New York, New York

It's great to see I have comments before any of you are certain I even went anywhere. I could be at the Traveler's Lodge motel in Davenport, renting a room by the hour, curled up in a ball, scared to leave.

But, that is not the case.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon on the 30th of December, I sat in my 1994 Nissan Altima in the parking lot of Panera Bread in Davenport, Iowa -- my favorite place to drink hot tea and write. My belongings were packed, my goodbyes had been said, yet I sat with sweaty palms staring at the Atlas. East Coast? West Coast? The South?

Then, a phone call arrived at 2:37 from my good friends Tommy and Christina (26 and 25), who I bartended with at a Club Med resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands over the summer. They currently live together in New York City. I told them my situation, how I was beginning a journey that still had no beginning.

By 2:38 I was on interstate 80, heading east, hoping my car had enough in it to get me to the East Coast by New Year's.

I've been here for almost a full 48 hours now. Yes, I watched the ball drop in Times Square. However, I was in Long Island, watching it on TV like many of you, except for my dad, who alerted me he did not stay awake to help bring in 2007. But I was with good people, which is all that matters when you start something new. I toasted champagne with Tommy, Christina, and their group of friends when midnight hit. I had no New Year's kiss. Instead, I took a deep breath and thought about what an exciting year it will be. For a minute, I was in my own world. Tommy broke me from my trance, slapping me on the back with force.

"I'm glad you're here with us bro."

I was too. The day before I had no idea where I was headed. It was strange to think I was already drinking champagne in New York City.

Tommy and Christina live in the apartment in the basement of their parents' house, which at first sounded a bit intimidating, like I would be corrupting a family's peaceful world. But after dinner last night with the whole gang -- Tommy's parents, his 21-year old brother, his 25-year-old sister, and the three of us, I learned everything was going to be just fine. We dedicated half of our dinner to making fun of Big Tom's (Tommy's dad) Christmas gift -- a dehydrator. According to Big Tom, he plans to dehydrate lots of things with it -- fruit, meat, crafts. Tommy didn't seem to get it, pointing out that the machine is noisy and takes 12 hours to complete the dehydration process. I supported Big Tom's big plans, trying to fit in to the family dinner. I think I'm doing just fine.

The whole family has such character. Maybe it's a Long Island thing. Their accents are thick. Their hearts are big. They make fun of each other any chance they have, knowing that it's out of love. Tommy could be a comedian, he has me laughing at least once a minute. Christina and him get along great. I was there in the Turks and Caicos when they began dating, so it's a neat thing to see how much they've developed. We watched a video I took on the island of Tommy and I getting drunk on our last day off together before I left. Tommy said, "I'm going to marry this girl" into the camera as Christina looked on. She didn't seem embarrassed, she instead pointed out that Tommy was just hammered. Tommy then declared that I would be the guy walking around the church throwing flowers at everybody. I am honored.

Tommy is a very talented musician. He played a new song he wrote called Somethin' Ain't Right, and I think it's amazing. I think if he decides to kick me out it will be due to the fact that I ask him to play it entirely too much. So far I'm at three requests. He has a show on the 13th in Manhattan, which is supposed to be a big deal. The family talked about it over breakfast, making plans even though it's two weeks away. They agree I need to be here for it, which commits me here for a bit more time. As for now, I am completely fine with that.

The couch is comfortable. The company is entirely too gracious. For now at least, they tell me the door is always open for me. So there is no rush. I am in one of the greatest cities in the world with no next step. I plan to explore for a while, whatever that might mean.

It's noon on January 2, and neither Tommy nor I have showered in 2007. We said we may try to make it the whole year, but I may cave right now.