I Get It

I'm back from the Big Apple folks. Had a great time, saw some amazing designs at the National Stationery Show thereby gaining oodles of inspiration for my job, and took some giant steps forward.

As in, New York City pretty much scares me to freakin' death. The noise. All the busy people. Crazy cab rides in which other cars are missed by millimeters, new lanes are created, and unaware pedestrians nearly lose their lives regularly. The depth and breadth of skyscrapers, coffee shops, markets, sidewalk eateries, and shops. And did I mention all the people? And then to actually comprehend such systems such as garbage collection, the supply chain, the subway system, the freeway system: all the systems that are necessary for 1,537,195 people to live on 22.96 square miles of land. And that's without the tourists. Just thinking of it makes me tired.

In fact, I am not the most savvy of travelers. (Stacy, if you're reading this, I know you are LOL-ing at this hysterical understatement.)

 

Basically, I'm a 'burbs girl. I grew up in the suburbs of a small-ish town and I live in what used to be the country but is now the suburbs of a moderate-sized city. My perfect idea of a vacation is to hike a mountain, walk a beach, or otherwise co-exist in a peaceful, breathtakingly beautiful setting such as the Tetons near Jackson, Wyoming; the San Juan Islands north of Washington state; or our red-rock secret hideaway on BLM land near Capitol Reef, Utah.

 

Yeah, big, big cities scare the heck out of me. First of all, I detest big crowds. Could be because I'm claustrophobic and I can't stand the notion of being touched, bumped, or otherwise jostled by strangers. Second of all, I hate a lot of noise. I sleep with earplugs, I rarely listen to the radio, and I become overstimulated quite easily. Not sure why. I just tend to need it quiet in my brain. Perhaps there's just so much chatter in there, I've got to have it quiet out there so I can cope. No idea.

 

So, traveling to a city the size of New York poses some problems for me. The first time I went, I was scared. The second time I went, I was petrified because I knew exactly what I was getting into.

 

But this time was different.

 

For one thing, this time I did not travel with my boss, Stacy. Stacy is perhaps the most savvy traveler in the world and I rely on her. Heavily. Whenever we travel, she takes really good care of me. In New York, she arranges her travel to coincide with mine so that we can get into the city together. She has literally stopped me from crossing the street when it wasn't safe (I was one of those pedestrians I mentioned above!)  She would hail cabs, find restaurants, and navigate our way around the city without missing a beat (with the forgivable exception of getting us into a seedy part of Chelsea where they were handing out drug detox pamphlets.)  I think that knowing that she was not going to be there not only scared me to death, but also forced me to step up to the plate. Good to know.

 

In addition, I stayed with a bunch of very supportive friends in an apartment in a nice, quiet part of Manhatten:

 

Our humble abode

April,  Nicole, & Wendy

 

Megan,  Tara, & Tracy

Not only that, but for a change, the cab rides I took did not cause me to go white-knuckled, and I took my first ride on the subway. Honestly, I felt safer on the subway than I did in any car I was in on the streets up above.  Good to know.

While walking the garment district to look for trends with Megan, Wendy, and April, I walked over a block completely on my own and I was not frightened. This may sound very baby-ish to you, but this is a huge step for me.

But what made the biggest impact on me was when all of us in the apartment returned late after having seen a show off-Broadway. As we walked the few blocks from the subway to our apartment, I saw single women walking their dogs at night alone. The streets were quiet, there was a tranquility to the evening, and the leaves of the trees glimmered in the light provided by the streetlights that guided our way. And as I walked in the quiet, surrounded by my friends, I felt truly safe and secure for the first time since I had visited two years before.

It was in that moment that I finally understood the appeal of living and working in such a busy, crowded city. So much culture. So much diversity. So many opportunities. All at the foot of your door. A hop on a subway line here, a transfer there, an experience to be had, and a jaunt back to the neighborhood you call home.

I get it now. I finally get it. And if I'm lucky enough to be able to return, it will be with joy rather than dread, a looking forward rather than a looking back. A chance to understand what Thomas Wolfe meant when he said, "One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years."

Good to know.

Comments

[Julia Stainton]

Sounds like you had a blast! So glad you enjoyed yourself and found some new freedom there!

[Joy]

I'm glad you got to see the positives of NYC. I grew up on Long Island, lived and taught near Jackson Hole for 25 years, and now live on San Juan Island! The population of NYC, as of 2000 census, is a bit over 8 million. While growing up in the 50's, NYC population was around 8 million and has hovered around that figure for many years now. I'm glad you got to see the safety of NYC. It's not dangerous but late-night comedians make it sound like it is. I love the upper west side. (Seinfeld's old stompinmg ground). My father grew up on the upper east side. Not much has changed in the city. By the way, I love Salt Lake City. It's clean, friendly, and knows how to treat tourists. Regards!

[Stefanie Hamilton]

NYC is my favorite city to visit! Back in the day, I used to go on vacations there by myself and just wander around, waiting for serendipity to strike. And in NYC, it always does. I actually thought for the longest time about living there, but the cost totally freaked me out. And isn't the subway great?! I wish we had one in Nebraska. Now are you going to post all of the lovely stuff you saw at the show? ;-)

[marta]

oh my. i am so so jealous. i hope you'll give us the behind the scene details about the stationery show. you sound like the li'l country mouse in the big city. way to go!

[Becky Olsen]

Oh man, what a fantastic experience!
So happy it suited you this time!
B-

[Kim Kesti]

Ah - I missed this earlier. I loved reading your post. My first trip there was extraordinary, you've captured many of my feelings so eloquently. So happy you found your groove. (And, totally cracked up at the photo of Megan texting - so her!)
Loves!

[Megan]

Good times! Reading your blog makes me want to be back in the apple. Congratulations on all of your steps this trip! And I'm so with ya on feeling safer on the train than in any cab. Those cabbies are just too bold for my liking. :)

Cheers!
Megan