Most of the people I've met don't have strong Jersey accents . I haven't seen any mobsters, so far as I know, and I haven't been set upon by ruffians, at least not yet. I found that some things are true. It's breathtakingly expensive to live here. Life doesn't seem to go as smoothly here, and sometimes it can be vexing as hell.
Traffic can be murder.
I think I've lost most of my fear of the city, but not my awe. After I'd been here awhile, I began to realize how much information I was collecting about this place. It seems like a good idea to capture that. For me, I hope it helps me to remember what it means to be a Midwesterner. I don't ever want to lose that.