Oh, New York.
I’ve prowled up and down your narrow 12 miles more times than I care to count, hop-skipped and jumped all of your gum stained sidewalks, taken shelter in your countless museums, corner bars and over-priced restaurants, bravely voyaged your subways in the freezing cold, pouring rain and stifling summer heat. I can finally appreciate your rain storms, your always-late trains, your hyper-manic town-folk, your dirty streets (still having quite a hard time with your high prices, but your amazing views, skyline, food and people make it really worth it!)
How proud I am to call you my birth place, my home town, the isle of my first real job, a place that I was educated about life and allowed to happily and curiously explore as a child.
I don’t know who I’d be without you:
For real.
It does finally feel good to be back in the City – somewhere I know every nook and cranny, all the short cuts, every side street, every little nuance so that I can play a sort of restaurant roulette – saying hi up and down streets to friends and comrades who I normally catch glimpses of between longer travels. Normally can’t have a long chat with, never mind one or two full days spent enjoying each other’s company.
I finally got a chance to see Jane’s Carousel in DUMBO! Jane bought the carousel as a whole at an auction in the 1980′s so it wouldn’t be sold off piece by piece. It was originally created in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. After buying it, she then spent the last twenty-something years restoring it in Brooklyn with her husband. They hand-scraped through 62 years of park paint to get to the original colors and wood carvings of the carousel and restore it to its original self from 1922! 62 YEARS of paint!! The killer backdrop of the Manhattan skyline with both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges in view doesn’t hurt the overall experience, either! 
I meant to go back to NYC for only a week, but, like I touched on in this post, I stayed for 2. It was really nice to not have to rush through anything, to enjoy my company, to explore things with my family, to go at a slower pace and bring peace into every action. 
I am super grateful to be able to go back home to NYC so often. A small perk about Dad working for the airlines for 50+ years is that sometimes, just sometimes, when I wish and hope hard enough, and the Airline Gods are with me, I get First Class… 
This was one of those times. There is literally no better way to start a trip!
It was SO nice and I felt like a Princess. Didn’t even have to sit next to anyone!
Ahhh!!! Dreams come true.
They say ” You can’t go home again“…
I beg to differ. 🙂
I got to spend a considerable amount of time in Brooklyn. Couldn’t be happier about it.
(Click for a larger-than-life BK collage ^^ )
I think I’ll post on Manhattan another time, because Brooklyn really touched my heart this time, and I think it deserves it’s own little space.
I remember working here 6 years ago, in the same neighborhood I now frequent, and feeling mostly unsafe. The streets were empty a good amount of the time, and my walk from work to the LIRR was often panic-striking when I was alone. I remember the patrons being rude, the tips being bad, and the neighborhood being mostly uncared for. The locals were extremely passionate though, and overall I found everyone to be really resilient and die-hard about their home town. However, any plans to build a Park always turned into building a Parking Lot, and it looked like the dream of a Better Brooklyn might never happen…
The exact same streets are now some of my most beloved and favorite to walk. I feel a unique kinship with a place that I was willing to travel in every day because I had hope and vision of what it could become, along with it’s residents. So many parts of it have far surpassed that little vision I carried, or any hope I ever discussed with anyone. I love all the little neighborhoods in Brooklyn, and the unique, quaint, one of a kind atmosphere. I love walking around aimlessly, I love strolling around with friends, I love watching the landscape change and finding little hidden greenery in the alleyways and abandoned buildings. I love the graffiti and the ultimate personality of the place so, so much.
I will miss my little haven and my home town.
But, believe it or not, the West Coast has really stolen my heart…
But I’ll be on the East Coast again before I even know it (or can catch my breath!) I missed Raels and my family here a lot though… but I really want to be in LA for my birthday, which is in 6 days!!!!
!!!!
I used to dread getting older, but I have some super beautiful things planned and I’m really, really excited for it, actually! I’m so grateful I get to be in LA for my birthday (I mean, who can deny that being one of the most beautiful views ever?^^). This is where I’ve been my planning to be for years and years now, for this birthday specifically! Feels good to be where you’re meant to be!
Like I touched on here, my trip back was so inspiring and amazing, based mostly on my outlook on the situation. It’s absolutely amazing what your point of view can do positively for your entire life if you are absolutely bent on Positivity!
New York definitely gave me the inspiration and drive to finish My Kickstarter Project, which I am SO happy and excited about!! If you haven’t gotten a chance to take a look yet, please do! I’ve gotten a lot of support about it already and I’m so grateful!!
I’ve made my rewards REALLY affordable – just $1 gets you the digital download of my newest single sent straight to your personal e-mail with a big thank you! Up to $50 gets you The Wake Up EP, personalized art, a bonus track, a video thank you message, and a cover tune!!
xoxo
I appreciate all of your love and support!
Thank you very much.
Love & Light
