My first morning in New York was marked by a bright sunshine that made the smell of fresh snow like an aphrodisiac of the soul. It brought about intense feelings of elation by the mere fact that I was finally in the city that I only once dreamed of. The city had a certain vibe, one of deliberate action and constant movement. People you pass by on the streets had a certain look on them - that of purpose. Each one had somewhere important to be or had something urgent to do. Everyone has a purpose and a reason for moving - that which fuels their determination.
I, on the other hand, only had one thing on my mind - to take in as much of New York as I possibly can. The purpose was to see all the sights and sounds of the city that has occupied my dreams for as long as I can remember. As one might expect of a queen such as I, that first day was entirely dedicated to exploring the universe that is the 5th avenue. Right after breakfast, my aunt and I made our way to the subway station. After buying a weekly pass, she pointed me to the platform where the trains are that will take me to Manhattan. I bid her good day and walked towards the direction she pointed me to. As I was walking towards the platform, I had to pick up my pace to match those of the New Yorkers that were also making their way to the trains. It was an exhilarating experience having to walk alongside people who had a purpose to every footstep they took. It felt as if I was one with everyone else who were going through the motion of city life. After getting off the train, I took a city map from one of the information stands to help me find my way to 5th avenue. As I was walking towards 5th avenue, I made a few quick stops to snap a couple of photos. I tried to look as organic as I possibly could while taking photos, mindful not to look so much like a tourist because I was playing a part - a local going about his daily routine. I didn't have to of course but I just wanted to feel as if I was like every New Yorker on the street, that way I would have at least lived in the city of dreams the way locals do. It was practical as well not to get lost too much in the sights of sounds of the city. Since people are constantly on the move, you will have to be quick in your movements as well lest risk being run off by the onslaught of commuters and pedestrians.
When I finally saw the street sign that read 5th avenue, I was overcome by awe and pure admiration. I was in the area where the Apple store was. I wanted to go in and see what it looked like inside but decided not to since I had a limited time and wanted to see as much of the city as I could. Instead, I tread the length of 5th avenue, marveling at the exquisite buildings that lined the street, from Bergdorf Goodman to Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and a lot more. I had to pinch myself to test that it wasn't a dream, that I was actually walking the same street that SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker) walked in the episodes of Sex and the City. I was nearly overwhelmed by the flood of amazing buildings, not to mention the fashionable residents of the city. I didn't mind the freezing cold that the winter chill brought with every gush of wind that touched my face. There was a certain warmth inside of me that swelled up to keep me cozy enough to brave the frozen weather. As I continued on my way through 5th avenue, I went inside a couple of stores like the flagship stores of Uniqlo and H&M. It was retail heaven for me with a million different things to choose from, the cherry on top, they were on sale. I could barely hold my ground with all the excitement that the experience was bringing me so far. After picking up a few pieces from these stores, I continued on with my walk down 5th avenue. A few steps later, I found myself right across the street from St Patrick's Cathedral. This time, I didn't care that I looked every bit of the tourist that I was. I just had to snap photos of the cathedral from every possible angle that I could. After a few snaps, I crossed the street and entered the cathedral. At that time, they were renovating the interior of the building so there were scaffolds all around the cathedral. To commemorate my visit to St Pat's, I bought a gold plated coin memorabilia from one of the vending machines that stood at the entrance. I then made my way further down the main altar, reverently looking at the statues and portraits of various saints and pausing every now and then to say a silent prayer. Getting to the main altar, I took a spot in one of the pews and knelt to say a prayer of thanksgiving. I was supremely grateful for having been blessed with the opportunity to be in the city of my dreams - a chance that not many are afforded. Having said my prayers, I left the cathedral to continue with my journey down 5th avenue.
One of the best things about the city is that there is no shortage of coffee shops that offered an array of choice blends. Since I didn't have a clue as to the best local coffee shop, I decided to play it safe and ordered a black coffee from Starbucks. The cold was slowly creeping in and I had to find a way to keep myself warm throughout the rest of the day. Coffee in hand, I started to walk back to the main street. I then found myself in Rockefeller center where I of course couldn't resist stopping by to take a few snaps of the building and the giant Christmas tree that was standing tall in the skating rink. The feeling was magical just realizing that I was in the place that I once only saw in movies. The famed skating rink lived up to its promise of enchantment not because it was extraordinarily beautiful but because it was filled with people, locals and tourists alike, taking in that abstract sense of wonder and magic that filled the air of New York.
Everything that I have seen so far that time made me realize how incredibly huge the world was and that there is so much more to see and experience beyond our own origins. There is so little time but so many things to experience that I just felt all the more grateful for the fact that I was in New York, hearing and seeing the life of the city that has beholden my imagination since childhood. It would have been a more meaningful trip if my mum was there too. It was a trip that we were supposed to make together but time was against us. Just the same, being there that moment gave me every reason to be thankful for every waking moment because each one that we have may very well be our last.
