new york: a love story.

It was raining when I first saw New York. 
I dragged my suitcase out of the hot subway into the pouring rain on West 34th and Eighth. My suitcase fell into a puddle and every New Yorker standing under the shelter by the Walgreens stared at me. This crazy, tired (overnight flight from Portland, oh hey, no sleep!) kiwi girl.

But I loved it. God, it was beautiful. The beauty of the tall buildings, the new steel mixed with the old brick, the history behind everything.
I felt like everyone and everything had a story and I wanted to know it all. I took photos of people; a man reading the bible by the Hudson river, a man leaning on a railing looking upset, a happy couple kissing, people that I wanted to know all about.

Our apartment was in Korea Town, 15 minutes walk from Times Square. It had cute quotes on the wall: "You don't have to live in a world all alone. Your family are here too." (Hah)
The first day, I was lost. I didn't know where we were in relation to anything and we wandered aimlessly trying to find our bearings. The lights and hustle and bustle of Times Square became my favourite thing.

It was summer, and the heat took over my body like nothing else. We biked (and sweated) around Central Park, stopping for ice cream and hot dogs, laying in the grass.
We dropped by Starbucks everyday and drank their cold, cold summer chillers. Tara had her first ever coffee by Battery Park. We had our first New York hot dogs and watched the kids play in the fountains.

I fell in love with the 9/11 memorial and I traced all of the names of those who died with my fingertips, almost as if I was trying to feel who they were.
One of the names I remembered from a documentary I watched. I looked above me and tried to imagine what it was like 12 years ago.

Catherine & I had a museum day; 5 hours in the Museum of Natural History, 3 hours in the Metropolitan. My feet have never felt pain like that before ever, but goddamn it was worth it. What amazing museums! I got to see some famous artworks I've studied at uni, up-close and personal, and we got to sit on the Met steps like we were from Gossip Girl.

Rockefeller Center by day, the Empire State Building by night.
It was the 4th of July when was trudged up the Empire; it was still glowing red white and blue from the fireworks. The view was the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen. I felt the wind blow through my hair as I looked out over the world.

I loved the Subway.
Even more so, I loved the couple who made a bet which the girl lost; she had to read out a poem of hers on the Subway. No one said anything, and when I left I said to her, "I really loved it. That was really good." She looked at me as if I was crazy.

I could go on forever. Grand Central Station, and the Grand Central Markets (Expensive strawberries. Amazing spices and cheese). The Chrysler Building from below. Lady Liberty. The Brooklyn Bridge. Stores open until midnight. Cocktails. Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Wicked. Annie, starring Jane Lynch. Pret A Manger. NBC Experience (eeee!). Wrong Subway, nearly ended up in Harlem.

I was truly happy there, you know.
When I was there, I was already making plans to go back.
New York, I well and truly love you!