My husband and two older kids got to visit New York City for four days. And everything they say was true. It was completely, ridiculously expensive. It was crowded and smelly and overwhelming and in-your-face. And those things being validated, you would think I would say I didn't care for it. I'm claustrophobic, I have a larger area of personal space than the average person, I'm sensitive to noise, smell and lights.
I loved it. I found meaning in every moment, and I can't wait to go back someday. I found that part of my heart had been residing there and in visiting I found a part of myself I'd always been missing.
It sounds a little weird, I know. But if I learned anything in New York, I learned it's okay to be weird, as long as I'm being myself.
Two best things about NYC:
1. People watching.
The most wonderful thing about NYC is the people. There is no shortage. They are packed shoulder to shoulder almost anywhere you go. They are from everywhere in the world. They are interesting to watch, whether they are homeless or tourists or locals or aliens from Pluto. I didn't see a single person who didn't fascinate me. On the subway. Walking in the streets. Sitting in the parks.
The thing I think I enjoyed the most about the people, especially the locals, was their openness. They didn't try to hide who they were. If they were sitting on the subway they didn't politely cross their legs and fold their hands in their lap with a vacant smile. They would sleep. They would listen to their music. Passionately - as in singing along with all the feeling they could muster. They would laugh at their texts. They would read - textbooks, novels, newspapers. They would make quite a show of expertly not holding on to the poles and still managing to stay upright while us tourists held on for dear life. If they were in the park, they would perform. They would pull out their Michael Jackson moves or their puppets or their saxophone or their grand piano or just stand in spot with great acoustics and sing opera. Some were amazing talents, some were enjoyable to listen to and some kind of hurt the ears a little bit. But whatever they had on their heart to share, they weren't shy about getting up and sharing it.
And yet for all their showing off, I have never met such friendly people. We hardly ever had to ask for directions, and not because we weren't usually lost. Because locals would see the panic on our faces and approach us to see how they could help.
They taught me a lot about my "limits." They taught me I could stand in a packed subway car stacked up against them and be cool about it. No need to freak out or feel overwhelmed. They taught me that when walking back to the PATH station near the World Trade Center after dark, if one hears continuous booms from the other side of the island that cannot be explained, one doesn't freak out. One carries on with one's business unless directed otherwise. They taught me that I could be exposed to noise, lights, smells and be okay. I didn't have to get a migraine. I didn't have to be overwhelmed and wish I was alone in a spacious field. I could do more than I thought I could.
2. The places.
I think you get the point.
