I’ve never lived in a place where the cool thing to do on a Friday night is to go see a movie.  I say this with a note of snottiness in my voice. (I generally live in awesome places.) For the past decade (post middle school), I’ve only gone to the movies when there is a movie I really want to see. With Hollywood and ticket prices the way they are today, a night at the movie theater is pretty rare for me.  Especially with my “I live in NYC, I could see a movie anywhere” mantra. This partners with “why see a movie when for 5-10 dollars more I could see a Broadway show?” This is the power of a student ID. I saw South Pacific the Tuesday before I left and my ticket was $20 (if you have an ID I recommend you do the same! It’s a near flawless production and is closing in August! Just saying!) I saw a movie the night before I left and my ticket was $14. This is how obscene/ridiculous movie prices are.

I spent my last night in NYC sitting watching a movie I could watch anywhere in the country? Yes, you read it right. I agree it seems most odd, though surely you can guess how this came to pass. Especially if you’ve read of my two year NYC anniversary and my often mentioned Sex and the City obsession. I spent my last night in NYC with my Samantha/Charlotte/Miranda (we always fight over who is who and of course that’s half the fun. I can’t help but wonder, do I default to Carrie because I’m writing this collum blog? [YES]) We made a wonderful dinner (oh…I can cook, maybe I’m not Carrie), drank beaucoup Cosmos (oh wait, yes I am!) made with liquor I stole from a promotion (shh..don’t tell), put on cute little outfits (something that is sadly foreign to me here in Bumblefuck), and headed over to the Lincoln Center AMC (with flasks stashed in our cute little purses shh!) to see the 9:15 PM showing of Sex and the City 2.

I had incredibly low expectations. The first movie was disappointing, did not compare with the TV show, and everything about the sequel the billboards, the previews, the “inside scoops” in trashy magazines- looked bad most unpromising. Through my Cosmo haze, I watched the movie on two levels. On one level I knew I was watching a bad movie (it completely lacked the relatability that made the show amazing) on another level I enjoyed watching it so much because I was sloshed and in between my 2 favorite roommates Miranda and Charlotte and we were giggling (Charlotte whispering “It’s so bad!” and Miranda “I love it!”) and I was putting off packing and in shock that I’d be leaving New York in 12 hours. What I’m trying to say is, my expectations were exceeded and I enjoyed watching the movie even though it wasn’t very good. Should you go to see it, I highly encourage a Cosmo, or other some such, haze.

I am now living in a place where going to the movies is about as fun as it gets. It’s been 3 weeks and I’m already averaging almost 1 movie a week. Growing up, my mother would adamantly discourage movie watching in the summer especially: “Go play outside! Enjoy the sun out doors!” This is all I do day in and day out. I can’t go inside if I want too (you can hardly consider my room inside) and I spend all day playing in the sun because this is outdoor theatre. I’m making my mother so proud. With this lack of indoor time and the cold temperatures that we are prone to on the Great Lakes, going to the (indoor) movies can seem very appealing. That and that tickets here are a mere $6. I must go to the movies simply because of that- because a $6 movie ticket is something Bumblefuck has and NYC doesn’t.

While watching Get Him to the Greek (which was OK, but see Toy Story 3 instead because it’s truly wonderful) scene came on the big screen which showed yellow taxis and heavily pedestrianized streets. I easily recognized the intersection of Rockefeller Center. I felt a wave of homesickness. San Francisco will always be where I left my heart (high on a hill) but presently, New York is my home and oh I do miss it.