I spent an entire week in Chicago being a consummate tourist. Each night I would map out the places that I will be visiting the following day. This way I wouldn't have to wander around the streets of Chicago aimlessly and it would allow me the advantage of looking up the best ways to reach a certain place. Chicago was such a pleasant city with the perfect mix of urban and rural living. It was easy to get around the city however it was challenging to make the rounds in the suburbs if you didn't have a car. Since I wasn't all that confident driving by myself, I chose to roam the city by foot. When the time came to leave Chicago after seeing its sights and sounds, I booked my flight to New York. The entire process was easy since all I needed was a laptop and my credit card. I did everything online and when everything was set up, all that was left to do was to pack my bags and get myself to the airport. This time, I was sure I wouldn't miss my flight since I booked an afternoon flight from O'Hare to LaGuardia.
I was nearly restless the night before my flight to New York. I felt like someone who was about to go on a blind date with a person he met online. The excitement was palpable that it was almost impossible to contain. It was the anticipation of unraveling the mystery that surrounded the charm of New York that took my nerves to the edge. After about an hour of pacing around the living room and having downed a couple of bottles of beer, I decided to hit the sack. Fortunately for me, I have never had trouble sleeping. Get me a chair or anything that I can rest my back on and I'm all set. Waking up to the smell of sausage and eggs, I put on my slippers and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. My aunt was preparing breakfast for me and my uncle (her husband). My uncle had a couple of sips of coffee and a few bites of his breakfast while I was still trying to find my bearing after having slept through the night peacefully. He told me that he'll be off to work in a few minutes but will be getting off work early to pick me up and take me to the airport. I tried to politely decline the offer as I didn't want to bother him with this particular detail of my trip. It would have been just as easy to have a cab pick me up and take me to the airport. He was insistent and I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I just gave in.
When I arrived at the airport, there was a feeling of longing that had suddenly crept in me. I didn't realize that for the very short time that I spent in Chicago and living in their house, I have actually fallen in love with the place and felt supremely at home. Leaving sort of roused a sense of separation anxiety in me that I normally only feel whenever I leave the Philippines to go back to work in Abu Dhabi after a month's vacation. Shrugging that anxiety off, I bid my uncle goodbye and asked him to send my love to my aunt who wasn't able to come with us to the airport since she was working the night shift at the hospital. He gave me a few pointers and reminders which mostly was about being smart and present-minded at all times while roaming the streets of New York. I made a mental note of everything he told me especially tips on getting around New York and places to see. Grabbing my bags, I walked towards the queue going inside the airport. Checking-in wasn't nearly as tedious as getting through airport security but with everything considered, it was quite a smooth process. After completing the check-in process, I made my way to the boarding gates. I couldn't find any vacant seat since the airport was packed with people flying out to different destinations. So, I did what any grown ass queen would do, I sat on the floor.
It was around seven in the evening when we finished boarding the plane and after a couple of minutes, we set off to New York. Feeling a bit exhausted, I decided to take a nap. The 2-hour flight went by so quickly. When I awoke from my nap, the plane was already making its descent towards LaGuardia airport. It was in this moment that I felt butterflies in my stomach which made me all giddy inside. There was a strong sense of excitement and joyful anticipation of the adventures that await me in the city that never sleeps. I was visiting relatives in New York who would be taking me in for a couple of days while I was there. My aunt and uncle were still both at work when we landed so they told me to take a cab instead to their apartment in Queens. It was a short ride, probably less than ten minutes. When I reached the street where they lived, I picked up my phone and called my aunt. Fortunately, she just got home and was already waiting for me upstairs. After finding the main door of their apartment's building, I rang their number and she buzzed me in. I haven't seen them for more than 20 years. The last time I remember seeing them was when I was around 8 or 9? Anyhow, when she opened to door to greet me, a sigh of relief overcame me - mainly because I didn't get lost on my way to their house. We hugged each other and she motioned me inside. After carefully setting my bags aside, she started preparing the table so we can have dinner together. The three of us, myself, my aunt and her 10-year-old son then sat on the dinner table.
Like with any reunion, we barely touched our food before we set off to a full blast conversation and catching up. There was much to say and much to learn - 20 years worth of stories to be told. Less than an hour later, my uncle arrived and we too started chatting about the events in our lives that have happened over the course of 20 years. It was such a pleasant experience catching up with them. It made me realize even more how fast time flies. Dinner was equally lovely. I was treated to a healthy serving of kale salad and mint tea. It was just what I needed since I felt like I gained an entire person in weight after having consumed insane amounts of food back in Chicago. After dinner, I checked-in with my aunt and uncle in Chicago just to let them know that I made it safely to New York. At this point, I seriously missed them and my room (wink). I missed the late night talks I had with my uncle while drinking beer and watching TV. Those nights were so relaxing that whenever I fell asleep, I was always guaranteed a peaceful rest. Now that I was in New York, there was a renewed feeling of excitement. Before hitting the sack, I penned down my plans for the next day. Since both my aunt and uncle had work, I was left to roam the city again on my own. My aunt gave me a map of the subway and gave me a crash course on New York transportation. She also made recommendations on where to find good food at an affordable price. After making a mental note of all her pointers, we called it a night and hit the sack. It took me another hour before dozing off because I decided to watch a bit of TV.
