Manhattan

“Of course this is happening to me right now,” I thought as I tipped over and fell onto the side of the bathroom stall while trying to change into my jumpsuit in a tiny restroom in the Newark airport. Carefully balancing on one leg to not get my bare foot on the bathroom floor, I slipped into my heels, checked my watch, slung my backpack over my shoulder and finagled my way out of the narrow stall. I was running so late due to my delayed connecting flight.

I rushed out the doors of the airport and found my spot in the taxi line. Finally getting a moment to rest, I breathed in the thick humid air that smelled like exhaust and garbage, and immediately felt the sweat begin to drop down my forehead. August on the East Coast truly is something special. I tried to suppress the nausea as I attempted to do my makeup in the back of the taxi and held onto the door handle as we aggressively swerved our way around traffic – it was a very Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries moment; all I was missing were the police escort and the flags.

I finally arrived to my dinner on the Manhattan waterfront fashionably late with luggage in hand. With a glass of wine, a stunning sunset, and a view of the Statue of Liberty slowly glowing golden with light as the sky darkened, I had made it. Going “on business” in New York City is something I always dreamed of as a kid. I looked forward to the days where I would be a successful jet-setter, globe trotting my way from meeting to meeting, talking business and turning heads. While I may not be all those things right now, I’ve had my first big work trip to New York and couldn’t be more excited.

After spending the day in offices, I was able to hail a cab from my artsy hotel in SoHo and meet up with an old friend for drinks on a rooftop with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Stories above the chaos of the city, it was hard to believe I’d be catching a flight back home early the very next morning. It was also hard to believe that prior to this brief trip, I didn't have a fond opinion of New York.

I’d been to the city a couple of times before and was not a fan. However, this trip, as much of a whirlwind as it was, was the first time I saw a different side of the city. There are so many people doing so many different things, living completely different lives so close to one another. For me, I realized I didn’t enjoy New York as a tourist, or even an adventurer, but as a young professional with big dreams, I found the New York I’d always hoped for.

#travel #newyorkcity #dreams #jetsetter