Writing from Paul's cutsy apartment in Chelsea...

So strange to be in New York City, such a busy city...but all I feel right now is loneliness. Landon left this morning, and the weather seems projecting my feelings...it's pouring raining, the wind is strong and hits you with cold bitterness...Instead of being outside enjoying and exploring this exciting city I'd rather stay inside, on my laptop, listening to music, dreamining and living in my dream world, where all of my friends are there and there is no goodbye...

Giorgio de Chirico, Mystery and Melancholy of a Street. 1914

I had such a fun weekend and the next days will be exciting as well. I got to the city on Friday night, and right after we got to Paul's apt we went out. We first stopped in a really fancy italian bar where we had limoncello, and then we went off to a cute gay lounge club named G. On Saturday morning Landon and I went to the MOMA, which filled me with emotions and goose bumps, I was surrounded by some of the art pieces that I love the most, and I felt such a great energy and a stron vibe...then we met Paul and two other AIESECers from national staff in a very cute and delicious italian restaurant. Right after we met with Brian, one of our friends who's interning at the UN for the summer, and we hang out with him and his malaysian friend Amer. We went to a brazilian place where I introduced them to Capirinha;) the two of them then went home and Paul Landon and I went to the "in" place for the young gay community in New York: Splash! Such a fun club! I danced the whole night, I really really had a blast, met some fun interesting people (a chinese-polish gay guy who invited me to go dance with him on monday night:) and a hair-style crationist from hollywood!), we dance till 6 am, we went outside and walked the city while the sun was rising...it is so true that the city never sleeps! Yesterday it was our time to sleep, so we went napping at Central Park and had a very lovely afternoon, followed by the most amazing margaritas I've ever had and delicious mexican food. We then ended the night at Paul's where he opened a new bottle of delicious scotch for me and we talked the night away...

My heart is in conflict with my mind. It is true that I am having such a great time, but my thoughts keep jumping back to my beloved Columbia, where I left most of my heart...

Anyways, tonight I'm going out for dinner with Sid and Sharon, two friends from MU who I haven't seen in a year, and I am really excited to catch up with them! Tomorrow I have the interview with Givenchy and then a lunch with a guy who knows my dad and stepmom. Afterwords I'll probably go to the MET and have some more orgasmic art experiences there:) followed by a dinner with one of my stepmom's ex-student who I haven't met yet but with whom I've talked quite a bit on the phone and I'm really excited to meet him in person! On Wednesday morning Brian wants to give me a tour of the UN....and then that's it! Bye bye Miss American Pie! bye bye my beloved United States...bye bye my previous life, time to turn the page! But I'm not ready yet, so I keep ripping pages off to stand where I used to, where I was happy and confortable...but sometimes we need to challenge ourselves and get out of that confort zone to really grow, to learn, to become "adults", become responsible of our own choices...and we inevitably leave some things and mostly some people behind.

But as my dear Antoine said, let time play its role and destiny play its game...

I'm excited for this next step of my life, and I am also happy to leave so much behind...it shows me how much love I have around me and how much my life, my friends, my experiences mean to me....I have marked in my mind every single last hug my friends and I exchanged, and each of them is so special to me! it won't be the easiest thing keep living my life without them right next to me, walking by my side...but I'm a better person because of all I've lived and because I let myself influence and be influenced by my beloved friends....now it's time to keep going and hop to the next adventure! No more malencolyc thoughts, now only hope for the future!!!