Diary of a model
Lily spends her days as a model, rushing from shoot to show and on to yet another casting. On Amayzine, she tells you all about what her life is really like. Under a different name, of course, but that means she can share all the juicy details. This week: Lily's first week in New York.
Heya, coming to you from the Big Apple. Today I woke up just one hour before my alarm so I'm almost over my jetlag by now. Last week I woke up every day around five o'clock, and after staring at the ceiling for half an hour, I decided to step into the shower. The first few days I was here it was on average minus six, and certainly at six o'clock in the morning, that's quite a slap in the face. Since I've left my natural fat insulation back in the Netherlands, I have to manage here with double sweaters and tights under my pants.
On the first morning, being the tourist that I am, I walked to Times Square. At a quarter past six in the morning, there is of course no one there (and certainly no people). There I watched the sunrise, which is beautifully visible through the street plan of New York. After that, I saw the city wake up. Tourists with selfie sticks (yes, that's still a thing), businessmen in running shoes, and mothers pulling their kids to school.
I bought my first six-dollar cappuccino with almond milk (wow, a lot of sixes in this piece, I looked up what Angel number 6 means: ‘It’s all about finding balance in your life’. I must admit that I haven't sat still for a second here, so I will schedule a little yoga class for tomorrow). Then I walked with my reusable cup towards Soho.
What struck me along the way is that no one looks up (except for some tourists, of course), but since I haven't been here much yet, I find the sight of those tall modern buildings against the sky very impressive. I'm curious if I'll still be looking up in a week and if I'll need to book a massage for my neck then.
Additionally, I notice that the pace here is much higher. Even more than in Amsterdam, people are on their way to a goal. Normally, I always step on the heels of slow-moving groups of people who take up the entire sidewalk, but here I walk neatly along with the flow of fast walkers with to-go coffees.
Thirdly, it is never quiet here. There is constant honking, and every few minutes an ambulance, police, or fire truck passes by with blaring sirens.
Since today is my first day here, I need to stop by the agency to pick up my portfolio. I am so incredibly happy with the agency I'm with. My bookers are super nice and helpful, and I immediately feel at home in a city that is so different from what I'm used to. I love the ambition that people have here and the dreams and plans for the future. It feels like anything is possible here, and I understand what is meant by the American dream.
After the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, I decide to visit a friend in Williamsburg. That's a completely different part of New York. It's green here, the people are calmer, and the houses are lower. It feels like a completely different city. Yet the same mentality lives here, and everywhere you see pop-up shops and people working on laptops in cafes. In this area are the best vintage shops, and I found two new gems within ten minutes.
That evening I immediately have a networking event and meet all kinds of people from the fashion industry. The owner of my agency proudly introduces me as ’the new girl’, and despite the fact that I certainly am, I feel completely at home here. I will stay in New York for a month before running back into the arms of my sweet boyfriend and girlfriends at home, but until that moment I let myself be completely absorbed in the big bubble that New York is and run along with the flow of the American dream.
XX Kisses from Lily
