First

I'm posting in orange today to express the HEAT coming off of the pavement outside the window of Starbucks. It's 102 degrees in NYC, and there is nowhere to escape the steam. I've got 2 hours until my airport transport arrives, and I thought I'd write about how fortunate I am.

For the past 8 days, I've been enjoying a solo trip to NYC, just wandering, seeing art, soaking in atmosphere, eating great food, and observing humanity. I am so lucky to be able to afford a trip like this. I am so lucky to see the things I've seen. I am so lucky to be comfortable, financially and emotionally. This city can be overwhelming. People everywhere. There's no way to know what they're thinking, doing, living. It makes me long for home, yet it makes me so grateful for the chance to be here and see what a big, wide world we share.

Eavesdropping is easy in New York--on the subway, on the bus, in the coffee shop, on the street. You hear snippets of conversation and you're reminded that others have their own lives, their own concerns, their own desires. I NEED the reminder that the world does not, in fact, revolve around ME. For this reminder, I am grateful.

The first night I arrived, the air was clear, much cooler, and the city smelled like life. When the sun goes down, the city seems to vibrate. I love that sense that SOMETHING is happening. Once the heat hit, the feeling changed drastically. Everyone seems beaten down; instead of just going, you think about whether or not it's worth venturing out into the heat. NY does a great job of providing air-conditioned buses and trains, but getting to them is painful and draining. I've never visited in the fall, but I think I'll try it sometime.

I realize this post is unfocused; that's because I'm trying to get down all the thoughts I've had for the past 8 days. I'll post again when my head is clear. Mainly, I just want to state and restate: I am grateful. I am one lucky chick.