Stanford in New York – Part I

I moved to New York City.

On January 3rd, I hopped on a bus in Albany, NY. With two over-50-pound suitcases safely thrown underneath the cabin, I curled up next to the window, and watched as snowflakes floated gently to the ground.

It was nostalgic – two suitcases and a backpack, headed to a fresh city and a new adventure. I felt a moment of melancholy as I remembered the beginning of every new city with Cirque.

The start of a new year, and the next chapter – and I hadn’t eaten in a week. I caught the flu over the winter break, and despite plenty of bedrest and ginger lemon tea, I couldn’t help but wallow in how weak my body felt. The bus ride was rough. A mix of motion-sickness, residual illness, and the overwhelming warmth of the heater really tested my mental and physical discipline.

Three hours later, I opened my eyes to towering skyscrapers. New York is impressive. I’ve been here once before, for a week-long conference at Julliard, but that was years ago.

It was a chaotic few minutes after disembarking the bus. Port Authority Bus Terminal is not a place to lug around your entire life in giant suitcases. With hundreds of people going this way and that, I had one goal: get outside.

Breaking open the doors into the brisk cold January air, I quickly called an Uber. Travel Tip: don’t call an Uber at Port Authority. This area is one of the most traffic-packed areas i’d seen in a while. Luckily I found my guy, and off to Brooklyn we went.

This car ride was special. There was nothing novel about big buildings, bustling streets, or a quiet ride in the back of a car… but something shifted in me. A new sense of wonder, of opportunity, and excitement. It’s a feeling I’d been missing for a while.


I moved to NYC for Stanford in New York: a quarter-long (3 month) program during which you work at an internship full-time, and take classes full-time. There are about 20 students on the program, ranging from sophomores to seniors.

I opened the door to my room, a small square with two beds, two desks, and a fridge. It was strikingly bare, and nothing like the lavish hotel rooms and private suites that I was used to rolling my two suitcases into. But there was something even more striking: THE VIEW.

Here it is at three different times of the day:

Day
Sunset
Night

Not bad, eh?

A weekend of orientation, and we were off to the races.


I’m interning at a fintech company called Extend, a platform which enables business cardholders to instantly distribute their credit card with employees and freelancers without ever exposing their credit card number or losing control over spend.

It’s wonderful. A fantastic manager, friendly coworkers, and the place has nitro cold brew on tap. The work is fast and ongoing, and I’ve learned more in the past 4 weeks than I have in months taking university courses. More importantly, I feel as though I can make immediate and important impact on the company, a rare experience for most college internships. Also, I’ve discovered the joy of working with a monitor. It’s a complete game-changer.

The tech team hard at work

Work provides the monitors, but I might have to buy one of these for myself.

The other students seem to have varying experiences. Everyone works at a different company, but overall the general consensus is that this Stanford in New York program has been a positive part of our undergraduate careers.


What else? Food, Culture, and Entertainment.

New York restaurant week happened to overlap with my time here… and i’ve made the most of it. The food scene is spectacular, and although it might cost a pretty penny, you might as well make the most of your time in NYC if you don’t have a kitchen or easy access to making your own food.

I’ve got a list of restaurants and cafes to visit in my notes app, and the list keeps growing every time I read an article or talk to anyone who lives here. From multi-course meals and wine pairings to a glow-in-the-dark adult Capri Sun, just make sure you bring cute restaurant partner with you.

@nicklemieux

And of course, we have to keep our bodies looking hot, and NYC has plenty of places for that. I’ve been sampling all of the new boutique fitness classes all around the city. From Barry’s Bootcamp (a high-intensity workout that combines treadmill sprints with weights on the floor), to Rumble (a bodyweight/dumbbell workout in combination with a boxing class), there is never a shortage of expensive fitness classes.

It’s actually quite impressive. The regulars here likely hit the class before work, shower quickly, then go about their equally intense day. And the classes are usually full. Out of all of the ones I’ve tried, Barry’s has been my favorite (in terms of an actually good workout). However, it’s difficult to validate paying ~$40 per class when I have a free membership to a decent gym attached to my housing. But hey, experience right?

photo @austin.amato

The city is bustling with culture. Every night, there’s a different show to go to, a new exhibit to see, or a pop-up event to swing by. I can’t do it all, but so far, the things I’ve gone to see have been worth the effort.

Stanford tip: one thing that the program has pushed on us is the value of reaching out to the alumni network. I was skeptical at first, but was blown away by the speed and generosity of the responses from the alumni that I have reached out to. All of them have fascinating stories, and are open to sharing their wisdom and thoughts. It’s incredible the kind of value you can get just from listening to some of their life stories.


one of my favorite pieces from the Escher exhibit at Industry City.


My last thought for this post is about time. I’m used to packing my schedule. At Cirque, I filled my time between acts by taking calculus classes, starting this blog, and earning certifications. At Stanford, I pack my free hours with ultimate frisbee practice, side projects, and local events. Here in NYC, I look at my calendar, and sigh at the lack of white space.

There’s days I come home and want to scream, because it’s already 11 pm and I haven’t had a moment to myself all day. I wake up early to go to work, and my evenings are filled with classes and meetings. This pace is continuous, and completely by my own choosing. My blog hasn’t had attention in months, and there are messages in my inbox from important people that I still haven’t had a chance to respond to.

It might be a lesson in prioritizing, but i’m still holding out on the possibility that I can, in fact, do it all.

We’ll see how it goes.

photo @ladygaogao_