The Big Apple taking a Little Nap
Having really been immersed into New York City for the past couple of months, there were moments where I was struggling to catch my breath. Amongst the duties of school, the newly obtained responsibilities of being an independent “adult” (a term used very loosely here), and the burden of developing myself into a young professional, it was very overwhelming at times. What made it even worse was the city’s apathy. The cars were still flying past me, pedestrians were pushing through me, and everything seemed to be living, pulsating as if I wasn’t there. I felt like a broken cog, learning I was redundant when the rest of the machine worked fine without me.
One day, finding my efforts to study for my calculus final were starting to yield diminishing returns, decided to take a break, and I went on a walk to clear my head. For some odd reason, Professor Drabik’s words started ringing in my head, “My God! You go to school right next to the Hudson River, yet none of you have ever walked along its bank? Ridiculous!” She kept telling my class over and over to go visit the spectacular river and take a look across to not-so-spectacular New Jersey, yet there were maybe one or two of us that actually heeded her advice. Deciding to pay a visit, I make the trip to the Hudson River Park, and I am immediately presented with a New York City not quite asleep, but still sluggish from a quick power nap.
The fog lent an air of sluggishness to the city. There were noticeably fewer cars along the expressway, and the sound of the soft waves of the Hudson replaced the loud chorus of exhaust pipes and people. For once, the city felt like it was opening itself to me, giving me an intimate look into itself that rarely many others received. It was during this most precious moment that I felt at peace, and actually had a place and acknowledgement from New York herself.
