Lives Intertwined

208 Miles

September 2017

Dear Jon,

This is like that Dear John movie with Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. If only you had that missing 'h.' I moved into Rhaegar's apartment near NYU. I never knew how much space I was used to until I moved here. From our old house in California to our house in Winterfell, I have to admit I had it pretty good. Now, I fear that if I stretch my arm too far I'm gonna knock something over. Still, I can't complain. I've officially decided that New York is my city. I want to scream it from the rooftops.

Besides the fact that I'm away from all the drama back home, New York is absolutely amazing. There are coffee shops on every block and I'm not just talking about the generic Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks. No way. I'm talking about french press, drip coffee, coffee with those fancy little designs on the top. I think I'm getting addicted. Rhaegar says that I have to slow down or I'll get the jitters. New York is just so exciting. Don't get me wrong, I love LA. I grew up in LA, but New York, it's something else.

I really miss you. Rhaegar's been great. He takes me to all these amazing places and treats me to all the food I could possibly want. Yesterday, I went to the MET for the first time because Rhaegar says I need to be cultured. Still, when all the hustle and bustle of the day comes to an end, I end up lying on my bed, trying to clear my mind with the constant beeping and yelling and chattering. I miss Winterfell and how there was always a comfortable silence.

Rhaegar bought me one of those crazy milkshakes at Black Tap. I'm talking about the ones with the literal piece of cake on top. It was delicious, but I still miss milkshakes at the diner and waking up when the sun peeked out from behind the trees. I miss school where I only had to walk fifteen minutes max to get from my doorstep to the front doors. Now, my commute is just over an hour. I've only been there once to check out the place and meet with some people. I can't imagine commuting every day. I have to catch the N train and then transfer to the 1 train. I still hardly know my way around the neighborhood.

I miss playing in your backyard with Ghost. There are no dogs allowed here. It's tragic, really. I miss running. I walk everywhere now and I swear I've already lost 10 pounds just from vigorously walking for hours. Still, it's not the same as running around your backyard, chasing after Ghost.

Most of all, I miss you. I hope junior year is treating you well. Classes just started for you, right? Maybe you can come down here one day to visit. It's only 208 miles. I checked on Google Maps. Maybe when you get your license you can drive down here for the weekend. How much fun would that be? I'm sure you'll love it here. I sure do.

Rhaegar is doing well in school. He's at NYU for business, but he's also picking up a major in music. He's actually really good. I saw him play a show down in the Village (see, I'm cool, you're supposed to call it the Village if you're cool) and he got a standing ovation. I'm really proud of him.

I'm nervous about school. I start my junior year at the Horace Mann School in the Bronx. It turns out that my mother went to school with one of the members of the board. According to Mom, it's supposed to be the best school in all of NYC and in all of the state. With its price tag, I better be served filet mignon every day on a gold platter. There's supposed to be around 185 kids in my grade so it's a little bigger than Winterfell. I looked online yesterday at Niche and 100% of the students agree that all students are competitive. I better bring my A game.

The Bronx is nice. It's different than Manhattan. The streets are less packed and the sounds of the city are less overbearing. Rhaegar took me there to meet with a guidance counselor, and college counselor, before I start on Monday.

Wish me luck,

Dany

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September 2017