I'm not a New Yorker. I miss those days, and it will always be part of me, but the truth is that after years of living below the Mason-Dixon line, my trips back to the city (and yes, it will always be "the city") involve a lot of feeling like a tourist. I've even gotten to the point of feeling more brazen and less embarrassed taking out my camera and snapping away. The awe of NYC's energy and beauty won't ever fade, and I have to admit that I feel a bit liberated being able to soak it all in through the eyes of a visitor.
While the hubs and I were up in the area over Thanksgiving, we hopped on down to the city to have lunch with friends. We passed through Grand Central, which is such a beautiful station. I always feel so grand walking down that big staircase and reading the train times from the boards.
After lunching and margarita-ing with one of my oldest friends, the hubs and I walked around Rockefeller Plaza to do some Christmas shopping. The tree wasn't lit yet, but it was fun to see it and enjoy the city in the twilight. The crowds actually weren't too bad, and every few steps I kept sighing and turning to the hubs to exclaim, "Everything is so beautiful! I love it here!"
As we headed back to Grand Central, I felt that familiar tug that builds each time I visit the city. I know that the subway is terribly smelly and hot, and the rent is outrageous, but still... there is no place quite like it anywhere else in the world. I love the energy, I love the largeness, I love the glamour, I love the grime. I don't know if we will end up back in New York next year, but I do know that the city has wooed me.
Until next time, New York.
