Hello from the Big Apple

We are happy to announce that we are now back in New York! We recently just moved to our new apartment. Moving is never easy but we were lucky because Kat's parents were in town so they were a big help. Last October 22 we hauled our things from storage (in Virginia) and the weeks that followed were spent unpacking boxes, assembling furniture and decorating. There are still a few boxes left but our house now looks like a home. We've been in the US for 4 years now and this is our 5th apartment! We must say we've gotten better in packing, unpacking, organizing, and most importantly, we are now more cautious not to accumulate things! (And that's not exactly very easy to do here in the US.)

For those of you who don't know, we've been living out of our suticases since July. Ur got his MA in Economics from UVA last May. He still wants to pursue his PhD but this time, he will take advantage of the opportunity to work. So, he looked for a job in New York. That way, we would be hitting two birds with one stone. And that's just what happened. He is now back at Fordham University working towards his doctorate and he also works full time as an Economics Analyst at Haver Analytics.

Ur got a job offer end of September and started work in October. The months that lead to that job offer was not very easy for us. As Papa Boogie said, he was sure Ur would land a job. It wasn't a matter of if but a matter of when. We were confident it would happen but we can't deny that before it came, the anxiety was overwhelming. Ur's "relaxed" personality came in handy. He went through several job interviews and while the preparations were tiring and sometimes even disheartening, he stayed calm and did not lose hope. Meanwhile, Kat and Xavier just assured him that we were all in it together and they helped by constantly re-assuring Ur and by praying daily novenas to St. Jude and St. Therese (believe it or not, Xavier almost memorized the novena prayers!)

While Ur was on the job hunt, there were a lot of people who offered help and support. Without their generosity, we probably wouldn't have survived. Ur's friend from Ateneo, Gabby Dyliacco, lent us their house in Columbia, Maryland for about 3 weeeks. Then Ur moved in with Miguel in New Jersey. He had to stay close to New York so he could easily go to his interviews. Miguel was too generous we now call him "Ninong". In the mean time, Kat and Xavier stayed with Kit and her in-laws in Westport, Connecticut. It was timely because Kit was on the last trimester of her pregnancy and Kat was able to help her out too. Kat and Xavier were also able to visit Toby, Cesar and Reese in Dallas , Texas for 3 weeks. Thanks to Kit and Iñaki and the employee benefits of Northwest Airlines.

It's great to have our own place again! Xavier's enjoying the toys he missed and we are slowly re-establishing his routine. Our apartment is located in a quaint town called Bronxville. The school system in this area is excellent and that's the primary reason we chose this place. Everything is within a one-mile radius so we could walk anywhere. (But now that it's cold, we have a good excuse to take the car.) The train station is a 10-minute leisure walk away and that's how Ur gets to work. He works in Manhattan and the ride is only 28 minutes. Just enough for a power nap!

We can't wait to have family over for a visit. So, if you're thinking of going to the Big Apple, know that our doors are open to you!