Have you seen the Netflix show “Emily in Paris”, yet? If not, you really should. It is about a young woman whose job transfers her to Paris. She finds challenges and romance and friendship, but the part I want to focus on is her social media. She starts an Instagram account when she arrives in Paris and documents herself exploring the city. This show came out at the perfect time for me. I just arrived in Philly and am challenging myself to try documenting my adventures.
I have created an Instagram highlight and I added “Philadelphia” to my food/bars section, so I can write my notes for future visits. If you have any suggestions for good eats in Philly, I want to hear them!
My sister lived in Philly and we came here a few times while I was growing up, so I felt like I knew what to expect. I was wrong. There is something completely different about visiting a city and living in one.
Philly Obstacles
Obstacle #1: Groceries
Not only where to go, but how much should we be spending on Philadelphia groceries? I am a bargain shopper, even with groceries, so I wanted to make sure I was getting the best deal.
Obstacle #2: Parking
After three grocery stores, we made it back to the apartment to discover our second obstacle: Parking.
We are staying in an Airbnb and they claimed there was no street parking near the area. I looked it up and SpotAngels said there were a few streets to try out. I sent my boyfriend in with half of the groceries and left to start hunting down a spot. After no such luck, I looped back for him to bring up the remaining groceries while I tried again. Luckily, I was able to find one quickly after that.
Obstacle #3: Parallel Parking
There are some skills that you lose if you don’t use them. I hadn’t had to parallel park since I was in college. I was pretty good back then, but unfortunately, the spot I found was really tight. After a few (hundred) tries and a little guidance from my boyfriend, we made it. We successfully street-parked in a city.
I am glad we made no plans for that day except for grocery shopping. I did not expect it to take hours with multiple stores and obstacles. Oh, I forgot to mention. When we were checking out at Target, we broke the salsa container. It was a very long day.
New Moving App Needed
Someone needs to create an app for all necessary information for someone new moving to town. It should include prices, locations, and friendly tips for all categories. It would be nice if it had grocery stores, laundromats, dry cleaners, gyms, nail salons, hair salons, etc. and possibly a chat app to make new friends with other people who recently moved.
If this app already exists, please comment below. I need it. Since we are unclear how long we are going to be working remotely, we may be able to go to another city! We have a few in mind, but I’d love to hear anyone’s suggestions.
For now, Elaina in Philly will live on.
Challenge
Watch Emily in Paris. Make sure you have good binge-watching snacks and wine readily available.
