NYC, Part III: The Last Part, I Promise

Monday was my last day in NYC, and I planned to start it off by dragging my host, Jacob Sokol, on an early-morning, four-mile run.

Then I totally slept through the "early-morning" part.

After my day of sightseeing, I had returned to Queens and fallen asleep around 9:30 p.m. I guess the three-hour time difference, the 10-mile run, the two nights of raucous drinking and hours of traipsing around Manhattan caught up with me. Hey, who knew?

By the time I actually peeled myself off the futon, Jacob was on a business call and I had to run solo. I'm sure he was terribly, terribly disappointed. : )

I ran less than a mile to a park, which contained a playground with a sign designating it as "Jurassic Playground." Naturally, I assumed that meant I must be running in... eh-hem... Jurassic Park... but alas, it was actually Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Dear Queens: I think you should reconsider.

My run took me all the way around Meadow Lake and back to Jacob's apartment for a total of four miles, which was exactly what I had on my marathon training plan. I love it when things just fall into place like that.

With only a few hours left of my trip, I cleaned up and headed into Manhattan one last time. I boarded an empty subway car, which made me feel like I was in one of those post-apocalyptic movies. Hey, where's the massive crush of people that I'm used to?

Don't worry, they were waiting to get on at the next few stations.

I checked out Parsons The New School for Design (again: "Things I've Seen on Project Runway") and Union Square, and then walked up and down some tree-lined blocks of apartments and townhouses.

This is where I thought for the first time: OK, I could live here.

I'm sure all these nice, cute places cost more per month in rent than I pay in six, but one can dream!

Speaking of dreams, I finally had the celebrity sighting I had secretly been hoping for. It happened to be Chris Noth, of all people!

File under: "People I've Seen on Sex and the City."

I spotted him walking around by himself in the East Village area. He passed me on the sidewalk going the opposite direction, and I awkwardly studied his face to determine if it was really him. I wasn't entirely sure because he had a little scraggly mustache situation going on, but I then saw another passerby nudge his companion and point at him. Boom.

Yes, I acknowledge that I'm a huge, touristy nerd.

One giant cup of self-serve frozen yogurt later, it was time for me to take my last subway ride back to Queens and head to the airport.

I sat on a bench outside of 16 Handles and soaked in as much of the sunny afternoon as I could before I left. It was a short, low-key last day in NYC, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

***

I once dreamt of attending NYU and living a fun, fast-paced life in the big city. Now that I've been there, I can say that I'm certain I would have loved it. But I'm also certain that the University of Washington was the right place for me at the time, and I'm eternally grateful that I'm not stuck with the hefty student loans I would have needed to go to NYU.

So would I live in New York City now? Probably not. I really love some areas, like Greenwich Village, but I wouldn't pay an arm and a leg to live there.

I can also do without this, which I'm pretty sure is considered some kind of felony in Seattle:

Not to mention that I won't miss the huge crowds, long lines, scary driving, constant honking and overwhelming sense of hurriedness. I don't mean to criticize, because I definitely appreciate that NYC has its own way of doing things, but I'm just more suited for the slower life I lead in the Pacific Northwest.

But would I go back to visit again... and again... and again? Of course! All those delicious, chewy New York bagels won't eat themselves, you know. I had an incredible trip, and I know I only experienced the tip of the iceberg.

The city certainly did its best to win me over with stunning weather all weekend, but I've found that no matter where I'm coming from, I'm more at peace when I look out of an airplane window and notice that Seattle's streets are gleaming with precipitation. But of course.

I feel a new sense of appreciation each time I watch the mountains, lakes and evergreens etch their familiar pattern in the landscape below.

And while exiting the plane, I peer through the glass one last time, and realize that, to me, those rain-spattered windows will always mean home.

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NYC, Part II: Lens Caps, Landmarks, Parks and Protests

{Click here to read Part I}

First of all, I have to say that I expected to pack long-sleeved shirts, boots and scarves for my October trip to NYC. I'm glad I checked the weather beforehand, though, because it still felt like summer there! I ended up wandering the city while wearing dresses, shorts, tank tops and sandals.

Let's just say I didn't hate it.

Secondly, I'm really glad that I stayed at my friend Jacob's place in Queens rather than at a hotel in Manhattan. Aside from the fact that I saved a ton of money — we're talking at least $1,000, people — I had a blast riding the subway and learning how to navigate my way into and around the city.

I feel like I got more of a real New York experience, you know?

The R train was my main ride, but I also rode the M and the E. Oooh, don't I sound like I know what I'm talking about?

Many people asked me about the plans I had for this trip. They'd ask if I was planning to see a Broadway show, do lots of shopping or hit some famous restaurants. And surely I'd visit a few museums, right?