I woke up to the light of my first New York day complete with the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps which was punctuated by the coming and goings of the subway trains. The giddiness of the previous day hasn't worn out. In fact, I remember it being heightened. I couldn't wait to be out the door for my first official day in the city of dreams. My anticipation was centered on the smell of concrete and the promise of an exciting day brought by the charm of New York - the freedom to be oneself completely. I'll tell you more about it in the coming days. For now, let it be said that whatever it is that makes New York charming, it definitely lives up to its promise of celebrating all colors of the rainbow.
xoxo
QB
I was nearly restless the night before my flight to New York. I felt like someone who was about to go on a blind date with a person he met online. The excitement was palpable that it was almost impossible to contain. It was the anticipation of unraveling the mystery that surrounded the charm of New York that took my nerves to the edge. After about an hour of pacing around the living room and having downed a couple of bottles of beer, I decided to hit the sack. Fortunately for me, I have never had trouble sleeping. Get me a chair or anything that I can rest my back on and I'm all set. Waking up to the smell of sausage and eggs, I put on my slippers and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. My aunt was preparing breakfast for me and my uncle (her husband). My uncle had a couple of sips of coffee and a few bites of his breakfast while I was still trying to find my bearing after having slept through the night peacefully. He told me that he'll be off to work in a few minutes but will be getting off work early to pick me up and take me to the airport. I tried to politely decline the offer as I didn't want to bother him with this particular detail of my trip. It would have been just as easy to have a cab pick me up and take me to the airport. He was insistent and I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I just gave in.
When I arrived at the airport, there was a feeling of longing that had suddenly crept in me. I didn't realize that for the very short time that I spent in Chicago and living in their house, I have actually fallen in love with the place and felt supremely at home. Leaving sort of roused a sense of separation anxiety in me that I normally only feel whenever I leave the Philippines to go back to work in Abu Dhabi after a month's vacation. Shrugging that anxiety off, I bid my uncle goodbye and asked him to send my love to my aunt who wasn't able to come with us to the airport since she was working the night shift at the hospital. He gave me a few pointers and reminders which mostly was about being smart and present-minded at all times while roaming the streets of New York. I made a mental note of everything he told me especially tips on getting around New York and places to see. Grabbing my bags, I walked towards the queue going inside the airport. Checking-in wasn't nearly as tedious as getting through airport security but with everything considered, it was quite a smooth process. After completing the check-in process, I made my way to the boarding gates. I couldn't find any vacant seat since the airport was packed with people flying out to different destinations. So, I did what any grown ass queen would do, I sat on the floor.
It was around seven in the evening when we finished boarding the plane and after a couple of minutes, we set off to New York. Feeling a bit exhausted, I decided to take a nap. The 2-hour flight went by so quickly. When I awoke from my nap, the plane was already making its descent towards LaGuardia airport. It was in this moment that I felt butterflies in my stomach which made me all giddy inside. There was a strong sense of excitement and joyful anticipation of the adventures that await me in the city that never sleeps. I was visiting relatives in New York who would be taking me in for a couple of days while I was there. My aunt and uncle were still both at work when we landed so they told me to take a cab instead to their apartment in Queens. It was a short ride, probably less than ten minutes. When I reached the street where they lived, I picked up my phone and called my aunt. Fortunately, she just got home and was already waiting for me upstairs. After finding the main door of their apartment's building, I rang their number and she buzzed me in. I haven't seen them for more than 20 years. The last time I remember seeing them was when I was around 8 or 9? Anyhow, when she opened to door to greet me, a sigh of relief overcame me - mainly because I didn't get lost on my way to their house. We hugged each other and she motioned me inside. After carefully setting my bags aside, she started preparing the table so we can have dinner together. The three of us, myself, my aunt and her 10-year-old son then sat on the dinner table.
Like with any reunion, we barely touched our food before we set off to a full blast conversation and catching up. There was much to say and much to learn - 20 years worth of stories to be told. Less than an hour later, my uncle arrived and we too started chatting about the events in our lives that have happened over the course of 20 years. It was such a pleasant experience catching up with them. It made me realize even more how fast time flies. Dinner was equally lovely. I was treated to a healthy serving of kale salad and mint tea. It was just what I needed since I felt like I gained an entire person in weight after having consumed insane amounts of food back in Chicago. After dinner, I checked-in with my aunt and uncle in Chicago just to let them know that I made it safely to New York. At this point, I seriously missed them and my room (wink). I missed the late night talks I had with my uncle while drinking beer and watching TV. Those nights were so relaxing that whenever I fell asleep, I was always guaranteed a peaceful rest. Now that I was in New York, there was a renewed feeling of excitement. Before hitting the sack, I penned down my plans for the next day. Since both my aunt and uncle had work, I was left to roam the city again on my own. My aunt gave me a map of the subway and gave me a crash course on New York transportation. She also made recommendations on where to find good food at an affordable price. After making a mental note of all her pointers, we called it a night and hit the sack. It took me another hour before dozing off because I decided to watch a bit of TV.
I woke up to the light of my first New York day complete with the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps which was punctuated by the coming and goings of the subway trains. The giddiness of the previous day hasn't worn out. In fact, I remember it being heightened. I couldn't wait to be out the door for my first official day in the city of dreams. My anticipation was centered on the smell of concrete and the promise of an exciting day brought by the charm of New York - the freedom to be oneself completely. I'll tell you more about it in the coming days. For now, let it be said that whatever it is that makes New York charming, it definitely lives up to its promise of celebrating all colors of the rainbow.
xoxo
QB
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