The first time I was able to spend three months living on Long Island. There were difficulties for me in that arrangement - I always had a roommate in my bedroom, I lived with seven other people, we shared a vehicle - on Long Island it isn't always so easy to get around without one - and the reason I was there was to help people with learning disabilities learn how to read better and comprehend better. I found the work exhausting, and it made me tense. It was one-on-one for 50 or 55 minutes straight, then five minutes off, then on to the next student. I wasn't always comfortable in my role. It took me quite a while to gain some degree of comfort, and then I was moved to a different center, with different "leaders", and had some additional difficulties there.
The second time was last year, February. To save money, we stayed in a nice hotel in New Jersey. We had to take a bus to Manhattan each day and then go from the bus center to wherever else we were going. We did a lot, I walked a lot, I wanted to but it hurt. I was pushing myself.
This time I'm right in Manhattan but on the third floor. I think I would be fine with the walking if it weren't for the stairs. I am managing all right but each day, three times a day (more if I want to take a quick no-Floyd trip) it takes me a bit of time to feel ready to go out the door. Once I am out there I do well, although I am not about to take any all-day walks. One evening I figured I would go to a bank that is six blocks away, and thought of that as a shortish walk (albeit longer than the usual evening walks). So I'm already adjusting. Floyd is a good doggie, easy to walk with, to work with. I can't imagine how I would deal with one that was forever tangling me in a leash or starting fights with other dogs.
I have ordered dinner delivered once, and I had the laundry pick up my bag yesterday. I can see how one would use the services available if one has the money for it. I think of these things because I wonder how I would do, living in NYC, if I had the income to do it.
