Empire state of mind

We Love New York ... in the Movies

I came across this video tribute to NYC on AOL today and it got me to thinking about my own Big Apple experience. The good, the bad and the ugly, ha ha. I don’t think I will ever be able to fully express through words the depth of my love affair with the city, nor the way it makes me feel inside. But the word magical comes to mind pretty quickly. I put my heart and soul into making a Manhattan move a reality back in the summer of '06, and I will never forget getting that phone call telling me I had landed the job and, even more importantly, the phone call from my broker telling me we had successfully secured the teeny tiny, but oh-so-cute studio apartment on E. 54th St. I felt like I was living in a dream. And despite the many missteps and bumps in the road (not to mention some severe financial hard living) that would ensue over the course of the next 2½+ years, I never, ever lost my deep love and appreciation for what I still consider to be the greatest city in the world.

I think what I love most about New York is the inherent sense of possibility that accompanies each new day. I never knew what I would see, who I would meet or where I might end up. The world had never felt so wide open to me. Thankfully, that sense of wonder and excitement never waned. Each person I met and each experience I had played such an important and specific role in shaping me into who I am today, and I will be forever grateful for every moment I had the privilege of being part of the fabric of such an amazing place. It was definitely a life-defining period of time for me unlike any other, and I thank the Lord for it. Perhaps the essence of the NYC philosophy that I still carry in my heart was best summed up by the owner of a laundromat near my first apartment. During my first week in the city, I had gone into his business to inquire if I would be able to do my own laundry there or if it was strictly a dropoff service.

Me, with my unmistakable southern accent and wide eyes: “Hi...excuse me, sir. Is it possible for me to do my laundry here?”

The old Chinese man smiled knowingly, spread his hands out wide and exclaimed: “Miss, this New York. You can do aaaaaaanything you want!"

So true. I heart you, NY. You will always be one of the great loves of my life!