It’s been over 365 days since I bought my round-trip ticket for a week in New York City, and it was one of the best things that I’ve ever done for myself.

Prior to buying those tickets, the only other time I had ever been to NYC was in the summer of 2003, just after 8th grade. I went with members of my graduating class on a trip to the East coast, where we traveled through New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. all in one week. Although I brought Kodak cameras with me during that trip and scrapbooked everything when I returned to Portland, I don’t really remember seeing much of the Big Apple aside from Time Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building and Ground Zero when it was still being cleared out.

Thirteen years later when I was contemplating what to do with my PTO from work, New York came to mind over and over, as I hadn’t taken any trips that weren’t centered around family or weddings in a while. My younger sister is a talented graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of Performing Arts, and she has been living and working in the Big City ever since. I knew that I’d eventually make it out to visit her, but I did want to wait until she was done with school so that we could have more time together. I looked over calendars and figured out that the best time to visit was in the beginning of March. It would be a few weeks before my birthday, and a few more to my one-year anniversary at work. The countdown began in August, and with every month, week, and day that passed, I got more and more excited about what I was about to do. I knew this trip was going to be a pivotal stepping stone kind of moment for me, and I was right.

March finally came around, and plans had already started to fold into place for my trip. I had connected with friends who also lived there to make plans, and I had gotten gifts of experiences to be had with Annie while I was there. We were going to see a Broadway show, have dinner and head to the top of the Empire State Building, go to Madame Tussaud’s famous wax museum, and do a food tour through Greenwich Village. I knew that this was going to be a trip where I would use a REAL camera this time (sorry, Kodak), and upload and eventually print my favorite memories. I was heading on a red eye flight direct to JFK, so I took the day beforehand to do laundry, clean my apartment, and pack my suitcase. I could have jumped out of my skin, I was so excited!

This was my first red eye flight ever, and while I tried my best to get some shut-eye, I probably only got about an hour of sleep or two at most. It was worth it. I woke up to the glow in the picture above. This was the sunrise above New York that I had been waiting 7 months for, and it was perfect. To the far left of that view, I remember seeing a kind of purple hazy color, and the image was so symbolic of that time in my life. I was so confused and almost in the dark about what I wanted from my future, but it seemed like the pure almost heavenly glow that I saw was some kind of indicator that I was heading toward a positive change. We landed, and I took a taxi that cold March morning directly to my sister’s apartment in Brooklyn. I gave her the biggest, most excited hug when I got to her doorstep.

Over the next week, every experience seemed to outdo the one before it. Annie had made sure that she could get as much time off from working as she could. We did a lot of things together, and on her working days, I made sure to cross off as many bucket list items as I could. One of my favorite days was when I had quite a few hours to myself, and I decided to venture to the Upper West side of Manhattan. I remembered I had poked around there with my 8th-grade class almost a decade and a half ago, but since we only spent about 2 days in New York tops, everything was pretty rushed. This time around, I went at my own pace and made my own schedule. Rather than immediately go to Time Square with all of the other tourists, I decided to go somewhat off the beaten path to the New York Public Library.

This building is exquisite. According to Wikipedia, the NYPL is the second largest public library in the United States, and fourth largest in the world. The central branch in Manhattan is near Bryant Park, and a few blocks from the Chrysler Building and a short walk from Time Square. I was drawn to it because of the intricate architecture that I had seen online and in movies. But when I came into the building, I quickly realized that everything I had seen from a view of another did it no justice, as no amount of pictures or film strips ever could. As it was opened to the public in 1911, it’s almost like you’re stepping into a time machine. There are intricate designs on the ceilings, large framed works that line each hallway, and miles upon miles of books. I could have spent the rest of my trip there quite easily, but I had to go before long.

As I headed down the stairs and out of the building, I reflected on the unbelievable spectacle of what I had just seen. It was amazing, incredible, and inspiring. I walked down the way to Rockefeller Center, and waited for Annie to finish up at work so that we could meet up to do the next bucket list activity. I took in everything around me with a smile that couldn’t be erased. I was so proud of what I had done in coming on my own, making my own plans, and seeing and doing things that I knew would scare me. I did them anyway because I also knew that doing so would change my perspective, my vision, and my life. As I waited, I looked up at this massive sculpture that stood atop the doorway to the Rockefeller.

Wisdom and Knowledge Shall be the Stability of Thy Times. As you all come into the next weekend, I hope this will inspire you to plan a trip like this for yourself. Go somewhere where you can decide your own itinerary, make your own map, and play by your own rules. Take in some touristy sites, but be sure to go off the beaten path to the road less traveled. Take pictures, frame them, remember…and then return.

 

 

Where is a place you’ve always wanted to go or a place where you’ve been meaning to return to? Tell me about it in the comments below!