Wednesday, April 27, 2016

I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or a house, something, anyway, that belongs to me because I belong to it.

The Back Story

One of my favorite movies of all time is The Devil Wears Prada. I love the fashion and the magazine and, of course, New York City.

Honestly, a lot of my favorite movies take place in New York, and that might be why they're on my list of favorites. It always just looks so exciting, and growing up, I dreamed of living there one day.

Four years ago I visited New York for the first time. My sister was out there doing an internship at House Beautiful magazine because she's totally awesome and smart and talented. My mom and I went out there for a weekend over spring break to visit, making one of my biggest dreams come true.

I fell completely and totally in love with the city, more than I already had, which I didn't think was possible. I loved the excitement and business and fast pace and just the life of the place. While we were there, we visited Columbia University, which was my dream school. Walking through those big iron gates was like stepping into a new world. The noise of the city disappeared. Vast green lawns sprawled out in front of me, and huge, ancient buildings rose out of the ground.

We did a bunch of other (touristy) things while we were there, and it was one of the best trips I've ever been on. It just reaffirmed that I wanted to be in New York.

Sadly (but not quite surprisingly), I didn't get accepted to Columbia, so my dream of attending school in the Big Apple didn't come true. It's probably for the better; I really love Iowa and being close to my family. Since visiting New York four years ago, I never knew when I would get to go back. I knew that I would visit, hopefully often, and maybe even live there at some point, even just for a year, as many people say you should.

It turns out that this year, my dream has come true again. I get to visit New York not just once, but twice, and one of those trips took place last weekend.

Ed 2010

I'm a part of a group here at Iowa called Ed on Campus, which is the University of Iowa organization of Ed 2010. Long story short, Ed is for students interested in the magazine industry. (Remember The Devil Wears Prada here: I've always wanted to work in magazines). Every year, Ed on Campus takes a trip to New York to visit magazines and talk with editors. This year, I was lucky enough to be selected to go with nine other Ed students.

The trip was just three short, jam-packed days. We left Thursday morning at 6 a.m. and got back Saturday night at 10 p.m. I got some big blisters, lost a lot of sleep, and learned a ton. It was an amazing trip.

The Magazines

We visited five magazines while we were there: Parents, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Self, and Travel + Leisure. I've been asked so many times which publication was my favorite, and I absolutely cannot choose. Going into the trip, I thought Cosmo would be my favorite, but every single one was so interesting and unique and helpful and informational. The people were nice, and their words were wise, and it was a great learning experience. 

From these visits, I came away with a notebook full of notes, a stack of business cards, and a renewed love for the magazine industry. I don't know if I'll be able to live in New York, but it's always fun to visit. No matter where I end up, I'll be happy as long as I'm doing something I love.

Free Time

Here are some of the other fun things we did in New York with our little free time...
  • lunch in Bryant Park
  • tour of HBO offices
  • dinner at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park with Iowa alum who work at magazines
  • dinner at Serafina near our hostel
  • Times Square at night
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Have you ever been to New York? What's your favorite thing to do or see there?

Lots of love,
Sarah

Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s