29 July 2012

Reassurance after anticipation

I bought the ticket on Saturday and was in NYC on Sunday.  There wasn't even time for anticipation.  Just getting ready to see my sister and to see the city.

There was a peace that took over me as we flew the tiny plane over lower Manhattan and I saw landmarks I recognized from real life and from movies.

There were some jitters as I got off the plane and tried to remember which bus I had to take and where to get the Metro ticket.  Fortunately, my boo had given me really good directions before leaving and a quick call to him reassured me that I knew what I was doing.

I made it to her house.

I have wandered the city for a week, mostly on my own.  I have not gotten lost.  I went to Harlem, Brooklyn, New Jersey, and am now in DC.  When I go back to NYC, I even plan on visiting Chinatown with all of their non-English signs.

It has been fun and I anticipate that I will have fun while here in DC hanging with Big Bro and his girlfriend.

I don't really want to do the touristy things, but I feel that since I am a teacher of history, I should at least do a walk-by of some of the historical landmarks and buildings in the Mall area.

This was my Stream of Consciousness Sunday post hosted by Jana A at Jana's Thinking Place. Today's prompt was anticipation.

And my anticipation for this trip has settled and has turned to reassurance that I can do a lot of things.



You can join in by free-writing for five minutes on the prompt, or on whatever you have on your mind. This is a great brain-dump exercise.  You can link your post to Jana's page, or just go to her page to read what others wrote.

24 comments:

  1. Wow you are brave. I used to be able to do stuff by myself but it has to be familiar territory now. I've become too dependent on a GPS to wander around on foot on my own. I would surely get lost. I betcha the heat has everything to do with you not wanting to do the touristy things. I've barely wanted to check the mail.

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    1. Trust that I did sometimes use the map on my phone to figure out which direction to walk.

      The heat had everything to do with not wanting to walk The Mall... but I did it anyway.

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  2. I love wandering and realizing that I CAN DO IT! Thanks for linking up!

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  3. KUDOS LADY I AM IMPRESSED I'M NOT SURE I COULD HAVE DONE ALL THAT TRANSFERRING WITH OUT A NERVOUS BREAK DOWN. I AM SO GLAD YOU DID SOME SIGHT SEEING AND I BET YOU WILL CARRY IT WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.

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    1. It is definitely a great time and great moments to remember.

      I love the transferring and looking around on my own. I don't know if I would have loved it ten years ago, but now I do.

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  4. I haven't been to New York since 3 weeks after 9/11. Even with the tragedy fresh in everybody's minds, my trip was amazing! I felt blessed to witness the tenacity of New Yorkers. To be honest, I'm not sure I could have navigated my way through the streets of NY like you did. Kudos to you! Sounds like a hell of a good time to me! Nice post.

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    1. It is a sight to see all the people walking around NYC.

      Thanks! It has been a good time!

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  5. What a trip you've had. I hope you've enjoyed every single minute of it. I absolutely LOVE LOVE NYC(traveled there for business for years). Once you realize you can do it, navigate the city yourself, you can the confidence to do even more. You certainly made some tracks and go to Chinatown. Pick yourself up an awesome "knock off" handbag while you're at it!

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    1. I am enjoying it! It is definitely a confidence builder to know I can use the navigation skills I learned in 8th grade.

      I'll let you know about Chinatown.

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  6. I love wandering in cities alone and getting lost you discover some amazing things. Glad you had a good time.

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    1. Thanks! There are some really great things to see in cities when you step off the tourist trail and just wander.

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  7. There's nothing more empowering than traveling, if you ask me! I lived in Moscow for a year during grad school, and I used to get myself lost on purpose - just so I'd be forced to find my way home! :)

    Chinatown is awesome, you'll love it!

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    1. I've heard great things about Moscow!! I'm sure you saw some great people and places as you worked your way back home.

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  8. New York scares me...even though I am from the Philly area and am perfectly comfortable wandering the city. I applaud you!

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    1. Thanks! I can see how it would be overwhelming - the city is huge!

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  9. Sounds like a perfect vacation.

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    1. And slightly cooler than St Louis in NYC (it's a shame that mid-90s can feel cooler)!

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  10. I love exploring new cities, or just big cities in general. It's so much fun to see what they have to offer. This post makes me want to travel again so badly.

    Good luck in DC! It's beautiful! (and tons of fun!)

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    1. You should definitely travel again when you have the time and ability to do so.

      I enjoyed DC there were a lot of really lively areas of the city!

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  11. My husband and son went to NYC recently and wandered around and got lost...but had an awesome time. Next visit they are not going to leave me home. Good for you to venture out on your own.

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    1. Thanks! You really need to tag along next time - perhaps you can help them not get lost and still see some really great areas and people!

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  12. I've always wanted to travel alone but I'm afraid it's going to take up so much more time compared to traveling with company haha. I'm easily distracted. Will probably end up spending an entire afternoon just people-watching.

    Awesome that you get to see so much during your vacation. :D

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    1. I think in some ways it saves time by myself because I don't have to wait on another person or ask for another person's view on where to go.

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