New York Trip: The City

Ah, the city. The City. I love the city.

The first step out of the subway station was an instant onslaught of dirty pavement, rushing crowds, old grease, new grease, honking horns, and so much more. The smell of old asphalt. One hundred different aromas from one hundred different eateries. Barely a sliver of blue in the sky.

Instant. Love.

I found myself telling people that I either need a tiny town or a gigantic city. I've discovered that suburban life does not suit me. I need to feel connected to something.

*Small town: connected to people, community, values, and school.
*Huge city: connected to culture, life, events, the world on a large scale.

*Suburbs: connected to . . . my house, my SUV, and my kids' activities.

You know, part of the reason I do not connect with the suburbs seems to be their focus on material things. Shopping? Acquiring things? Upgrading? Not for me.

Now, you might think this would make someplace like New York City a difficult place to love, for it's a very status-driven place, but honestly, I love it. I felt no pressure to fix my clothing or my status.

I love being able to walk block after block and see every skin color, hear dozens of languages, and find something new on every corner. I love the opportunity to see the newest, most independent films and hear the freshest music in person.

My word, and the food. The food.

My favorite foods in the entire world are not easy to find in Kansas, especially Western Kansas. Sushi and Pad Thai are not easy to find here, and I doubt anyone has even heard of Pho (much less knows how to pronounce it). And all of those can be found on practically every street in the great city of New York. I don't have to drive an hour to get Pad Thai and three to get sushi. And besides sushi, I managed to eat all of my favorite foods while I was in the city.

The Pad Thai was probably my favorite. It was a tiny hole-in-the-wall place with only four tables and the second-best Pad Thai I've ever had (no one can beat Siam in my ICT, what, WHAT?). The Pho was excellent as well (it was duck), but I'm a sucker for Thai noodles.

After leaving the Con around noon on Saturday, I decided to wander around the city. I didn't get too far before noticing a movie theatre. Well, you know me; I can't pass up a movie--especially if it's one I really want to see. And this one was, so I popped into the theatre to watch Buried.

So good. So raw. Terrifying, but not in a horror movie way. It's two hours of one man in a box. Sounds awful. Is actually amazing. And it's Ryan Reynolds. Not looking beautiful, just being an incredible actor.

Besides that, the rest of the time was spent just walking the city. I love walking. My feet became raw from all the walking, but it was more than worth it. Just seeing the skyline, the harbor, Lady Liberty, Ground Zero, and many other things made my trip fabulous.

And now, some pictures!

The city would be tough alone, though, so the next post will concern the last part of my trip: seeing Chris and reviving an old friendship, probably the best part of the entire trip.

Stay tuned!