By Katie Donovan

As I begin to venture throughout the city and obtain new clients for myself, as I am a full time freelance writer, I find that I have met some of the most interesting people. I recently obtained a new client, a young lovely actress who I will handle marketing and social media content for.

On Friday night, I took the train into Manhattan, for the first time alone. It was beautiful to see the sun setting over the city as I made my way with countless strangers from Brooklyn and into the city. As I arrived at my destination, I exited the subway to cold city streets. I was on my way to meet, Paulie, my new client, and her friend Joey for dinner at the Red Bamboo restaurant. It was a very small but quaint vegan restaurant in the Lower East Side. I ordered Vegetable Tempura for an appetizer, as I already knew that was a safe choice for me and gradually made the daring move towards four-cheese vegan raviolis. I have had my fair share of vegan food in the past, although I never quite know what to expect. Both of the dishes I’d eaten were delicious and wonderfully displayed. While we sat and ate, talked and laughed and had a wonderful time.

Photo from NYU Tisch School of the Arts Website

As the dinner came to a close, we made our way to the street, catching the nearest cab, in order to head to our next location. Off we went. NYU’s Institute of Performing Arts had a live theater production of “The Motherf*cker with the Hat,” that night. I hadn’t yet seen a live show in New York and I was quite excited. Paulie had invited me out to see it a few days earlier and my anticipation had been growing.

It was a small room, with elevated seating overlooking the stage area, but the play was great and it was a wonderful experience. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since I’d never been to one, though I was pleasantly surprised by the humor and dedication these students had put forth to create the play.

After the play, we discussed our likes and dislikes and what we all thought of the characters and the show as a whole. We made our way to a local bar a few blocks away and had a beer together. We shared stories and laughed as we got to know one another. As it grew later, I said my goodbyes and made my way towards the subway. Though I still find myself nervous on the subway alone at night, I was too energetic from the night to really pay any mind to it. I turned in for the night and felt good about checking one or two more things off of my New York “to-do” list.