Today I am on top of the world for winning the ForeWord Reviews 2009 Book of the Year Award for Looking for Anita, but last weekend I was on top of New York. And it's no Chrysler Building or Empire State Building for sure. No Ma'ams and Sirs. This is the roof of my brother's building, on approximately the 40th floor. The penthouse takes up the top two floors and my brother lives on the 37th, so you get an idea of the spectacular view he wakes up to each day. No, wait. You can't really understand until you see this panorama series I took, which is what he sees out his window. That's right, baby. A three-direction view from the East River to downtown to the Hudson River.
East River View (looking across to Queens)
Downtown View
Hudson River View (looking across to New Jersey)
So you can see why I love my New York trips so much. I've always loved this city, its energy, its life, its history, its possibilities. But notice how I listed energy first.
My husband and I have very different ideas of the ideal vacation. His dream locale includes either a wild river ripe for rafting or a secluded beach with a tree-hung hammock begging his rest. My dream locale, on the other hand, looks something like this...
Greeley Square Park
That's right. Put me in a cafe or a park smack dab in the center of a bustling city - American or European - and I'm in heaven, more relaxed than you'll ever see me at home. My husband once noted that he and I get our rejuvenation from different sources. He said that since he’s an introvert, he gets his energy from calmness. Peaceful or natural places give him the energy he needs to recharge. I, in contrast, am an extrovert, which according to him means that lively or social environments provide me with the energy I need to recharge.
I don’t know how much water his theory holds, but I’ll buy some of it. Still, I think he’s missing something key here. I think it’s the anonymity of big cities that comforts me. I particularly love parks and gardens nestled amidst the hub-bub of chaos. The contrast soothes me. I can escape into the beauty of nature, knowing that at any moment I can walk back out into the everflow of the city and lose myself in the crowd.
Here's another example...
Madison Square Park
Just a stone's throw from Union Square. Can you believe it? My brother lives equidistance between this park and Greeley Square Park, which is why I tell him, "If you ever move out of Manhattan, I'm disowning you. You have no right to take away my apartment in the city. You hear me, baby brother?"
I've said my peace. And so far, he's obeying. I know I am one lucky girl to have a free apartment in Manhattan. And I know I am one even luckier lady to have my brother in my life. Of course, if he ever moves out to the Rocky Mountains, my husband will be the one singing his praises. For now, however, I love feeling on top of New York. On my next visit, I promise to post a tour of Central Park, the tranquil center that keeps the heart of New York beating.
So what say you? Energy or serenity…which feeds your soul?
