BAFTFT 3: New York - Rooftops, Sweaty Streets, 'Making it Big'

Written by Jessica George

I was greeted at La Guardia airport with a big hug from a friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. This set the tone for the rest of my New York City stay - there might be a few awkward pauses but you cannot deny that you’re looking forward to catching up. NYC certainly provided me with a few slightly uneasy moments, but that’s to be expected in a city where over 8 million people are colliding into and then propelling out of each other’s lives. Overflowing with people, NYC can’t help but be generous when doling out oddities, but at the same time the massive population is also responsible for the best of NYC. Such a large amount of people at your doorstep forces you to be conscious of the present moment. As people are living their lives around you, you in turn push yourself to live, and oftentimes quite fully, too.

I was anxious to take in what NYC had to offer me and so I found myself on a rooftop in Brooklyn within hours of my arrival. My friend, a budding comedian, had provided us with hula hoops for my first evening there. Most New York apartments are only a smidgeon larger than a shoe box, and his was no exception, so we promptly made our way up a very rickety ladder through a very narrow hole in the ceiling of the top floor of his building, emerging onto the open space of the roof. The air was cleaner up here and trust me, you notice the difference because NYC street-level air isn’t of the best quality. I eagerly switched off (a few beers may have helped too) the part of me that was mulling over job prospects and graduate school entrance exams, and instead opened myself up to what both NYC and I could cook up during my stay. The twinkling lights of the Brooklyn Bridge glimmered in the distance and the subway passed by every now and again, looking like a shiny caterpillar making its way across the water. This is why you fall in love with this city.

So we hooped and drank into the wee hours, swapping stories of our adventures over the last three years. A talented comedian, my friend devotes large chunks of time to writing and performing, but holds down a plethora of odd jobs to keep him just barely financially afloat. Hanging around him you can feel the energy he gives off – and it’s like you know he’s just about to break into something big and can’t wait for him to get the glory he deserves. Being on the brink of “making it big” as a performer obviously has its ups and downs. There’s a lot at risk and that’s exciting but also very scary. A few nights later in an all-night diner, after a run in the rain at 4am, we sat in soaking wet clothing, wondering if either of us would ever be able to own a house. We were unsure as to whether this was unsettling or liberating.

Because of the way this city works, time sped up, the days on fast-forward, and soon I found myself downtown, walking the sweaty afternoon streets and being accosted by street vendors. “No sir, I won’t buy a baby turtle from that kiddie pool, but thank you,” is a sentence I will probably utter only once in my life. Chuck Klosterman once described NYC’s summer air as being like “liquid garbage” and I wouldn’t disagree. A friend of mine and I sought refuge from the heat, buying an ice cream and ducking into a department store, with a lot of comfortable display-model furniture and a blasting air conditioner. After a few moments of icy cool respite, another friend rang my mobile phone to have me meet her at her place of work. After bidding adieu to my companion, with sweat stains under my armpits and a slightly mad looking grin on my face, I headed to “a large building with a flag on the top,” as per my friend’s description. She works in advertising. She works in a very tall building where you must show identification to get inside and the door people call her to make sure she will see you. I didn’t know what was awaiting me in this building. I knew she’d be there but as for the rest, it was an exciting mystery.

After a happy embrace and warm greeting from my friend, I couldn’t wait to snoop around this wonderfully magical ad agency. This was not my life, and felt so far from it, that it was like going to a zoo where the animals were replaced with aliens. I couldn’t open my eyes wide enough to take it all in. Everyone typed away, looking important, not to mention stylish. Immediately my brain shouted, “She’s made it!” and I pictured my friend looking beautiful, drinking martinis and running through Central Park doing a lot of giggling. Practical Jess took this opportunity to whisper to me, “This is where you could learn a thing or two, eh?! Be creative and earn money, eh, eh?!” I tried to play it cool, although I felt very underdressed and knew I was overtly sweaty. She gave me a tour around the office. Artwork from some of my favourite pop artists adorned the walls. Gary Baseman just decided to do a mural over there. “Wow. Keep it cool, Jess,” I thought, trying to soothe myself. Just when I thought I’d regained my composure, I looked over to see a large central room with shelves teaming with vinyl art toys. I was intrigued and even getting a bit geeky over the drool-worthy collection. I did an obvious double take and then paused to take a closer look. I heard a voice say, “You can go in and check them out.”

Thank you, Jesus. But when I turned around instead of seeing a bearded man in a white robe I saw a very hip-looking and well groomed fellow being followed around by what must have been some sort of ad agency underling (see: assistant). He followed me in and we chatted about the collection, which was obviously his. We swapped a few of our favourite artists’ names and discussed our perceived missing pieces from our collections. I had forgotten all about the slight nervous excitement I felt in being there when I realised I’d found a fellow art toy collector. Looking over at my friend, she appeared slightly uncomfortable, perched on the arm of a chair and shifting around. I wrapped up the conversation and we headed out of the office when she informed me that I was just talking toys with the Chief Creative Officer of the company. Thank you, New York.

My friend and I caught up on each other’s lives later that night, first in a bar and then back at her apartment, while we got a bit giddy over listening to a mutual friend’s nerd-core boy band from college. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like doing what she is, working hard at a big-wig ad agency, stressed but happy to be living the life she is and making noticeable steps forward. As I drifted off to sleep that night I thought, “She’ll be able to afford a house one day.”

On my return trip to the airport to catch my flight to what is my temporary home in the States, I felt grateful for my experiences in Chicago, Boston and NYC. After my travels, I still wondered if there is a balance I can attain that will satiate my artistic pursuits while still allowing me to put food on my table. The friends I’d spent time with in NYC were living full lives, both with their own attractive and exciting qualities. I could envision myself in their places and as I thought a bit more, I could see myself living a happy life in any of the three cities I’d just visited. I’d be a writer in Chicago, surrounded by friends in Boston and living an energetic, fast-paced life in NYC. They all sound wonderful but I won’t be cloning myself any time soon, so does this mean I am essentially back at the start, uncertain and confused?

Even though I can’t put my finger on where I will be in a few years, let alone where I will be in a few months, I know that it is far better to make decisions than fearing not making the right decisions. Once the glitter of my trip begins to settle, and as trite as it might sound, I have to be happy with myself, no matter what place I end up living in. Seeing my friends was inspirational and acted as a catalyst to keep pushing myself forward. Now more than ever I better use the momentum of my trip to propel me forward, because I am about to be faced with my biggest challenge, returning back to the south, and back to the brink of my decision of where to go next in this vast country.