My answer was always that I had no plans, aside from running in Central Park, and that was just the way I wanted it. I didn't want to pack my schedule full of activities just for the sake of having things to do. I just felt like exploring the city at my own pace, wandering around to see the things I wanted to see and skipping the things I didn't.

On Sunday, that's exactly what I did.

My first stop was the B&H Photo & Video superstore. I had to buy a new lens cap since mine fell between the slats of Nick Reese's rooftop deck the previous night. Oh man, am I glad I went to B&H!

I'm aware that this photo is beyond boring, but this place was crazy. The two-level store was absolutely massive, packed with people and full of all the photo, video and audio equipment you could ever dream of. I figured I'd find the lens caps and just pick out the size I needed... right?

But at B&H, it turns out that you wait in line to talk with an agent, who finds out what you need and types it into a computer. After a few minutes of small talk, that thing — my lens cap, in this case — magically appears behind the counter, and the agent shows it to you to confirm it's correct. He then sends it on a conveyor belt to the checkout area and hands you a slip of paper with a barcode. You take the slip to the payment counter to pay, and then you pick up your merchandise at a separate pickup counter — already bagged and ready to go.

All that for a lens cap. It was pretty awesome.

Then I grabbed an easy lunch and ate at Bryant Park, that place that hosts tents for New York Fashion Week. File under "Things I've Seen on Project Runway..."

The afternoon sunlight was so beautiful streaming through the trees. My photo doesn't nearly do it justice.

I followed up this peaceful scene with a visit to the most unapologetically commercial, touristy area of New York City — Times Square.

I felt like a deer caught in headlights. So many bright, flashing things. So many people. So little clothing.

You may notice that this is not the original Naked Cowboy, but rather a franchisee of Naked Cowboy Enterprises. The original guy is busy running for president... as a member of the Tea Party movement.

We all just learned something right there, now didn't we?

Since I don't buy souvenirs, eat at Hard Rock Cafes or otherwise waste my money, I moved on pretty quickly from Times Square. It was fun to see it, though!

I happened upon other familiar landmarks, like Radio City Music Hall...

...and Rockefeller Plaza. I was more interested in the massive J. Crew (my employer during college) than the 30 Rock building, but I saw that, too.

I decided to walk uptown on 5th Avenue to check out all the fancy shops on my way to Central Park, but I got turned around and realized after several blocks that I was actually heading downtown. Instead of correcting my error, I just found the nearest subway station and decided to visit the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan instead.

This is why I loved exploring by myself — I just got to do whatever I wanted!

When I exited the subway at Cortlandt Street, I whipped out my phone and tried to figure out which direction to go to find the 9/11 Memorial. (I'm terrible with directions.) As I waited for a map to load, I realized that people on the sidewalk were standing still — which is highly unusual in NYC — and looking up.

I followed their gaze, then immediately began to cry.

I didn't expect to be hit with such a wave of emotion when I saw where the Twin Towers once stood. I remember vividly the day they fell, and I've seen the footage repeatedly over the past 10 years.

But it's something else entirely to stand in this place and think about what happened here. About who lost their lives here. About how the violent shift in this landscape has forever changed the world.

The flags adorn the base of One World Trade Center, a skyscraper that will reach 105 stories when it's completed in 2012, making it the tallest building in the U.S. Check out this rendering this see what it'll look like.

I didn't make it into the actual 9/11 Memorial since visitor passes weren't available while I was there. (In hindsight, I think this might have been issue with viewing the availability calendar on my phone. I could swear it said that passes were all gone until November, but now the calendar looks pretty open. Huh.)

Instead, I spent time observing the Occupy Wall Street protest at Zuccotti Park, just a few blocks away from the memorial.

A few people played instruments or danced, but most just sat or stood with their signs and stared. Many engaged passersby in earnest conversation. Tons of NYPD officers lined the edges of the crowd, looking at once bored and wary.

But there was nothing to be wary of, at least while I was there. The occupiers were peaceful and organized... and yes, a bit smelly.

I took the subway back uptown, grabbed some food and ate on a bench in Central Park as dusk fell. I took no photos — just enjoyed being right where I was.

I love capturing some moments with my camera, but others need no assistance in being committed to my memory. Those moments are for me. Those moments are why I went on this trip.

A last look at Columbus Circle before I headed back to Queens for the night.

***

I didn't realize this post would get so long, so there'll be a Part III to cover the last day of my trip!

Sheesh, a three-part recap of a four-day trip? That's New York, baby.

###

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NYC, Part I: Pizza, Pong, Bagels and Bloggers

I finally fulfilled a dream I've had for years: I visited New York City.

In the past, financial struggles held me back from making the trip. But once I paid off all my debt in 2010, I began setting aside money to use for things that make me feel alive — things like running, skydiving, photography and fun vacations. When I wrote my list of 2011 goals, I knew I had to include a trip to NYC.

