As a New Jersey native, I had never been to New York City, completely on my own, unsupervised. It was on my to-do list for the summer and I wanted to make the most out of as many hours of the day as I could use. So I called my two best friends and they agreed, but all three of us were unsure what to do. New York, looking ever more magnificent as always, felt too big to conquer. With all the options for food, parks, museums, etc, where does one start?

I did have one thing in mind. I wanted to walk the Brooklyn Bridge, spanning a little more than a mile long across the East River. It was an odd choice since I have never been one for long walks and prefer ever other mode of transportation that's faster than my own two legs. However, for this trip, all I wanted to do was take in my surroundings and the beautiful skyline from all angles. We walked without an end in mind, but we walked with purpose. Taking as many pictures as possible, I don't remember what gave way first, our tired legs or our hungry stomachs.

Afterward, we didn't know where to continue our trip. We explored up and down the streets of Brooklyn, taking in the sights of the neighborhood and its community of residents. There was no rush and no pressure. Normally, I'd drive myself crazy by making so many different variations of plans in advance with exact times included. Yet on this day out, in the city that never sleeps or stops, we decided to take our time. It was then I learned that it isn't important to have everything set out exactly but with a will to explore and the people you love, one can go as far as they want and make the best memories in the process.