Do you ever get that feeling when you're overcome with nostalgia for a place so far away that it's hard to even imagine? I look back with such fondness on those sunny days as a J-1 student. My journey last summer went from indifference to incredible excitement, and all those memories remain in my heart.
I was lucky enough to live at a country club. It didn't win me over right away; it happened gradually, and with each passing day, my friends and I liked it more and more. It had its own atmosphere—cozy and unique to us. I remember how every morning I would step out of our cabin, breathe in the fresh air, look at the tennis court, which was already busy at dawn, and scan for which coaches were working. Right there, next to the tennis court, we would gather almost every night to discuss everything that was happening, sharing experiences and thoughts. We often went to the beach that was part of our club, soaked up the sun, called our parents, and caught up with friends before heading to lunch. We had the opportunity to swim in a huge pool, walk all over the club grounds, and act like we were members. We also spent evenings on the beach when we just wanted to take a break from everything.
Our club was located in a town that was just a forty-minute train ride from the center of Manhattan, so we could easily visit New York every day. At first, the city seemed quite dirty to me. A lot of things there are different from what they show us in movies, which are meant to brighten up the setting and give viewers the impression that this famous city, New York, is unreachable and incredible. It is interesting, mysterious, and, to my surprise, attractive in its own way. With each new visit to the city, I saw it from a new perspective, and during our last meeting, it revealed itself to me in a completely different way than it did on my very first visit. It became one of my favorites.
All those skyscrapers drive you crazy. At first, we walked around looking up, not even trying to count the floors. We admired this stone city, the huge number of people around, and the constant noise of cars honking at each other. We were amazed by the free citizens who could organize their own rallies, shouting about their rights; we were surprised by the coexistence of Central Park in the very center of Manhattan and the huge stone high-rises around it, the number of homeless people along world-famous streets, and the special local color.
We saw Times Square both day and night, a candy and chocolate shop with incredible flavors, the huge M&M's world, the old McDonald's, the famous Broadway, and all sorts of freaks. I remember how we held hands and ran through the crowd on July 4th, Independence Day, to make it in time to watch the fireworks from Roosevelt Island, and then we marveled at what was happening, full of joy. New York is a city so alive that it takes your breath away! Its lungs are Central Park, its heart is Times Square, and the constant stream of people running nowhere is its blood. And this entire boiling, restless city remains in my memory as something incredible.
