21 in the big apple

i lived for a summer in new york city, where i was an intern at travel & leisure magazine. since Stephanie was living there, and i was earning very little money, i lived with her, and sometimes david, in her small studio apartment on the upper east side, at 88th and york. i ran a lot that summer, three miles along the east river, starting near gracie mansion and running south. i celebrated my 21st birthday in new york that summer. i told jan castro, a friend i had met in russia earlier that year, that there was nothing i would change about my life to that point.

i meant it.