I will admit it, I know nothing about moving, especially to a city. I’ve lived the last 18 years of my life in a small town in Northern Ontario, where my parents took care of my every need.  I was happy, I was comfortable, and best of all, I knew my way around. The only time I had ever moved was when I was 2 years old, when we moved across the street (really), and I’m pretty sure I slept through most of it.

I grew up in the kind of town where you can’t walk down the street without seeing someone you know, and, of course, everyone knows your business. But as great as that all sounds, the time had come for me to spread my hard-partying, college-going, moving-to-the-city wings.

After being accepted to college just outside of Toronto, I thought “why should I wait until September to move?” So I packed up my things and began my life as an adult. I found a gorgeous 2 bedroom apartment right beside my future school to share with a couple friends – the only catch was that the lease started in July, my friends weren’t moving until September, and I would be on my own for two months. I moved in last week, and not only have I learned the joys of being able to walk around naked, I’ve also learned a thing or two about living on your own for the first time.

1. Save yourself the hassle – pack smartly. I got to my new place and decided to unpack dishes and the things I would need for my kitchen first. While this is a great idea, having zero labels on any boxes has left me completely forkless. Spoons? Knives? The cool egg timer I bought for the “once-in-a-blue-moon” occasions I want hard boiled eggs? Yes. But forks? No clue where they went! And it will take me days to dig through every last box in this mess of an apartment to find them. It may be annoying to organize and label your stuff when you pack, but it is not nearly as annoying as attempting to eat spaghetti with a spoon. Read More »

Learning the ropes of an internship is one thing, but becoming accustomed to a big city for the first time while starting an internship can make those first few days all the more nerve wracking.

After scoring two internships in New York City last summer, I couldn’t have been more excited – and then the realization of living alone in a city I didn’t know anything about terrified me. From the moment my plane landed at La Guardia, I was a nervous wreck until I made it through my first few days.

By the end of my time as a summer intern, though, I had the interning and city gag down pat. In fact, I couldn’t get enough, so I decided to come back to New York in January to intern again. With three different internships under my belt in one of the biggest cities in the world, here are some tips that helped me become a big city intern faster than I thought was possible. Read More »

Hey Single Ladies,

Did you just graduate?

Trying to pick a school?

Just looking for a new place to call home?

Perhaps you should choose one of these cities: the best in the country for the singles.

I live in Detroit, a city far better known for its murder rate than an endless sea of eligible bachelors. Sounds to me like it’s time to start packing. Cities chock-full of single men?

Count me in!

I often contemplate moving to New York City. Born and raised in Boston, I love this city, but I sometimes dream of something bigger. In New York City, there’s always something going on and people are everywhere. I’m currently single, so I really have nothing holding me down. Why not, right? Except for one small problem: I don’t really want to remain single. Forever. Which could very well be the case if I move to New York.

In his new book, Who’s Your City, Richard Florida examines which American cities have surpluses of single men or women and what that means for the country…and us.

Basically, Richard Florida is telling us that New York City girls are screwed. Attention NYC girls: If you already have a boyfriend, hold on tight. And if you don’t, you might want to consider moving. In New York City, single girls outnumber single men by 210,000. That’s a whole lot of competition. Read More »