This week, I went, and still am, on vacation. I went to where I have been told is where the best pizza is made, and which the city never sleeps: New York. Specifically, I've spent most of my time in Manhattan. It's an interesting time, I have to say. For one, as a small person, I feel even smaller in the urban city. With the tall buildings, as well as the populous setting, it's something that is very different.
A couple things that I've learned also come from a lot of pushing and shoving, or at least being less conscious about my personal space. Okay, maybe not really pushing and shoving, but it comes close to that, especially in which I'm used to people saying sorry when they run into you. You know when you're a tourist in New York when you say sorry for bumping/getting bumped into. You definitely get weird stares from people.
Another thing is that personal space becomes pretty much nonexistent in the sense that there are just so many people. To me, it's not so bad. But at the same time, it is weird when people come sit right next to you, knees touching, on the crowded six-train. In Texas, I guess you appreciate that Ford F-150 Super Duty, even if it's riding your tail.
It all comes down to how you take things. New York is a place, just as Texas is a place. Different paces, spaces, and people, but still a place. Living with my sister has shown me that it's not so bad, once you get used to it. It's like riding the train, watching all the different types of scenery pass by, but in the end, everything blurs together creating something that is unrecognizable, but familiar. I'm not hating on New York, as this past week has made me love it. The sights, the sounds, the food, and even the people...it all sort of blurs together and becomes something that I am at peace with. (It is also a personal philosophy that if the food is good, you're good).
But of course, you can take the girl outta Texas, but you can't take the Texas outta the girl. Or you can. It depends. But there are still things that I know I would miss, as many of those things have sentimental attachments. I feel that there is no place but home, but home is something that is subjective. This trip has taught me that even if I travel far, there is always something that will remind you of home, no matter how small or how insignificant.
Luckily for me, I had my sister. I had my childhood friend whom I grew up with in Texas, who took me around. Both had been in the same shoes, and both had found something that they became close to within their time in this non-Texan deal. There are the perks, and there are the downfalls, but in the end, a place is a place. Everywhere you go there will be something that gets you, like the unnecessarily large trucks in Texas, or the hustle-and-bustle vibe that the state of New York gives off. It's not that you think it's bad, it's just not the same.
New York is no Texas, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
