Mary, the picture attached to this story accurately depicts SUNY schools in upstate New York!
Your stories truly encourage me to go within and write my stories in response… This is fun!
In 1976, I was 14 and well on my way to becoming a full fledged professional modern dancer with the best of them. Or so I thought. One summer, I decided to take some classes in the Big Apple (New York City). My mom did the same thing at age 17, so this was nothing too out of the ordinary.
So, packed with plenty of leotards and tights, Cup of Noodles, and an instant hot pot, off I went on an Amtrak train to NYC! My mom’s instructions (I don’t remember my dad giving any advice or approval for that matter) was to take only the big yellow checkered cabs, not the sketchy non-NYC looking ones.
I got off the train and proceeded to make my way up some very steep stairs. I was struggling to carry my suitcase, and a woman very kindly asked if I needed help. “No! Thank you!” I managed to say. Knowing that danger lurked everywhere in NYC, I wasn’t about to trust this lady in a refined business suit. Ugh!
After letting numerous non-checkered cabs go by, I waved down the official NYC cab. Uptown we went to the Barbizon Hotel. I checked in and was taken to a room that was seemingly located in the darkened bowels on the hotel floor. I closed and locked the door. It took me 10 minutes to realize that I was all alone in this big scary city with no one to help or guide me and a few boxes of Cup of Noodles! I’m going to die here! That’s when the panic set in. I dialed my mom and told her my plight. She called one of my old fellow dancer to pick me up. He swooped in and brought me back to his home in Brooklyn. To this day, I don’t know how he made it to the hotel so fast!
I went home, tail tucked, and boy was my dad happy (relieved) to see me. His arms wrapped around me and I felt safe and comforted.
P.S., I went back to NYC when I was 21 and was not afraid then!
I have to laugh at this because my niece, Hailey, wanted to go to Syracuse so my sister said they would go look. When would she take Hailey?-in February! She wanted Hailey to see how cold it really is there not see it in May. Great idea. Hailey insisted it wouldn’t be any colder than Maryland and didn’t bring warm boots or long underwear, my sister did. Hailey was freezing!!! She also talked to students who thought Maryland was the Deep South. So Hailey decided on U of Delaware, away from home but not too far and similar weather to home. Great choice!
I was so anxious to start college after high school that I started that summer at the University of Tennessee (another orange school 😀). I had visited the school with a group during my senior year and liked it. However, when I started my roommate was a farmers son and woke up at 4am daily. Bad start and I knew no one. Got very homesick and withdrew after 3 days and returned home. A few colleges later I graduated. I have not been a fan of UT since 😀😀
Oh, Mary--I felt your forlornness as I read this! I'm actually from the Deep South (we Southerners would have scoffed at someone thinking you were "Southern"--no offense!) and knew well enough to attend college not so far from home. But still, I had my share of moments. Like the time I met this charming guy from NYC and went for a weekend visit. It was like country mouse goes to the city, and I couldn't get home fast enough!!!
Mary, the picture attached to this story accurately depicts SUNY schools in upstate New York!
Your stories truly encourage me to go within and write my stories in response… This is fun!
In 1976, I was 14 and well on my way to becoming a full fledged professional modern dancer with the best of them. Or so I thought. One summer, I decided to take some classes in the Big Apple (New York City). My mom did the same thing at age 17, so this was nothing too out of the ordinary.
So, packed with plenty of leotards and tights, Cup of Noodles, and an instant hot pot, off I went on an Amtrak train to NYC! My mom’s instructions (I don’t remember my dad giving any advice or approval for that matter) was to take only the big yellow checkered cabs, not the sketchy non-NYC looking ones.
I got off the train and proceeded to make my way up some very steep stairs. I was struggling to carry my suitcase, and a woman very kindly asked if I needed help. “No! Thank you!” I managed to say. Knowing that danger lurked everywhere in NYC, I wasn’t about to trust this lady in a refined business suit. Ugh!
After letting numerous non-checkered cabs go by, I waved down the official NYC cab. Uptown we went to the Barbizon Hotel. I checked in and was taken to a room that was seemingly located in the darkened bowels on the hotel floor. I closed and locked the door. It took me 10 minutes to realize that I was all alone in this big scary city with no one to help or guide me and a few boxes of Cup of Noodles! I’m going to die here! That’s when the panic set in. I dialed my mom and told her my plight. She called one of my old fellow dancer to pick me up. He swooped in and brought me back to his home in Brooklyn. To this day, I don’t know how he made it to the hotel so fast!
I went home, tail tucked, and boy was my dad happy (relieved) to see me. His arms wrapped around me and I felt safe and comforted.
P.S., I went back to NYC when I was 21 and was not afraid then!
I have to laugh at this because my niece, Hailey, wanted to go to Syracuse so my sister said they would go look. When would she take Hailey?-in February! She wanted Hailey to see how cold it really is there not see it in May. Great idea. Hailey insisted it wouldn’t be any colder than Maryland and didn’t bring warm boots or long underwear, my sister did. Hailey was freezing!!! She also talked to students who thought Maryland was the Deep South. So Hailey decided on U of Delaware, away from home but not too far and similar weather to home. Great choice!
I was so anxious to start college after high school that I started that summer at the University of Tennessee (another orange school 😀). I had visited the school with a group during my senior year and liked it. However, when I started my roommate was a farmers son and woke up at 4am daily. Bad start and I knew no one. Got very homesick and withdrew after 3 days and returned home. A few colleges later I graduated. I have not been a fan of UT since 😀😀
Oh, Mary--I felt your forlornness as I read this! I'm actually from the Deep South (we Southerners would have scoffed at someone thinking you were "Southern"--no offense!) and knew well enough to attend college not so far from home. But still, I had my share of moments. Like the time I met this charming guy from NYC and went for a weekend visit. It was like country mouse goes to the city, and I couldn't get home fast enough!!!