What am I?

When can you finally consider yourself to be a New Yorker? Is it when you sign up for that first Duane Reade card? Is it when a tourist singles you out of a crowd to ask for directions? How about when it takes 6 weeks to book an appointment with a new doctor? According to the NYS Department of Labor, I considered myself to be a New Yorker when I called their 888 number in order to enroll in their $405 a week unemployment benefits program instead of my native state of Pennsylvania's $547.

In addition to taking an (unemployment) pay cut, being a transplant from another city isn't easy. I have to deal with boo's when I don a Rollins T-shirt and confused faces when I ask for wooder ice with my hoagie.

But there are perks for those of us who retained our out of state id's - out of towner savings. I'm not gonna lie to you, I look really hot in my hologram emblazoned drivers license. I'm gonna rock that baby everywhere I can till' PenDot says no more. At Macy's in Herald Square I can save 11% with my non local ID. Comes in handy when I need to make summertime interview outfit shopping more affordable.

Think like the carpet bagger you truly are and even more thrifty opportunities will present themselves. Want to see a stage filled with A-list talent but TKTS is still too pricey? Stroll by The Ed Sullivan theater or 30 Rock and a Page could offer you free tickets to a late night talk show. Beats waiting months for a ticket reserved by calling the audience coordinator. You will probably start your new job the day to finally claim your seats rolls around anyway. Or, if you are like me, your next gig.

I've cast a show here and there in the past few months. So my dilemma is, when I network do I say "I am a freelancer" or "I am unemployed?" Initially, post pink, I suffered the inability to say I was "laid off." The L would stick to the roof om my mouth as if there was organic peanut butter on it. But now there is something totally cool about being in the scary 9% statistic. Newspapers want to interview you and the foreign media wants to film you. Wearing scrunchies n' sweats outside the house becomes excusable and people read your blog. It's a hard thing to give up.

Mostly it's just scary. Because if you do finally consider yourself to be a freelancer, it means you have settled into a new career that requires a lot of self discipline. Unions exist to support your endeavors. Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Try this test. If you can say "I am a freelancer" with a genuine smile on your face, congratulations. You proved the cliche 'everything happens for a reason' to be right.