, and being in such close quarters with so many people allows for strange, small, random glimpses in to lives. There’s an extremely good-natured baby sitting two rows in front of me, whom I’ve flirted with on and off throughout the flight. The man directly in front of me, also traveling alone, happily plays peek-a-boo with her from behind his issue of “Opera News” whenever she looks back at him, which delights her to no end, and is somehow incredibly touching to me. The man next to me had a very sweet phone conversation with his two sleepy little boys this morning before we took off. (hmmm… notice a theme? Biological clock beginning to tick, perhaps? It’s true, I’ll admit, but I’m hitting the snooze button, for a little while longer, at least.) I watched “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” a movie I’ve been wanting to see for some time, and now I’m taking a break from my book, a new release from one of my favorite authors. As of page 32, I’ve cried 3 times, and while I was expecting it to be moving, I hadn’t quite expected this. I could easily devour the whole thing on the plane, and may do just that after finishing this post, though I was hoping it would last through at least part of my stay. Oh, well, I’m pretty sure I could find another book to read somewhere in NYC if need be….

Once we arrive at JFK (still about 2 hours away, I think), I will hopefully find my luggage, a cab, and my way to the apartment I’ll be subletting in Inwood (on the northern tip of Manhattan) for the next 9 days. I actually have directions from the owner to give the cabbie, which I’ve never had to do before, but it should be ok. Both other times I’ve been to NYC for audition trips, I’ve ended up staying at hotels, which has been fine, but I’m excited to be staying somewhere a little more homey, and with a friend from home as well. It will be nice (for my body and my budget) to be able to cook some meals and avoid eating out all the time. It will also be nice to be somewhere I can warm up and practice a little. There is no piano at the apartment, which gave me a good excuse to purchase one of these, which I’ve been wanting for a long time. It’s odd, as a pianist, to play on a keyboard where the black keys are not raised at all, but it rolls up and stores in a little black pouch that fits nicely in my suitcase, runs on 4 AA batteries, and it’s a great tool to have for learning notes and warming up in places with no pianos available. The keyboard is also big enough (4 full octaves) to plunk out most full accompaniments, which is an added bonus. Mostly, though, I have to admit, it’s just a fun toy.

My first audition isn’t until Wednesday, which gives me lots of time to adjust to the new climate, brush up the art songs that are required for this audition, and hopefully catch up with some friends in the city. Ok, back to my book – more from the big Apple!

update: I arrived safe and sound after a bumpy flight, the apartment is great, and the weather in NYC is beautiful and quite a bit warmer today than in Seattle, where apparently they're expecting 3 inches of snow tonight!