It was the morning of December 13th, 2017 and I was so overjoyed for my trip, I had not slept all night. My friends and I had been planning our vacation for the past two months and to say the least, I was happy to know that our plans had worked out. We were finally going to spend our holiday in New York. For me, traveling has always been an opportunity to leave behind the sand dunes and cacti of Arizona in search of somewhere with a greater abundance of more lively experiences.
Don’t get me wrong: I embrace where I’m from, but there’s something about a captain increasing the thrust of an aircraft’s engines as it powers down the runway, lifting into the sky–a personal feeling of freedom and adventure. Going to New York would be another story that only I, the explorer, could share with others, so they may become intrigued to experience the many great opportunities life has to offer.
Around 5:15 a.m on December 14th, 2017, my flight touched down at John F. Kennedy International Airport. I had finally made it! After taxiing to our gate and deboarding the aircraft, I made my way to the baggage claim and then to Terminal 8 where I met my friends, Taylor and Cooper, whose flight had landed around the same time as mine. Together, we made our way to the subway and bought our week passes. Our friend Cole, (Taylors boyfriend), had traveled a day earlier than us, so we were on our way to meet him and then check in to our apartment in Manhattan.
For my friend Cooper, this was his first time traveling to New York and lucky for him, a white blanket of snow covered the city. We all sat on the subway, gazing out the windows staring at the snow enchantedly. We seized the beautiful moment and did what our generation does best–update our Snapchats to let the world know we had made it to the Big Apple.
After finally meeting up with Cole and getting settled into our apartment, we started our first day off with a friendly snowball fight in Central Park. The day was perfect. It wasn’t too cold or windy, the sun was out and families were enjoying time with each other. I remember standing there and taking in the moment. Watching my friends enjoy themselves as they threw snowballs at each other, children swinging on the playset, joggers getting in their daily run, cars hustling and bustling through the streets, and the small glimpse of squirrells darting across the field and up into trees– this was the life I wanted in the future. From as early as I could remember, New York was my dream city and at that moment, I wanted it even more.
Over the next week, we spent our days exploring Central Park, shopping around in Times Square, riding the subway up and downtown, and enjoying some of the finest pizza the city had to offer. Some nights we’d walk to random spots of the city and observe key landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty. While other nights, we would snuggle up inside together watching Home Alone and eating out favorite snacks.
This trip to New York had satisfied everything I wanted in a holiday. I spent it with great people in a city I’ve dreamed of living in since the first time I visited as a child. Traveling will always be the outlet in which I can explore aspects of life that continue to be most foreign to me.
Being the jetsetter that I am, I want adventure to take control and land me somewhere I can live life to its fullest. I’ve envisioned a location that places no bounds on who I am or any limits on the opportunities available. For me, it’s always been New York. I yearn for a place with more “lively” experiences…a place lusher than back home.