LOL

Long story short, I went to New York again.

This was a quasi-impulsive trip. The idea was actually conceptualized around a month ago. At this point, I'm not very sure how it came to be; I only know that Annie and I had been wanting really badly to go to New York together for the longest time. Also, I’m obsessed with the city, and had some days before my last exam where I could potentially have gone. So the idea was brought up with Annie, and one night in April, we took a walk, sat on the ledge of Widener Library, and got $15 round trip tickets and a place to stay on Airbnb. Just like that. 

I told no one afterwards. For a month, only Annie knew. 

There was something exhilarating about it, really. I wanted to be on those streets again, surrounded by all that noise and all those people. Boston’s become a bit small. I badly needed a change of scenery–everyone was stressed out with exams, and doing the same things with the same people over and over again was getting kind of monotonous. Yeah, going to Boston is nice, but I suppose at this point it wasn’t far enough. So at around 2:30 am on Monday, May 11th, Annie and I left Boston on a bus bound for the city of dreams. No, really–shortly after I woke up, I saw a billboard that said “WELCOME TO THE CITY OF DREAMS.” 

The main purpose of this spontaneous outing was to get some work and studying done in a place far from campus where we wouldn’t be distracted, in a place that would put some perspective on college stress. In that sense (and in others I’ll be bringing up), it was a success! I felt like I could fully focus on the material without worrying about others’ worrying, and really try to internalize it. Annie and I are both so inspired by New York, so we actually felt motivated to be as productive as possible. Even just sitting in random cafés around Manhattan, we felt compelled to get stuff done. 

Of course, we made sure to get some relaxation too on the trip. Although a bit too hot for my taste, the weather was great for lazing around in the park. So we went to Bryant Park and lay in the grass, and I took out my ukulele and played a few tunes. I hadn’t felt so relaxed in weeks; it was completely rejuvenating. In the evening of our first day together (of many to come in the future when we actually live there) in New York, we sat in the park and wrote letters to our future selves that we’re to open during Commencement in 2018. Hopefully I forget what I wrote in it, so the future me is going to not know what to expect when she opens it. Another non-work-related thing we did was visit Grand Central Station, since I had been wanting to see it (I have a thing for train stations) and it’s apparently the biggest train station in the world. Apparently it’s also among the most beautiful; we were in awe once we walked in. 

We crashed that night in a small room within a Chinese acupuncturist’s office on the 10th floor of a building on West 35th. It had a futon and a couch, and I’m sure it’s a place that many travelers have gone through considering its perfect location (and price) in Manhattan. I’ll count it now as one of the peculiar places I’ve found myself staying in on my voyages. 

Curled up, I just barely fit on the couch!

Perhaps the best thing that came out of this trip was my reunion with Andy, a guy I pretty much consider a brother. He and I met during our year abroad in France, and hadn’t seen each other since our last weekend with the other exchange students a few weeks short of two years ago. 

Us in Paris, March 2013

NYC, May 2015!

It didn’t feel like any time had passed at all, yet so much happened. He’s pretty much heard all of my problems and drama ever since we left France, and he was also the first person to find out I got into Harvard, as we were Skyping when the decisions came out. We were reunited in a lovely bakery called Tous Les Jours, and he treated us to some amazing Korean food.

We walked around and got to chat a bit. It was so nice to catch up, and pretty unbelievable too. Although it was brief, that didn’t make it any less of a joy. 

All in all, this trip to New York was extremely fulfilling. I feel more ready than ever to complete my first year at Harvard, and am confident that it’s going to be a success. Final few days, here we go!