After being raised in a town where the most exciting thing to speculate over are cows that I suspect are clones of each other, the prospect of living in New York City for a summer seemed like the most exciting change possible. True, living near Boston is fantastic, but nothing is like New York. And while I knew the city had tremendous possibilities and wonderments in store for me, one activity high up on my to-do list was to see the celebrities that inhabit this great city. I know it's silly, and while I think it's absurd for people to be treated differently just because they sing Latin pop songs or star in movies I can't watch for more than 10 minutes, there is still a part of me that is obsessed with star sightings. Before coming to New York, I had gotten Nancy Kerrigan's autograph when she visited Yankee "Scenter of the Universe" Candle and met Bill Cosby's chef. And so far, I'm sad to say, my spontaneous celebrity sightings and encounters here have not quite surpassed the level of my prior ones.

A few days after I moved into my apartment, I set out to explore my new neighborhood and gain my bearings. I had heard that the Puerto Rican Day Parade was being held that afternoon, but I was not aware that it would pass through a street just several blocks away from my new dwelling. Imagine my surprise when I turned a corner to find myself immediately immersed in a sea of blue, white, and red flags and festive music blasting everywhere. Things got infinitely more thrilling when I spotted the bon-bon shaking super star himself, Ricky Martin, standing on top of a nearby float. At first I wasn't sure whether it was just a float playing Ricky Martin music with a random man standing on top waving because I couldn't really get a good look at his face, try as I might. I concluded that it was in fact Mr. Martin and I immediately texted everyone I knew to inform them of my brush with fame. My dreams were starting to come true, I thought.

Thrilling as that event was, I was one of thousands that day, graced with the privilege to lay eyes on Ricky's famous, tan and dimpled face. I still ached for that one on one encounter that was sure to happen.

My second and latest interaction with fame came during a Shakespeare in the Park performance. Sitting near the back, I soon discovered that sitting a mere two seats away from us was Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Sylar, the brain-eating villain on Heroes. Having never watched a single episode of the show, I had to be told by my Heroes-loving boyfriend who he was. Things got more intense when Syler leaned over and asked if we by any chance had gum. I, regrettably, had to decline. And so concluded my second sighting.

Other than that, living in New York City has been everything I could have hoped for. While the hustle and bustle of such a city can be tiring, there is always solace in being able to stay inside and just watch a movie. Or go outside and hope to see Bruce Willis get out of a car.