my first days in brooklyn

I moved in yesterday and everything here surpassed all of my expectations. My room is quite fantastic. It's not the size of a closet and there is more room than I need for the belongings I brought with me. The street is quiet (it's quieter than BG here - there aren't any trains, horns (the use of horns is outlawed here; there's a $125 fine) or loud people), the grocery stores are close, my bank is close, it's a half hour walk to the Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is a boardwalk with views of Manhattan, is 10 minutes away.

I spent today making a trial run of getting to work. It was about 40 minutes without any traffic. Then I walked five long blocks and 25 short blocks to get to my desired location in Central Park. I spent most of those 25 blocks on Fifth Avenue. I saw stores for many of the big names like Louis Vuitton, Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman, along with many places I've never heard of. I had a picnic on a blanket in Central Park, the weather was gorgeous and it was all I ever wanted it to be.

Cedric came on all of those excursions, but he didn't make any appearances. He did come out yesterday at the Brooklyn Bridge. He went on a tour with me to learn about the bridge. It was really informative.

We're doing well. I've met three of my neighbors and we've decided to have a powwow tomorrow night to discuss our first days. But I need to get ready for work now. Tomorrow is my first day.

P.S. I promise room pictures!

on our way



eating Brooklyn pizza


on the promenade


on the Brooklyn Bridge

first bg news travel column

Here's the link to column No. 1:
The Sendoff

And it's down to crunch time. I've got somewhere around 36 hours until departure, and I still need to sleep twice, go to work and go to a birthday party. I also need to do some packing. It'll be a blast.

the beginning

This blog will showcase the trials, tribulations and adventures of Alison and her gnome, Cedric. Cedric's sole purpose is to travel the globe, and with me, he'll be able to. On Saturday, he and I leave for New York City. We'll be spending 11 weeks in the city, interning at American Spa and learning lots of new things. He and I will also travel to Europe in the fall for a year of studies at the University of Salzburg.

We will use this blog to not only chronicle our trips, but to also keep our readers informed about our everyday activities. In addition to reading this blog, keep an eye on The BG News. There will be a weekly column about life in New York City beginning this Wednesday and lasting throughout the summer. The columns will begin again when the school year starts at BGSU.

And now a couple pictures of Cedric before leaving Bowling Green: