Bagels, Barbers, and Finding My Flow in SoHo
SoHo is a change of pace for me. Most of my college days were spent in Union Square, a much more accessible neighborhood. SoHo’s old European-style brick streets throw my wheelchair for a loop, but sometimes being right in the heart of hip New York City is a real perk. This week I’ve been running around like a mad dog trying to catch up on deliverables, mostly coming up with creative interview questions for some sweet older women based on backstory documents we have. It’s been fun digging in and reading their stories, figuring out how to ask questions that get at what matters without giving too much away.
One bright spot was finally getting a haircut at SoHo NYC Barbers right next to my building. The barber, a Russian Jewish immigrant with a great smile, gave me a fresh cut that was definitely worth the higher price. Sometimes you gotta treat yourself. Right after, I grabbed a bagel at Leon’s Bagels, a tiny outdoor booth with zero indoor seating but a vibe straight out of the 1950s. White and gold decor, very vintage. It reminded me of Aime Leon Dore, the fashion store in SoHo with a similar look. I even Googled to see if there was a connection, but no dice. The bagel sat on my desk all afternoon from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. before I finally got to it. Somehow it stayed toasty warm, and the regular cream cheese was melty and perfect. The salmon was fresh and the whole thing was out of this world. Leon’s always has a long line of people with tattoos and outfits that scream SoHo cool. I also grabbed a juice next door from a small spot run by an Indian guy. Kale, banana, almond milk, and strawberry. It’s nothing fancy like Whole Foods, just a little neighborhood joint with good vibes and fresh ingredients. Yeah, it was pricey but totally worth it. All done in my lunch hour, all within a block and a half, plenty of sun and people watching. Classic New York City.
A big win this week has been getting more realistic and organized with timelines. I’ve started sending regular email updates to the other junior coworkers on the team who work full time. Like any new job or college class, you get more efficient, confident, and relaxed over time. PR moves fast but I’m sharpening my timetables and tracking my time down to the minute. I want to give this internship my all, but I also need to take care of myself, haircuts, kale smoothies, the occasional luxury salmon bagel, and lately some eel sushi with avocado, not very Jewish of me, but yum.
I also have to mention an amazing community service event last week called the Jack and Bill Day of Service. It honors the founders of Porter Novelli. Everyone did something different, urban gardening, iced tea parties with seniors, all kinds of things. I was in the mock interview group, which was perfect since I just wrapped up months of interviews myself. We practiced on college students, making up questions on the fly based on their fields of interest. It was a fun way to meet people at Porter Novelli beyond my usual team.
I’m still getting used to a new piece of tech called the Hoyer lift. It lifts me from bed to toilet to shower to wheelchair like a sack of meat. It takes the strain off my helpers, which is great, but it feels strange after years of being carried the quick way. Lately, I’ve started to lean into it. One morning at 6:30 a.m., sipping coffee while dangling in the air, I joked to my aide Danni that I felt like a slab of prosciutto or one of those pigs hanging in the back of an authentic Italian butcher shop. Gotta laugh at yourself sometimes.
I ended the week watching the new Madea movie on Netflix. Nothing like a wise old grandma whipping her grandkids into shape with humor and tough love. That, plus a fresh haircut and a warm bagel, got me pumped for Monday.
With three weeks left in my internship, I’m soaking up everything I can in healthcare PR and getting sharper every day. Soon I’ll be back on the market like that slab of meat in the Hoyer lift—just a little more seasoned, a bit more cured, and ready for whatever comes next. I’m grateful for this experience and excited to keep growing with the amazing people I’m working with.
