Anyway, I write to tell you that I think I've been a bit confused concerning my "I hate living in New York attitude" that has come to the fore ever since I found out I'd be moving to New Haven. It turns out I falsely equated "I hate New York" with "I hate New York in the winter" - and those two statements, I've discovered, mean vastly different things. NYC when it's sunny and 70 (which it hasn't been since last week because it's been too busy torrenting, but oh well) is actually a pretty spectacular place to be. And so I have begun looking forward to my Manhattan summer with great anticipation, dreaming of expeditions to Coney Island, Shakespeare in the Park, and other things that aren't possible when you live in the City of Perpetual Darkness and are the world's most seasonally affective person. It's a strange but good feeling to be all up on New York all of a sudden.
To be sure, part of my recent attitude spike was brought on by the presence of two wonderful visitors from Wisconsin. There's nothing like playing tour guide to bring on the realization that - wow! I actually have come to know my way around the city! This realization was reinforced by a not-so-lost-in-New-York experience I had today when a coworker literally dropped me off at a random intersection downtown, leaving me to wander around until I found a subway stop. Although I inadvertently went all the way to Chinatown (in the pouring rain) before I figured out where I was, the experience was not nearly as traumatizing as it would have been 6 months ago, when I probably would have just broken down in tears and hailed a cab (which, for the record, I have yet to do since moving here. Ha.). I felt very on top of my game.
The other benefit of having visitors around (aside from getting to spend time with old friends, which is, obviously, benefit enough in and of itself!) is getting to do touristy things. I was in more neighborhoods last week than I usually get to in a month: West Village, East Village, Lower East Side, Chinatown, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown, Theater District...it was incredible! Due to the culinary inclinations of my visiting friends, I also consumed unprecedented quantities of Asian pastries (as well as my first Magnolia bakery cupcake!), which was fun. When all I do is shuttle back between home, work, and church (which, to be fair, covers a considerable amount of ground), it's easy to forget that I live in this incredible city, where a seedy Chinese flea market is only 2 subway stops away from the nation's financial hub. The amount of diversity that is packed into this, all things considered, tiny strip of land is truly mind-blowing. And I, whether or not I am aware of it most days, am damn lucky to live here.
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