Epiphany: A quest for love

5. Enemy at the gates

MIRAE

New York. A wonderful city, way bigger and more crowded than Seoul. With wide avenues and small cafes to sit and relax. It takes my breath away. It's majestic and full and bursting with life. It makes you feel small, but at the same time, as if you are part of something bigger. Important. It's rather encouraging. And at night, it's even more beautiful. The city lights are climbing up to reach the stars, the streets are enveloped in all types of colors and the billboard lights make you feel like you're in a movie. Street performers are everywhere, brightening up the mood and it's almost magical. This city is art and it's writing his story in colours.

This city is indeed a concrete jungle, as the songs are saying. People come here to start over new, to find change and it is said this city makes dreams come true. I never really wanted to live the american dream, but I have a dream of my own that I want to bring to life. It remains to be seen if I can make it happen here.

I smile hugely, looking in wonder as I walk on my way to my new job. I don't know what I will find there. What people. What kind of work. All I know is that it is different and for now, is enough. I needed "different" like I needed air.

The neighbourhood where my publication has its headquarters is a heavily populated area, with enormous office buildings and a lot of traffic. So many companies are settled here and even in the building where I work there are dozens of different businesses. The spinning doors at the entrance are in a continuous movement, never resting. People come in and out of the building so many times I am surprised the doors didn't break by now. This life...I was used to it from Seoul, but here it's on another scale. I stop in front of those same doors and arrange my blazer and smooth my hair, before heading in.

I decided to wear one of my favorite outfits today, an emerald green two piece suit. I feel confident and optimistic and I wanted to show that. In the end, I am experienced enough to justify my confidence. Fortune favors the bold, so there is no spot for weakness. With that in mind, I walk in, the first thing that I notice being that here people don't even notice me. They just brush past me, rushing to their own business. In Korea, it doesn't matter if we know the people we encounter in the building we work in, we usually give a small bow to let them know we acknowledge their presence. Different cultures, different people. And I should learn to adapt. I head to the receptionist's desk, on the left side, careful not to bump into people. A young man wearing a perfectly ironed shirt greets me.

"Good morning! How can I help you?" he says, while his colleague reaches out to answer the phone.

"Hello! My name is Mirae Park. I am an employee of The Manhattan Journal, but it's my first day here and I don't have an access card yet. Could you please let them know I arrived?" I explained politely. The young man looks down at one of his noteboooks and after flipping through it for a few seconds, he stops to a page.

"No need, Miss Park. They already informed us about your arrival. If you could wait for a second, I will give you your general access card." he says as he pulls a drawer from under his desk and a piece of paper. I look closely and see it's actually a form. He hands it to me and says "Read it and sign it for me, please." I nod and grab a pen nearby, signing the document. It's just a standard form to get in possession of the card, so I don't need to wrap my head around it. But if Inna knew I don't read these things carefully, she would hang me. She can be really scary when she is in full lawyer mode.

"Okay, I signed it." I informed the guy named Gerald. At least that's what it says on his name tag. He pulls a small card from a box, types a code on his computer or whatever device he has there and then hands it to me.

"Here it's your access card, Miss Park. You can use it to enter the building, but to enter the company you work for, you will need a second access card from their HR Department. Make sure you ask for one if they forget to give it to you. 20th floor" he explains, indicating to the elevators.