New York, New York!

Here’s another state that I have too many associations with to know how to even do it justice. Do I focus on the touristy things? Or let my Lady Liberty post cover that?

Do I write about upstate and how gorgeous it is? Or let my skydiving post cover that?

Do I write about the time I came down with two friends from Boston for the weekend and we kept expense to under $100 each (including going to the MET, the bus ticket, the hostel, food…)?

All good options, but I think I’ll go with my first trip to NYC.

This might be where my trend to take vacations to colder places started – most people headed south from Virginia, but my roommate and I piled our things in her car and headed north to her parents’ house in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Mostly we lounged around – reading a handful of books, novels, just for fun – and no need to remember and discuss details! and binge watching the TV series 24 (recorded from TV onto a video tape, yep that long ago). But one day we decided to drive up to New Jersey and take a water taxi into “the city”.

Just because it sticks in my mind, I also had her mother cut my hair before we went, and that took longer than we planned, so we had a later start than intended. And then we hit construction traffic.

Honestly, I don’t remember all the details of this visit, but here are some of the things I do remember:

1. As we floated past the Statue of Liberty on a ferry, I took a picture of me with it in the background (on a disposable camera, where are those photos no anyway?) and thought, “This is the only time I’m going to see this, better remember it!”
2. We walked around the Financial District (where I now work) and I was so overwhelmed. I remember looking up at the tall buildings on the winding streets and wondering if the people who lived and worked in that “crazy” place ever saw the sun.
3. Battery Park was absolutely engaging to me. Since most of my time in NYC has been post Hurricane Sandy, where Battery Park was pummeled, I’m grateful for this memory of Battery Park being green, and teaming with life and art.
4. One of my biggest memories is of leaving. Or trying to leave. We went to get on a water taxi to go back to the New Jersey side where the car was parked. Only they weren’t running anymore. Inside I started to panic. I was convinced we were going to be stuck in the city overnight, and that was not at all appealing to me. Luckily, the Path train was still running, and we were able to ride under the Hudson River back to Jersey. I believe that was my first experience riding in a tunnel under water and I was sure I’d see water out the windows of the train (and a bit terrified of getting stuck under there). We got off the train nearly a mile from where our car was parked, and walked through a particularly seedy part of town to get back there (it probably wasn’t, looking back, but it sure felt like it was to me at the moment!).

Ironically, probably the strongest impression I got from that experience was gratitude for having experienced NYC since I wasn’t likely to go back there ever again. Ironic because less than a decade later I’ve spend over 4 years living in that city. A city I have truly come to love. One with her own personality and timeline. One who has pushed and stretched me. A fabulous place to explore, and a great jumping off place to travel from.