Big dreams and harsh realities in the Big Apple

Good man Ronan.Keep writing with that fresh enthusiastic spirit and you'll be more than OK. May the road rise up etc etc

As someone who was born across the Hudson and grew up in Newark with an Irish heritage, New York City was my Oz! After teaching here for 3 years back in the 60's, I returned after 18 years away in 1984 and experienced first hand all you comment on and I WAS A LOCAL WITH LOTS OF EXPERIENCE! The first question I got was who has hired you here? And the Honeymoon Haze also hit - I got cast in a Woody Allen movie my first week back...and then nothing. Got an apartment and had to leave town and when I did, they rented out my room even though I had paid the rent in advance! So, hang in there, understand that the Big Apple is not mis-named because that apple usually gets stuck in your throat and it can also be rotten to the core. However, do what you are doing, be cool and discrete with how much information you give away, watch, observe, have your resume at the ready and you may be waiting for a bus one day when you meet "someone who knows someone who knows someone"...! And do not trust Craig's List whatever you do. Now, do you have any clues on how a Sage Citizen like myself can make a go of it in Ireland?!

Ronan, academia is not the best place to prepare for the world of work. The cream eventually rises to the top. Use your wits, dare to be brilliant, rather than trying to prove how smart you are by being clever. (This is not a personal judgment.) Best of luck.

Very nice article, Ronan. It's very rare you hear stories with such a hopeful and uplifting tone these days. Ellenred is right, you never know who your new pub friends may be in New York. You're continuing a centuries old tradition of Irish coming to the city looking to work your way to a new life. Best of luck.

Excellent article; Ronan. Hang in there and don't give up; NYC has many opportunities... and yours is just around any corner.

What a well written article. Ronan, I've no doubt you'll do well wherever you end up.

Good luck to you Ronan! It's worth the effort to live in NYC. It's all about networking and you're off to a good start with this article.

Yes - hang in there Ronan! It sounds like you're already doing well - you got here, and you survived so far! I was born in NY but to me, the real New Yorkers are the people like you, who picked themselves up and relocated to be here - What would NY be without you?!

Hang in there, Ronan, keep positive. You never know when the person on the stool next to you might have just the connections you need. That can be part of the magic of my beloved NYC. My great great grandparents moved there from Cork and Galway, and their love of the city came down to me.