After passing my two year-versary of living in New York, I’ve noticed some changes in myself. Could it possibly be New York-ness seeping in?

1. All I think about is food. Where the hot new brunch spot is. How to get my hands on the new cronut.
2. If the person in front of me at the subway station takes more than one attempt to swipe their card at the turnstyle, I have to fight the urge to punch them in the back of the head.
3. It seems normal to me to apply for a preschool program for my toddler a year and a half before the start date. And to write an essay as part of the application.
4. I avoid Times Square like the plague. Passing through it requires a stiff drink before hand, or at least a stop off at Magnolia Bakery for a pint of banana pudding.
6. Debating with fellow commuters on the fastest path for lost tourists to get to a given point is a just regular trip on the subway. It’s all good at least it’s not a poop carriage (and that’s a whole different post I won’t be writing about).
7. I can correctly direct people to most major locations, and, in Brooklyn, to the majority of streets/train stations and places of interest around DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights and BoCoCa. To the people who I recently told yes, you can walk over the Manhattan Bridge, and confidently pointed them to a vague point in the distance – I’m supremely sorry. Also to the people looking for the A/C line who I directed instead to the F. Again, my bad!
9. If I haven’t had a mani and pedi, I feel underdressed.
10. Brunch now starts at 1:30pm at the earliest. Yes, I’ve finally caved to local convention, aided by a toddler who still takes an epic morning nap.

Signs that I’ll never be a true New Yorker
1. Celebrity sightings still get me in a tizz. I have been known to stalk celebrities (Sorry Mila Kunis!)
2. I can’t tolerate queuing for anything, so there goes any hope of getting a table at any new, hot brunch spots.
3. The peanut butter makes me want to gag. I have my parents send me care packages of Aussie peanut butter, Vegemite and Nurofen.
4. I still eat Vegemite on toast almost every day.
5. I buy British Cadbury chocolate in bulk and eat Nutella by the tablespoon.
6. I’m up at 7am every day (thanks Eloise!) and frustrated that nothing opens till at least 10am.
7. I’ll never sound like one – and I’m ok with that! I love my Australian accent, with the rare exceptions of time when people can’t understand what I’m saying.
8. I still use degrees centigrade, kilograms, meters and grams. I have no plans of converting from the true measurement systems.
9. The colours I love the most are found in Australia – the sky, the ocean, the sand at the beach – I dream about being there again soon!
10. I still call Australia home.