New York City had always been a place I desperately wanted to visit. But as a West Coast girl, born and raised, I had never made it all the way to the East Coast. New York would have to be its own destination, a trip planned just for it, and I never really had a reason to go.
I've been to plenty of other big cities: Chicago many times, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Kansas City. I live in Portland, which is technically a major city but has never really felt like one. I've also traveled to some of the largest cities in the world, like London and Berlin. But until this August, I had never found my way to New York.
The moment I stepped out of Penn Station, I was enthralled. The energy of the city is magic. It's incredible how quickly a place can make you feel something. Maybe it was also the moment I'm in in life: no kids with me, by myself, completely independent and free… aside from my giant suitcase, which I had no problem dragging a few blocks to find the elevator down to the subway.
There's something about a city where people are actually out living their lives, getting from point A to point B. Laughing in public, crying in public, living in public. It's something I've always admired and craved. It reminded me of the moment I first knew I wanted to move to Portland. Now Portland feels like such a small, quiet town. You drive downtown and it's like no one exists. New York just feels so alive, and it makes you feel alive too.
I only had two nights there. I stayed on the Lower East Side, right next to SoHo and a long walk or quick subway ride from the West Village. I wandered, I shopped, I visited the Whitney on a rainy August morning, and I went to Central Park. I ate some great food, at places I had planned and a few spontaneous stops that turned out to be delicious: dinner at Lei in Chinatown, a slice at L'Industrie, and a glass of wine at A Horse with No Name, a tiny natural wine bar. A solo trip to NYC felt natural and right, though after a few dinners alone I wouldn't have minded some company. Same with my hotel's rooftop bar, where it would have been nice to share the view as the DJ started up.
Still, there was so much joy in walking the streets with no real plan and endless possibilities. The people all around you: some of the most beautiful, stylish people I've ever seen, but also real people, every class and race, everyone together. There's something about being surrounded by all those people, and being seen by them. You feel like you're actually showing up in the world instead of just going through your daily routine. Someone might notice something about you, or something you're wearing, or… I don't know. It's just an interesting feeling, witnessing so many people while also having eyes on you.
