Footsteps of pedestrians, tires of yellow cabs swirling on the road, shifting from red to green lights, loud voices echoing from one end to the other, the city that never sleeps, New York. An 18-year-old city girl from Malaysia, what an incredible dream that came alive. New York, I’ll come for you. It all developed from an interest in fashion to an addiction of watching series day-to-night and making the decision to watch Gossip Girl. It seemed silly at first but transformed clearer as she aged. Plans changed, decisions changed, the future changed. New York, I love you. Upper East Side Manhattan, the city of Gossip Girl. The fashion, events, romance, night-life, all things New York is worth for. The scene from Gossip Girl to a switch of scene in a bedroom, an 18-year-old city girl visioning a life in the Big Apple or as she envisioned it, her future home.
Time passed, college planning presented itself. A transfer to America, a chance to visit her ‘future city’. Time passed, a flight ticket to New York. What a dream it was. Was it going to happen? Was this a dream? Yes, it was. A dream that was coming true. Miles and miles away, touchdown at JFK airport. The excitement was real. It wasn’t a dream anymore, it was real-life. It was the truth. It was time. New York, I came for you. So much to do, so little time to do it in. Which to do first? Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Upper East Side, Central Park, or The Empire State Building. A four-day trip was too short of a time span to be reaching all the expectations that carried out in her mind. New York, you’re too much.
Photography is the main tool that New York deserves. Too many buildings, too good of a scenery, too pretty of a city, it was all too much. Everywhere she turned to, the sound of the camera shuttering voiced out, every view was breathtaking. New York, your beauty. Cuisines were big, but too delicious to go to waste. The pizza, the pasta, the burgers, the coffee, the dessert. Every single bite became wider and faster, one after another. No fear of calories added or a destroyed diet, to watch your weight would be a disgrace. New York, you cheer my appetite. Madison & Fifth Avenue was as imagined. The boutiques, reflections of herself on the windows, pulling her to enter. The trends on the streets, providing her an image of styles she hoped to wear. Fashion was her biggest desire and New York was the place to be. More and more boutiques down the streets, compelling her to switch from left to right, entering and exiting with bags of clothes, jewelry, and makeup. New York, you maniac. Time Square, Rockefeller Center and Empire State Building was done in one day. Was that even possible? Well, she sure made it so. The gorgeous view at the top of the Empire State Building took her breath away, once again, giving her a reason to lift her camera up and point towards the gorgeous scenery. The experience made it seem like she was the highest she could be and blessed to be a part of the incredible journey that traveled her to this height. The colors of the sky made it seem like the most beautiful thing ever. Rockefeller Center was a maze to get to but worth the drag. The change of lights on the buildings with music corresponding to it took her back to a time when she was in Disneyland. She thought she was the happiest then, until now. Times Square was one subway station away and packed like Disneyland, but it was one hell of a ride. New York, the best city ever.
New Year’s Eve came, the excitement overflowed, as she made her way with her family by her side, it became packed once more. Officers at the front, holding off New Yorkers and tourists, enforcing rules and conditions before stepping foot in Times Square. She failed, failed to get in. All hell broke loose, she was unlucky, it wasn’t her time. Making her way back, with disappointment and sadness still, developed embarrassment that she traveled all this way and got defeated by the New Yorkers, to embrace the opportunity of a celebration of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, New York. Positivity came through and all she thought was another number to add to the bucket list. The future will be better, the future would give her a chance to fulfil this bucket list of life goals. New York, you came through.
As the sun rose the next day, sadness, once again, filled her heart. It was time to go back. It was coming to an end. However, that didn’t bring her down, she’s going to come back, she’s going to make more memories, better ones, happier ones. Living out her dream to make New York her home is going to be the top priority on her list. It’s goodbye for now, but it’ll be hello in the future. We’ll meet again.
New York, I’ll come for you.
Sonia's Words 