My (now ex) boyfriend and I booked the trip together months ago, but when we ended our relationship, we canceled the plans and I started again from scratch — alone. The idea of going by myself was suddenly much scarier and much more expensive, and once upon a time, I would have let these things stop me.

Nowadays, I don't let very many things stop me.

I reached out to my blogger friend (and fellow World Domination Summit attendee) Jacob Sokol, who lives in Queens, to see if he wouldn't mind letting me crash at his place. A few months ago, I did a gratis proofreading job on Jacob's debut e-book, Living on Purpose, so luckily he was in the mood to do me this favor. Jacob's such a great guy, though, that I'm pretty sure he would have offered me his futon in a heartbeat anyway!

So on Friday, I boarded an early-morning flight to JFK armed with an exclusive reservation at Hotel Sokol.

I had joked about Jacob's "hotel" serving a continental breakfast, but as soon as I arrived, he actually jumped right into hospitality mode, whipping up a tasty veggie-burger wrap and handing me a Corona. I guess he was really grateful for that proofreading job!

I also couldn't have asked for more than Jacob's comfy living room futon, which came complete with a cat! (I'm allergic, but thanks to a daily dose of Allegra, his two kitties didn't bother me at all. I sneezed maybe twice the whole trip.)

Once I settled in and we chatted for a bit, it was time for my first trip into Manhattan. Jacob's place is just two blocks from the subway, which made it ridiculously easy for me travel between Queens and Manhattan by myself throughout the weekend. But first, he helped me get a MetroCard at the subway station, which I loaded up with $20 — the perfect amount, since I left NYC with only a few dollars left on it. We headed to Lombardi's in Nolita for some real New York pizza.

There was about a 40-minute wait to sit down, but what else would you expect for what's supposedly the best pizza on the planet? Jacob and I split a Margherita pizza (with meatballs on my half), and it was delicious! I don't know if I'd say it's the best on the planet, but my tummy was very happy.

We then headed to SPiN, which was a type of place I didn't even know existed — a ping-pong bar!

SPiN has 17 ping-pong tables, including a main table where everyone watches the pros duke it out. We met up with Jacob's friends, had a few beers and played ping-pong. Our pong skills were terrible and only worsened as the empty beer bottles stacked up, but I still had a lot of fun!

We stayed out late and could have stayed even later, but I had big plans the next morning with one of my favorite bloggers and had to get some sleep.

Bright and early Saturday morning, I dressed in my running gear and headed to Columbus Circle to meet Theodora Blanchfield of Losing Weight in the City. Over the past few years, Theodora started running and lost 50 pounds. She's now training for the New York City Marathon, so I knew she'd be down for a long run.

Luckily, she was also down to run with a complete stranger — me.

It was awesome to be able to run with someone who knew the city! We started out with a six-mile loop of Central Park, then continued on a waterfront path along the West Side Highway. We chatted about everything — running, jobs, families, money, boys — and the run flew by. I ended up with nearly 10.5 miles on my watch, and Theodora hit 15 since she had done a few miles earlier.

My only real planned activity for this trip was to run in Central Park as part of my marathon training, so I was thrilled to be able to do that on a beautiful, sunny morning with a new friend.

I was also thrilled that we ended our run, not coincidentally, near a bagel place. Yum. My first New York bagel was everything I'd hoped it would be — crispy and warm on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

I headed back to Queens for a shower and a nap, and then I had a party to go to.

Who the hell invited me to a party in New York? That's right — another blogger!

The fabulous Jenny Blake, who I met in Seattle on her book tour, recently moved to NYC after quitting her job in California. This weekend happened to be her birthday, and her friend Nick Reese hosted a rooftop barbecue at his Greenwich Village apartment in celebration.

When I asked Jenny if I could bring anything to the party, she replied, "A big bottle of rum!"

That's when I knew it was going to be good.

This party was packed with so many amazing bloggers that I don't even want to get into all their accomplishments, because then, like me, you'll wonder, "What were you doing there?"

Well, I brought the rum.

We had Monique Johnson, birthday girl Jenny, Richard Boehmcke and Sarah Peck on the dance floor early in the evening.

We had Chris Guillebeau's genius developer, Nicky Hajal, making funny faces with Sarah.

We had Nick making mojitos with help from Jenny and Marie Forleo.

We had Jacob and Dave Ursillo impressing Jenny with their coordinated plaid shirts.

And, of course, we had Marie teaching the ladies the LMFAO shuffle.

Also in attendance (you can see the back of his head above): Willie Jackson!

We even had Magnolia Bakery cupcakes, since Jenny is a cupcake fiend. They were beyond delicious, and I ate more than I care to disclose to the public. Sarah crafted a birthday candle out of something — a piece of paper? a napkin? — and lit it on fire for Jenny to blow out. It worked!

