Wednesday, September 4, 2013

"the one who tires of New York City is tired of life..."*

John D. Rockefeller, Jr single-handedly financed the building of Rockefeller Center, which was completed in 1930. It was supposed to be an opera house, but due to the market crash of 1929, he made it instead, what it is today. If you've never been to Rockefeller Center in Midtown, I strongly recommend it. It's one of my favorite areas in Manhattan. You may be familiar with the ice rink and a large tree in the Christmas season; or NBC studios from the show 30 Rock (thanks Tina & Alec). There also happens to be a fabulous Anthropologie right across the street, a Long Champs, Lego store and the Magnolia Bakery at the end of the block and Radio City Music Hall is across from the building.

This is where I wound up in the later part of this afternoon. I worked an early shift this morning and after leaving work at 12:30 I had plans to meet a friend at 5:30 in the same part of the city. I debated riding the train back up to the Bronx an hour and come back in the later afternoon to meet her. I wasn't feeling well, so that was my original plan. However, after I swiped my metro card in the turn stall, and before I went through, a lady who was lost stopped to ask me directions. By the time I gave her directions**, the turn stall had locked and I was unable to re-swipe my card (this prevents the same card being used by multiple people within a certain time frame). So, I decided to roam. I walked over to Central Park and ate on a rock looking at part of the skyline while I finished my book. Then I decided I would go to the Fashion Institute of Technology, because they have a free museum (thanks Jennifer for the link to all the FREE stuff in Manhattan). The museum was great, but sadly not very long (Elizabeth M, you would have loved this. Runway clothes and the "evolution" of style. We'll have to go when you come up)!
I got myself purposefully lost in Herald Sq station, but found a DSW on the way out and decided to browse the shoes for fun (see a picture below). By this time it was 4pm so I went over to Rockefeller Center, near the place I was meeting Emily for coffee (Gregory's Coffee). It was as I was sitting there by a fountain that I wrote the following in my journal. I will now share it with you:

"New Yorkers are scrappy. It's great to watch. No wonder they are proud! They get knocked down and get right back up. They're unstoppable and have this indomitable spirit. They are strong, they carry everything around all day long! They walk around in different shoes, and run to catch a subway or taxi. They walk fast and they try to find peace amidst the crowded chaos. There is a vibrancy in this place that I am now calling "home." The locals all seem to have a love-hate relationship with the city. To quote a New Yorker: "I hate that I had to barrel down a 7o-year old man to get to the subway in time, but I love that he understood why I had to." That about sums it up. 8 million people live here; between 13-15 million are in the city on a daily basis. I'm sitting in Rockefeller Ctr now as I write watching people walk by. I find beauty in the bustle, the tall buildings fill me with excitement. I feel honored to be part of that 8 million today. Regardless of how long this adventure in NYC lasts, I will not regret my time here. I am overwhelmed by how God has brought my dream together. A co-worker passingly asked "how's life- livin' the dream?" to which I responded "New York IS the dream." It is. I have spent 3 years imagining what it would be like to live here; to carry literally everything for the whole day with me, to break for lunch in Central Park, commute on the subway, walk fast through a blinking intersection, how to get groceries, hear the roar of traffic, walk amongst skyscrapers. And God in His grace said "go for it." So I am. Every crowded subway, my sore feet and back, sweat, heavy bags, wind-blown hair, every pigeon-filled moment is making my dream an actuality. I am thankful. Maybe one day I'll be a 70-year old woman knocked out of the way by someone jumping on the subway. And I will smile because I understand. Maybe."

*Mozzie to Neal in White Collar. I've yet to decide if this is true
**I'm giving directions to people already? Wow, does this make me a true New Yorker? ;-)


Somewhere along 5th Ave

What I saw perched on the rock reading my book in Central Park

A familiar site - to the L Central Park in the winter of 2010, to the R, late summer 2013

Yes. You're seeing this correctly. Sale priced at $599. Yes, I tried them on. No, they were not comfortable. I'm going to start a shoe line called CocoBird and they will be made with shards of glass and cost $800. They will come in 3 colors.

Walked past a Starbucks and saw this guy staring at me. The historian in me wants to know what this used to be!


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