NYC
I really love living near an international youth hostel. Actually, there are a few places around here that provide shelter to the young and foreign. There's something delightful and inspiring about seeing intrepid and disheveled young people emerging from the subway with their travel packs on their backs, turning to and fro, not sure which way to go to find their destination. I love seeing them struggle with the menu at the diner, learning words like "muffin" and "bran" in the process while practicing their English Ps and Qs with the equally foreign waitstaff.
I suppose part of what I enjoy about seeing these people is that they're doing something I wouldn't have the courage to do. I have friends who've done the backpacking thing (*ahem*fg/*ahem*) and I'm terribly impressed and amazed and jealous and a whole lot of things, and I love hearing their stories and seeing their photos. Alas, I'm a pansy and like hotels and my toiletries and multiple outfit options. I'm far from high maintenance, but probably equally far from being a rough n' tough sojourner.
The other part of why I enjoy these visitors is less nice, I suppose. I love being able to give them directions. I love being able to give people information about NYC, period. It solidifies in my mind my familiarity with my environment and makes me feel all the more secure in my place here. I loved being able to give directions in Spanish to a couple from the Canary Islands. I love picking out those disoriented travellers fresh off the subway and automatically pointing them in the direction of the hostel. I love giving people off-the-beaten-track sight seeing suggestions and directions. I love being on friendly terms with my mailman and the guys at the deli and the diner and kissing my favorite barmen hello and running into people I know regularly on the street.
Saengerin recently asked: "If work wasn't an issue, where would you live and why?"
Honestly, I think I'd live right here. The city suits me. Always has. I love public transportation and sidewalks and being alone in a crowd of people and Chinese delivery and 24 hour everything. I like living in a small space. I recently had dinner in a large beautiful Harlem brownstone. It was fantastic, but I thought about what it would be like to live there, and I felt uncomfortable. Too much space. I wouldn't know how to fill it. I'm much happier in my little concentrated nest.
A separate kitchen is all I could ever want beyond what I have now... but that's other news. :)
I suppose part of what I enjoy about seeing these people is that they're doing something I wouldn't have the courage to do. I have friends who've done the backpacking thing (*ahem*fg/*ahem*) and I'm terribly impressed and amazed and jealous and a whole lot of things, and I love hearing their stories and seeing their photos. Alas, I'm a pansy and like hotels and my toiletries and multiple outfit options. I'm far from high maintenance, but probably equally far from being a rough n' tough sojourner.
The other part of why I enjoy these visitors is less nice, I suppose. I love being able to give them directions. I love being able to give people information about NYC, period. It solidifies in my mind my familiarity with my environment and makes me feel all the more secure in my place here. I loved being able to give directions in Spanish to a couple from the Canary Islands. I love picking out those disoriented travellers fresh off the subway and automatically pointing them in the direction of the hostel. I love giving people off-the-beaten-track sight seeing suggestions and directions. I love being on friendly terms with my mailman and the guys at the deli and the diner and kissing my favorite barmen hello and running into people I know regularly on the street.
Saengerin recently asked: "If work wasn't an issue, where would you live and why?"
Honestly, I think I'd live right here. The city suits me. Always has. I love public transportation and sidewalks and being alone in a crowd of people and Chinese delivery and 24 hour everything. I like living in a small space. I recently had dinner in a large beautiful Harlem brownstone. It was fantastic, but I thought about what it would be like to live there, and I felt uncomfortable. Too much space. I wouldn't know how to fill it. I'm much happier in my little concentrated nest.
A separate kitchen is all I could ever want beyond what I have now... but that's other news. :)