I visited New York once…

…and now I always tell the story. I was 16 and it was Thanksgiving break. I was staying with a friend in New Rochelle, whom I met a few years before at the Interlochen summer arts program.

I came to the city with my mom, and she ended up leaving me with my friend and his family for the entire weekend while she stayed with her aunt in Brooklyn. I was excited to go into the city but my friend wasn’t really down since he was in the city all the time and wanted to enjoy his holiday at home.

I ventured into the city on my own, and gave my best friend from home a call. His brother was doing an internship in the city and had an apartment in Manhattan. I was thinking my friend would put me in touch with his brother but to my surprise, my friend was also in the city at the time. We met up, and did all of the things that two teenagers from Cincinnati would do in New York…and some things they wouldn’t. 

We parted ways and I decided to take the train to Times Square. I had never seen it, even though I’d been to the city several times. I was still feeling the effects, and I had The Roots - Things Fall Apart in my headphones. As I walked up the stairs and emerged from the subway station, the lights hit me. I felt rush of energy, a vibe, a feeling of being connected with the world. At the very least I can describe it as a memorable moment. Life-changing is a bit much, but it was perhaps “life-influencing”. 

I looked around, feeling like I was in a fucking rap video. I’m pretty sure I was grinning like a fool, and I remember thinking “I’m going to live here one day”.

Well, now I do.

it looked something like this, but brighter.

I look something like this, but also perhaps a bit brighter.