We'll talk more about the charms of the city that never sleeps in the coming days. For now, I will leave you with a thought that I read from inside one of the subway trains of New York: the poles are for your safety, not your new routine.
xoxo
QB
I, on the other hand, only had one thing on my mind - to take in as much of New York as I possibly can. The purpose was to see all the sights and sounds of the city that has occupied my dreams for as long as I can remember. As one might expect of a queen such as I, that first day was entirely dedicated to exploring the universe that is the 5th avenue. Right after breakfast, my aunt and I made our way to the subway station. After buying a weekly pass, she pointed me to the platform where the trains are that will take me to Manhattan. I bid her good day and walked towards the direction she pointed me to. As I was walking towards the platform, I had to pick up my pace to match those of the New Yorkers that were also making their way to the trains. It was an exhilarating experience having to walk alongside people who had a purpose to every footstep they took. It felt as if I was one with everyone else who were going through the motion of city life. After getting off the train, I took a city map from one of the information stands to help me find my way to 5th avenue. As I was walking towards 5th avenue, I made a few quick stops to snap a couple of photos. I tried to look as organic as I possibly could while taking photos, mindful not to look so much like a tourist because I was playing a part - a local going about his daily routine. I didn't have to of course but I just wanted to feel as if I was like every New Yorker on the street, that way I would have at least lived in the city of dreams the way locals do. It was practical as well not to get lost too much in the sights of sounds of the city. Since people are constantly on the move, you will have to be quick in your movements as well lest risk being run off by the onslaught of commuters and pedestrians.
When I finally saw the street sign that read 5th avenue, I was overcome by awe and pure admiration. I was in the area where the Apple store was. I wanted to go in and see what it looked like inside but decided not to since I had a limited time and wanted to see as much of the city as I could. Instead, I tread the length of 5th avenue, marveling at the exquisite buildings that lined the street, from Bergdorf Goodman to Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and a lot more. I had to pinch myself to test that it wasn't a dream, that I was actually walking the same street that SJP (Sarah Jessica Parker) walked in the episodes of Sex and the City. I was nearly overwhelmed by the flood of amazing buildings, not to mention the fashionable residents of the city. I didn't mind the freezing cold that the winter chill brought with every gush of wind that touched my face. There was a certain warmth inside of me that swelled up to keep me cozy enough to brave the frozen weather. As I continued on my way through 5th avenue, I went inside a couple of stores like the flagship stores of Uniqlo and H&M. It was retail heaven for me with a million different things to choose from, the cherry on top, they were on sale. I could barely hold my ground with all the excitement that the experience was bringing me so far. After picking up a few pieces from these stores, I continued on with my walk down 5th avenue. A few steps later, I found myself right across the street from St Patrick's Cathedral. This time, I didn't care that I looked every bit of the tourist that I was. I just had to snap photos of the cathedral from every possible angle that I could. After a few snaps, I crossed the street and entered the cathedral. At that time, they were renovating the interior of the building so there were scaffolds all around the cathedral. To commemorate my visit to St Pat's, I bought a gold plated coin memorabilia from one of the vending machines that stood at the entrance. I then made my way further down the main altar, reverently looking at the statues and portraits of various saints and pausing every now and then to say a silent prayer. Getting to the main altar, I took a spot in one of the pews and knelt to say a prayer of thanksgiving. I was supremely grateful for having been blessed with the opportunity to be in the city of my dreams - a chance that not many are afforded. Having said my prayers, I left the cathedral to continue with my journey down 5th avenue.
One of the best things about the city is that there is no shortage of coffee shops that offered an array of choice blends. Since I didn't have a clue as to the best local coffee shop, I decided to play it safe and ordered a black coffee from Starbucks. The cold was slowly creeping in and I had to find a way to keep myself warm throughout the rest of the day. Coffee in hand, I started to walk back to the main street. I then found myself in Rockefeller center where I of course couldn't resist stopping by to take a few snaps of the building and the giant Christmas tree that was standing tall in the skating rink. The feeling was magical just realizing that I was in the place that I once only saw in movies. The famed skating rink lived up to its promise of enchantment not because it was extraordinarily beautiful but because it was filled with people, locals and tourists alike, taking in that abstract sense of wonder and magic that filled the air of New York.
Everything that I have seen so far that time made me realize how incredibly huge the world was and that there is so much more to see and experience beyond our own origins. There is so little time but so many things to experience that I just felt all the more grateful for the fact that I was in New York, hearing and seeing the life of the city that has beholden my imagination since childhood. It would have been a more meaningful trip if my mum was there too. It was a trip that we were supposed to make together but time was against us. Just the same, being there that moment gave me every reason to be thankful for every waking moment because each one that we have may very well be our last.
We'll talk more about the charms of the city that never sleeps in the coming days. For now, I will leave you with a thought that I read from inside one of the subway trains of New York: the poles are for your safety, not your new routine.
xoxo
QB
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