The breeze pierced my skin as I walked through the busy streets of a city that apparently never sleeps.This was surprisingly and absolutely true: the flashing lights never stopped, the subway trains were never empty and the city continued to bring life through the darkest of the long, weary nights. New York has been known to give opportunity and change the lives of millions of people but in this case, it certainly changed the heart of one.
The love I have for a human being was completely different than the love I developed for this city. I loved the way people minded their own business and did their own thing, walking through the city confidently wearing the most stylish clothes, standing in extremely long lines just to get a meal in their day, and most importantly, I really enjoyed seeing people get off the subway and scatter heading to their different destinations. It made me curious where they were all going and made me realize that I wanted a destination to go to myself.
Traveling the world is an extremely scary thing to do but developing the confidence and excitement to do it was the key for me and maybe it will be for you. We live in a world where we choose to be comfortable and safe rather than dangerous and risky. To me, this is how we need to live. It is a necessity to be adventurous; to live life on the edge, and to experience those adrenaline rushes that lasts for only seconds. We need to take risks and face our fears so we can see how much the world truly holds and the things we might be really missing in life. There are thousands of opportunities and chances that become invisible because of our fears, are we willing to let that get in the way of our wonders and dreams?
Not only did being in New York make me feel independent and talented like Rachel Berry from "Glee" or intelligent and beautiful like Serena van der Woodsen from "Gossip Girl," but it sparked something in me that made me feel more alive. It made me want to live life to the fullest and not be hindered by the obstacles that may stand in my way and to take risks because, how many second chances do you really get in life?
New York City has opened my eyes, heart and was beautiful in every single way possible. I wish for everyone to find a destination and simply go, find a place that makes you happy, a place that you are your true self or a place that challenges you to be better version of yourself. I push you to follow your dreams, find opportunity and live life as if today was going to be your last chance to do anything. Lastly, be open and accepting to unfamiliar places because you never know, a city near you can be the one that steals your heart away too.
