Jillian Nichols

It thrills me to say that things have been going very well for me ever since I accepted a job with Buddy Media and U-Hauled my belongings from Cleveland to the island of Manhattan. Getting a new job and moving to a new city are, separately, very stressful and together, rather frightening. I was never that girl growing up with my sights set on picking up and moving to a new city; I was never much of a party girl and I’m kind of big on personal space. Upon my first visit to New York a couple years ago, I thought, how on earth do people live in this crazy city? But after several more visits, I eventually found myself missing it whenever I would have to leave. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always adore and (when necessary) defend Cleveland. But for me, it had always been about the neighborhoods and suburbs surrounding that city. With New York, I’m in the heart of it. And right now, I love it.

It’s definitely a change in my daily routine. The trusty ol’ Saturn Ion has been given away to be sold and I now travel solely by foot, subway, and occasional taxi. My legs were sore and my feet were blistered the first couple of weeks that I was here, but I toughened up soon enough. I no longer take notice when I overhear conversations in a different language and I don’t get squirmy when my precious personal space is invaded on crowded subways. I haven’t completely transitioned though, the word “pop” escapes my lips occasionally when I mean to say “soda”, and I still walk around admiring the beauty and tallness of the buildings nearly every day here — a well-known sign of a tourist!

Helping this transition for me is a new job that I am so lucky to have. Just today I found myself staying later than needed not because of pressures of a looming deadline but because I was just genuinely really enjoying what I was working on at the moment. Buddy Media is such an inspiring place to work. It’s a company that works hard and plays hard, and I’ve loved every moment of my employment there. In college, I used to joke about finding a job that allowed me to play with things like Photoshop and Facebook on a day-to-day basis. The fantasy has become real! And with it, an awesome staff to work with (not to mention, free cheesy snacks!) My responsibilities there have mostly focused on updating and creating Facebook pages, as well as playing a role in the redesign and front-end maintenance of our corporate website.

I’m now settled in a cozy and adorable apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I’m surrounded by amazing restaurants and interesting bars, which is very dangerous for my bank account. In Cleveland, I took enjoyment in staying home a lot and reading books and watching TV; I’ve found that I’m much more socially active here. It’s aided by the fact that I have my boyfriend and a handful of college friends that have also moved here, as well as new friends I’ve made at work. I’m thinking that after the thrill of it all sets in a bit, I’ll become reacquainted with my more hermity self. Eventually, I’ll find my balance!

All in all, New York Jillian is a very happy Jillian!