new york, new york

When the plane touched down at JFK, I was delirious with exhaustion but somehow wide awake with anticipation as we neared the city and I caught my first glimpse of the skyline and the unmistakable peak of the empire state building. It’s a view that gets me every time. For the first four days of our trip we stayed with J’s best mate, Daniel who has lived in NYC for what seems like forever. Every time we stay with Dan, two things happen automatically: 1.) you immediately feel like a New Yorker as we seek out hidden gems and hole in the wall attractions no tourist ever would and 2.) you question why the hell you don’t live in new york because it’s that freakin awesome. I love it – the crowded streets, the buzz in the air, the graffiti, trash, array of characters on the street, everything about the city seems alive and when you are there you just go with the flow.  So that is what we did. After catching up and some dinner we headed out to the Tiki Bar and a few other local watering holes which ultimately ended up being a boozy, blurry photo filled night. 

Ever the tour guide, the next morning Dan lead us around the city and we foolishly braved the holiday crowds in Times Square and Rockefeller Center. We ate and drank our way around the city over the next few days, heading into Brooklyn to spend time with our good friends Anna and David, getting to meet their daughter Hannah for the first time. Catching up with Anna, it felt as if no time at all had passed and we sat for hours in an empty cafe, just talking. It felt like the old days and made me a sad to the leave behind the bright lights of NYC...