NJ: My Month in New Jersey!

My first month of working and living in Newark, NJ has past by ever so quickly. I am loving every single second of this experience, since arriving into Newark Liberty International Airport the pace of this journey has not slowed down. From my first day in New York City discovering Times Square to then watching Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Show, it's been everything BB!

Yes, I literally love the Ironbound! The infusion of cultures, shops and restaurants all work fabulously. Over the last four weeks I have taken it upon myself to try as many Portuguese barbecue restaurants within my side of Newark hood, I want to be a part of the Ironbound life. This task has been great and it will definitely carry on for the remainder of my placement. The first time I order had me not understanding the chat but the restaurant served it up, delicious it was! I still need to try the Portuguese bakeries and to seek out the best pastries and cakes on Ferry Street! I want to eat where the locals get their cake and bakes from! I guess all this trying new foods could be classed as a form of research? Aside from Ironbound life, travelling to other places outside of New Jersey must happen! Away from my Walt Disney Internship in Orlando, I can say that Newark feels truly like America should do! Yes, life is very different up here in NJ! 

My life has changed so much, I guess that I haven't had much time for everything to settle sink-in really? No, I have not! My classmates from University College Birmingham are currently all over the world, some are working their industrial placement in other North American states such as; Connecticut and South Carolina. Others are completing their work placements in places like England, Mainland China, the UAE and in Hong Kong! We'll all be sharing our journeys through the medium of Facebook and I shall try my best to send some postcards throughout the year. This year will bring us so much more than just work, I just have a hunch that life will never be the same again! The process to get to where I am hasn't been an easy one, I feel blessed! I see this year as the chance to live a dream that I have wanted since I was a little boy, to work in an airport has been a childhood dream of mind! Newark has my back, she's got me! Ey, Brick City! 

Even though it has been a hot minute since I arrived back in the United States of America, I am reevaluating my view on sleep! The first A.M. shift seemed like a breeze waking up before the sun had risen, but as those 'on the job' training hours have finished I have slowly got into a routine and with a new-found confidence I know I'll be fine. I froze the moment a lady gave me her passport, it was such an overwhelming experience for me at first but as soon as the initial fear evaporated I grew a new skin, dusting myself off and I then moved on to the next check-in! This first month has shown me that I have changed my life in quite a dramatic way, working full-time hours for the first time and being on a split shift schedule, realigning my sleep and changing my diet to a lesser structure compared with my previous student life. I am  looking forward to getting my GUI software training passed and the initial first chapter done! Get it, J!

Do I miss home? At the moment there's been no time to think about home! I have to say that I am living a dream as mentioned previously, its been a long road to get to where I am now and the interviews both for the job and for the work visa were definitely character building events without a doubt! I feel a certain Clubhouse role being something that I would like to pursue, I aim to get the most of this placement because January 2013 will creep round sound enough! My colleagues are so funny, they make the shifts more fun and its going to be great working with such a diverse team of people who culturally hail from different backgrounds but are definitely all American in the same breath! Work wise I know its going to be challenging but I can safely say that this placement will be the right one for me in the long run. It's definitely early days, I know its going to be a learning curve but I am ready for the challenges that will come my way!

Living less than forty minutes away from New York City has been something that I seriously thought would never have happened to me! I simply cannot get my head around that I live so close to the Big Apple! From Times Square, to Chinatown it has so far has been an eye-opening experience! NYC looks like the films? Let me think about that real quick! Sure, I already said that NYC looks even better in real life! Miss Empire State of Mind is everything! Everybody all say New York City, baby! As for the Chinese food it turned out to be Vietnamese and Paolo Fiorello, I'm sure that chicken we ordered barked once in its life! I am looking forward to the next day out! Get me on that PATH train already, BB! Seriously speaking, I am having the best time, just let me have more sleep! No joke! My crazy schedule won't be forever, all I need to do is enjoy my year to the best of my ability! I'm looking forward to more NYC days out this month!

BB is who? She's about to get me into a lot of trouble! Let's just say the streets that I am living in and the places that I am experiencing have unleashed a persona that doesn't need any introductions! The streets of New York City and of Newark are teaching me and my persona to be tough, to get on with what needs to be done and to be god damn fierce at the same time! I plan to visit the city more and more, when it comes down to it all I am having the time of my life. I have such a good feeling about my life here in New Jersey, things are panning out just fine! I don't need to elaborate because that could mean absolutely anything! Let's just say there's a few tricks being played and I know a few more will be played before I return before my university semester recommences! Yes, I know full well that I am going to get all of this living done now! This year, I will be speaking another language! ¿Cómo say what? ¡Hablando esa talk! Let's go, B!

My Life En Nueva Jersey!

Joseph Harrison