New York Story

First off let me confess that I can't survive more than one day without my most precious tool - my second brain: my shiny black HP laptop. 

This préface serves today's New York Story, as you will understand in this excerpt from the personal diary I used to keep before Splendora's bff lounge launched.

Sunday January 7, 2007. Save the date. I officially left the land of apologies to pursue my international journey for a better future. I hurried back to New York, working papers in hand, eyes wide open, ready to start rocking the beauty industry - my first step to financial and creative freedom. 

Dropped off in the middle of Times Square at dawn, all I could think about was getting a proper dose of caffeine in my body. The streets were empty and the closest Starbucks was packed with tourists, but I didn't want to go uptown yet so I started working on a translation. Distracted by passers-by and their familiar New York eyes and evesdropping on a family of french-canadians sitting at the table next to me, I thought: "Wow! I really own the city now." I felt home, somehow.

Soon enough I needed some food, and as I walked up to the register to order, I noticed an odd looking man sitting down right where I left all my stuff (luggage, computer, notebook, ETC). Faster that you say "grande soy latte", he was out the door with MY PRECIOUS SHINY NOT BACKED-UP HP LAPTOP.

I went nuts.

Good Ol' Ladyshark raced through the door and started running after the thieve like a superheroine - honestly, more like a maniac. The adrenaline rush was so intense that I got really close to him in few seconds, yelling my lungs out. Frightened, he dropped my computer, the idiot, and disappeared in the subway.

My heart pumping - I walked back to the café where I found all the customers standing up, looking straight at me. Applauding. I shook hands (!) packed my bags and left - speechless.

Nobody who leaves a laptop on a table in a Starbucks can claim to be a real New Yorker. I obviously still had a lot to learn.  

But in the end, this city is all about attitude. Fearless, I will make my way.