When I saw New York's legendary city lights from the plane
window, I literally cried.
We didn't have much growing up. I remember when I was younger, the idea of riding a plane was so
far-fetched and traveling was such a big deal. I wanted to know what "out there" looked like.
So now, every time we'd go for a take-off, I'd whisper quietly,
"Thank you for the chance to fly".
Radio City | Rockefeller Center
It's true what they say that New York is a jolt in the senses. On our first night, I was so confused and delighted in the best way possible. Just like everyone I encountered there, I loved every bright, maddening bit about it.
When you wanna look cute by the Brooklyn Bridge but your hair decides to eat you alive...
Traveling with Ayie and meeting up with friends in NYC is
one of this year's highlights.
Our differences and common ground made for happy adventures
and mishaps, and many many blurry nights- some of which involved floor-diving, flirting
with gays (cute ones at that), getting lost in Central Park in the freezing cold, and
exhibit-hopping (for free drinks because we're so broke).
Grand Central Station
New York's crazy had a mighty appeal to me.
And I admire the people hustling and chasing dreams in
this beautiful, hyperactive city.
Exhibit-hopping for free drinks
We strolled along streets I only saw in movies...
Grand Central Station
Toured the Buzzfeed Headquarters... and hoarded food (of course) from their overflowing pantry
(Thank you, Stephen!)
Buzzfeed Office
and fangirled really hard on artists as I meet their actual
works in person.
Claude Monet's Water Lilies (MoMA)
Came face-to-face with the painting that got me interested in art. I grew up with a
copy of this in our living room and it was so weird seeing this in real life.
While
everyone was taking turns having their photos taken beside it, I was having a
moment and in my head it went "Hi The Starry Night, it's surreal to
finally meet you."
Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night (MoMA)
Literally though, I could say that those were the coldest
days of my life. Having been trained in the tropics, the -16 to -10 degrees
Celsius temperature was like an obstacle we thought we knew how to handle.
On our supposed last day, a blizzard cancelled our flight back to LA and it turned out
that being snowed in would be the best
New York experience we'd have- spending the whole day in our pajamas, watching
Girls while drinking Sangria in our friends' apartment. No other NYC experience
would top that (Not so ironically, I
didn't take much photos of it but it was perfect).
One
morning, we woke up and the world outside our window was covered in snow.
I blurted in the most uncool- "wow, parang snow
globe." I felt like the kid in me was so alive.
13,665 km away from home, I still don't know how I made it that far. To others it's not a big deal, but to me, every time I get to travel far from home, it feels like a milestone.
I'm still learning what it means to live fully. Slowly, I'm
sensing that it has something to do with accepting and appreciating your life
stories as they unfold (no matter how unreal they get), knowing the things you know and don't know, loving
people deeply- and learning how to
love them, and understanding that a person's wealth isn't about what he/she
owns but the freedom of mind to envision and carry out a life lived boldly, despite all odds.
Although we didn't grow up in luxury, I'm
grateful that my parents raised me with the spirit of grit and spontaneity, and I'm thankful for all the doors that had led me to witness incredible things, and encounter
wild, brilliant, and amazing people who've touched me deeply and challenged me
immensely in this lifetime so far.
The NYC view from Dumbo, Brooklyn
New York Public Library
I sat down in one of the chairs in the NY Public Library. I
only saw this in photos and it felt like I was in Hogwarts. It was magical in many ways.
"Fill your life
with good memories and beautiful people to love", I wrote as I looked
around to take a mental picture of where I was at that moment. That's how I'll be living the rest of my life.
Ayie at a corner street in Mission District