My heart was beating so fast. I could not believe I was standing in front of my favorite artwork, “The Starry Night” 1989, Vincent Van Gogh.
One goal I had as a teen was going to New York City and explore the city. When I turned twenty-one, I made a lot of changes in my life, like being active and working out, being healthy and caring for myself. One of the biggest changes I made was cutting my hair. All through high school, I let my hair grow and it was down to my knee, little by little throughout the years I would trim it. In the summer of 2018 however, I cut it down mid-back. I felt like a new person. A powerful woman that could do anything, and following my dream of going to New York was on top of my list. Therefore I booked my ticket for August.
As the day got closer, I was both excited and nervous to fly out to a new place. My close friends that have been there would scare me saying it was dangerous and I should pay attention to everything I was doing. I know they meant it as a reminder, and I always try to be careful and safe.
I like traveling and small details that come with it; following directions at airports, drinking coffee before my flight, and of course getting lost and confused. However, getting to my gate was smooth and surprisingly I was not sitting by annoying people. Throughout my flight I slept and woke up within fifteen minutes of arriving. Once at the J. F. K. Terminal, I felt lost. The first thing to do was to get my MetroCard reloaded. I had one because my brother gave me his. I put money in the card and managed to get myself where the subway is at. I did not mind waiting for the train to arrive because I was trying to focus on what was going on and getting on the right line. When my train arrived, it was exactly the way I expected it to be: crowded.
I do not remember the stop where I got off, but it was seven in the morning a rainy Thursday. The city was still quiet and small business were getting ready to open. I looked for my hotel and hurry to check-in. I stayed 5 minutes from Times Square, which I thought was a good deal for the nights I would spend there.
Later that morning, I explored Central Park and was in awe of the beautiful scenery. When all the walking made me hungry, I decided to browse around for something good to eat. I settled on breakfast near a fountain, where a yoga class ran its course. At this time in the day, there was a lot of things happening. I heard sirens, people chatting, cars honking, birds chirping. I took the moment in.
My next stop was the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It felt surreal seeing all the Art I’ve seen in many art books and talked about in classes. Having them right in front of me was amazing. The colors are vibrant, and the sizes of some of the artworks surprise me. I had no idea how large or small, in some cases, they really were. I began to analyze and meditate on how the artists felt while making the pieces of art, the struggles of being misunderstood during a specific art movement, and the frustrations and statements the,y as artists, wanted the public to see.
After being in the art museum I headed back to the hotel. During my quite long walk, I marked interesting places to check out during the night. Back in my room, I took a nap then, shower and headed out for some late-night exploring.
I walked down Fifth Avenue and saw the Flatiron Building. After checking out a few other places, I decided to head back to the hotel as it was getting late. Not up for the walk, I hopped on a train.
The next morning, the first thing I heard was cars honking and ambulances. My first stop of the day was the World’s Trade Center, then walk down Broadway and Fulton street. I did some shopping here and there and ended up walking to Brooklyn’s Bridge and taking the subway back.
I got off from the train and without knowing a direction I kept walking. I stumble across a pink wall that capture my sight and for my luck, it was a juice and coffee shop called “Joe and the Juice”. I thought it looked aesthetic and went in. The day was hot, and my hands were tired from carrying heavy bags most of the morning. “Joe and the Juice” was just what I needed to take a break. They made the best juice I ever had.
Being in a big city made me feel concern for myself. I was having fun and making mistakes of getting lost, not knowing what was going on. This adventure gave me a lot to think about, concerning my life. As I started to walk to the hotel, I noticed the different styles and colors and felt like I belonged.
My last day in New York I felt nostalgic. I decided on one last adventure before heading to the airport. Wearing 3-inch platform heels, and did not consider it a bad idea at the moment, I head to see my ultimate favorite fashion designer store.
After about 4 hours of walking, my legs were non-existing. Heading back to the hotel to gather my belongings for the trip back home, I really start to regret my shoe decision.
Transportation to the airport was not heavy and got there with plenty of time. Waiting for my flight to depart, I felt like my heart was breaking. I fall in love with places a lot more than I do anything else. I did not want to go back home.