Tons of these people went to the World Domination Summit, and I already knew a few either from meeting them in person or following them online. I had no clue I'd get to hang out with all these people when I planned my visit, but sometimes great things like this just fall into place.

I'm just amazed that even though I went into this trip alone, I was more often than not surrounded by incredible people.

Tomorrow I'll post Part II of my NYC trip recap, which includes sightseeing all over the city, getting emotional at the 9/11 memorial, hanging out with the 99 Percent on Wall Street and my Sex and the City celebrity sighting in the East Village!

Yes, I was a super-touristy tourist, and I'm not ashamed!

###

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New York State of Mind

On March 31, 2005, I was accepted to New York University.

Not only that, but I was awarded scholarships that covered more than half of the $40,000+ yearly tab.

It was the last notification from the six schools I applied to, only one of which rejected me. (It's OK, Columbia, I forgive you.)

I wrote in my journal that day, "UW is my last last last last choice. That is if I absolutely cannot afford to go anywhere else, and that might very well be the case. I will be so sad if that happens. I mean, effing NYU!!! I want it, I need it."

Aren't 18-year-olds cute?

Of course, six years later, I'm a proud Class of 2009 graduate of the University of Washington — my last-choice school. UW, of course, is a fantastic school, and I now realize how incredibly lucky I was to not only gain admittance, but to be able to attend with the help of a very generous four-year endowed scholarship.

But in 2005, I had big dreams and an even bigger poster of New York City plastered on my bedroom wall. I had a severe case of anywhere-but-here-itis, and what could be more different from my small, West Coast hometown than the Big Apple?

(source)

I had never even been to New York, let alone visited NYU, but I just knew I wanted to go there. Maybe it was the hours I spent watching Sex and the City or the fact that my childhood idols, the Olsen twins, went to school there (for a hot minute). Maybe it was because I lived in a wealthy suburb, where the mentality was, "Why wouldn't you go to the best school possible?" Maybe it was my idea that, despite my family's financial hardship, anything was possible if I worked hard enough.

UW, on the other hand, was my last choice because it was the safe option. It was close to home, and I knew it'd be crawling with people I knew from high school. Also, I was automatically accepted, since I was an in-state applicant and my GPA and SAT scores exceeded certain requirements. There was no challenge, no danger and no excitement in choosing to attend UW.

Thank goodness my very smart mom swooped in and gave me the facts: Even with the scholarships I'd earned, NYU would still cost more than $80,000 over four years. That doesn't even include cross-country flights or anything more than basic tuition, housing and books.

My dream, unfortunately, was not worth it.

I delayed sending my rejection notice to NYU for as long as possible. I may or may not have listened to Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" on repeat while sobbing. It was extremely tough to give up on something I'd worked very hard for in favor of something else that lacked all the sparkle I'd sought.

But it was probably the best decision I've ever made in my life. (Not that it was entirely my decision to make — my parents would've cosigned those fat student loans on a cold day in hell.)

Now, I have a journalism degree from a top-notch school and a great job to boot. What I don't have is student-loan debt. I'm really glad I didn't pay that extra $80,000+ for a slightly more attractive piece of paper.

After all this time, I still haven't been to New York City. That's about to change. One of my goals for this year was to visit, and I'll fulfill that goal over a four-day weekend in late September.

I plan to run in Central Park, indulge in some carb-tastic NYC foods (pizza, bagels) and wander around like a goofy tourist with my big camera. Perhaps, around one corner or another, I'll catch a glimpse of the life I would have had if I'd gone to NYU in 2005 and lived my dream.

Part of me thinks about the fact that I packed away this sparkly dream and forgot about it for six years. Maybe, once I retrieve it, I'll find that it's not the same as it was before — that most of the glitter has fallen off.

On the other hand, instead of chasing what I could have had, maybe I'll find something new. In 2005, I would have gone to New York already a slave to the student loans I would rack up over the next few years. In 2011, I'm going on my terms, paying my way with money I've saved for this exact purpose — to explore, to wander, to wonder. Unworried and unhurried.

I'd never go back in time and choose NYU over UW if I could. I'm too content with the experiences I had, the people I met and where I landed after college to hope for anything different. But it's important for me to look back at my 18-year-old thought process and realize that I learned so many things by having to "settle" for my last-choice school:

• It doesn't matter where you go. What matters is the opportunities you seize — or, better yet, create for yourself — wherever you are.
• There's nothing wrong with having an independent streak, but when you wind up in the hospital with pneumonia and dehydration during the first quarter of freshman year, you realize just how nice it is to have your family nearby.
• No piece of paper is worth $80,000, except for an $80,000 bill.
• Some things are worth waiting for.

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