Heading towards the Manhattan skyline with a touch of sadness inside.
This place and these people have truly become close to you, but your soul is longing for kefir, rude shop assistants, and, of course, family and friends.
The final stop of my summer was New York – the best ending to the best summer. The last minutes in Wellfleet were spent buying a sweatshirt with 'Cape Cod' on it, which will warm not only my body but my soul as well. The butterflies in my stomach are ready to take flight at the sight of the Big Apple.
5 hours on the road with beautiful views of bridges, bodies of water, and cities, music, and, naturally, great company. It was hard to believe it was real until the cherished sign 'New York' started appearing on the road markers.
The line of Manhattan skyscrapers came into view, and as we drove into the city of dreams with AC/DC’s 'Safe in New York City' playing, it became very hard to hold back the emotions.
After dropping our bags at the hostel, my American guide and I went to wear out our shoe soles on the city streets. The introduction to Times Square was truly special: before reaching the square, with my American friend saying, 'We’re around the corner from the capital of the world,' I covered my eyes with my hands so I could walk right up to the 'center of the universe' and see its grandeur for the first time. One look – and it’s hard to breathe, and the butterflies are just dying to get out. I screamed, I jumped, I was ready to share this happiness with the whole world, and the thought in my head was: '...and yet, they do come true.' These emotions are so strong that even now, six months later, a light shiver runs through my body.
I had 5 days set aside for New York, which seemed enough to get to know this giant. I think we became friends. The city is very well structured; my fears of getting lost, if not in the subway, then definitely on the streets, dissolved into the frantic rhythm of life. I still wonder how many American coins I left in the waters of New York Harbor, hoping to return.
It’s hard to believe all this happened to me. It’s as if I spent a few days as a character in a real American movie: yellow taxis, people rushing to work with Starbucks coffee, squirrels in Central Park, the beautiful Statue of Liberty – too good to be true.
I cannot express in words how grateful I am to fate and my loved ones for this gift. It was 99.9% cool (because nothing in the world is perfect, right?)
Experiencing such emotions, you realize that it is precisely impressions, discoveries, people, experience, travel, and new horizons that make you happy.
Summer 2017 is that story of my life that my children will definitely hear. And my relatives and friends are clearly already plugging their ears when they hear another '...and back in the summer...' from me. America, you have captured my heart too strongly.
