A Reflective Response to "Why You Should Move To A New City Where You Don't Know A Single Soul"

Someone I know recently shared an article on Facebook from Elite Daily titled "Why You Should Move To A New City Where You Don't Know A Single Soul." Naturally, when I saw it, I decided to read it to see what it had to say, since that is what I did moving to New York City. While I agree some of what the author says, there is a fair amount that I disagree with that I would like to respond to. Maybe "disagree" is not the right word either, and I would rather just respond by relating it to my personal experience and give a different perspective. After a short introduction, the author lists twelve reasons why you should move to a new city. I will be responding to these reasons.

"You'll make new friends who are refreshingly different from your old friends"
While I have made new friends in the city, the friends that I have made are actually similar in number of ways to my friends in Iowa. Most of the time, we become friends with people because they have similar interests and values as we do. Unless you change your interests and values when you arrive in the new city, chances are your friends in the new city will have more similarities than differences to your friends at home. The author also notes that one benefit is that it is a totally clean slate because the new people you meet have "no prior knowledge or expectations of you." If someone is truly your friend, he or she is not going to judge you or have ridiculous expectations for you because he or she cares about you.

"You'll be introduced to new and exciting ways to have fun"
I agree with this. Each city or town has different opportunities. For example, while going to shows on Broadway used to be dream, now I can plan what show I would like to save money for so I can splurge to get tickets. What I did not agree with is how the author framed this reason. She describes having a social pattern of activities with friends and writes "Sure, these cozy routines can be enjoyable and nostalgic, but are they really stretching and exciting you?" Who says you have to move to a new city to change up your "routine" with friends? Suggest a different restaurant. Play a new game. Discuss topics that have not come up before. You can mix it up without moving if you want to.

"You'll feel an overwhelming sense of freedom"
"You need to leave your hometown to realize how big the world is and how many different ways of life are out there." I am going to be extremely critical of this by saying if you have not realized how big the world is by your twenties, you are living in a bubble. I am sorry. But by your twenties, through your education and experiences, you should realize how much world is out there. On that note, I do agree that if you want to move, a change in place can be a positive one.

"You'll develop the social ease to walk into a party on your own and not even bat an eyelid"
The author claims that when you move to a city because you have to go to things on your own that you eventually get used to it and the social anxiety goes away. This belief indicates that the author is probably not an introvert. When you are an introvert, even when you are around a large group of people that you know can be overwhelming, let alone people you don't know. Many introverts, like me, do not like small talk, and thus can find the social interactions at gatherings to be tedious. When I first came to the city, I attended a handful of social events at NYU to get better acquainted with the university and try to meet people. Yes, I met people, but I did not become friends with any of them with the exception of the people I met at the orientation of my program.

"You'll have the chance to reinvent yourself"
While moving to a place where no one knows you can help in reinventing yourself, you should not feel like that is the only way to reinvent yourself. You can make the changes in your life the author talks about without moving to a new city. In fact, you should feel like you can make those changes no matter where you are because it is a part of you becoming the person you want to be.

"You'll be able to do something crazy with your appearance without having any shocked reactions"
I view this as related to the reason above and thus I hold the same counter argument. Be yourself. Do what you want to do no matter where you are. Do not feel like you have to change your environment to change yourself.

"You'll be empowered to realize you only need to rely on yourself"
While moving somewhere on your own does give you a stronger sense of independence and can be empowering, you need more than just yourself. Yes, you face your fears and take on numerous challenges, but you still need a support system. The fact the author words this reason that way makes me wonder if she has ever even moved to city where she did not know anyone. While I have made enormous strides in gaining personal independence, moving here and my adjustment to living here would not have been possible with out my support system at home. I called my mom or dad with questions quite frequently as I was trying to get settled.  Even now, I would be lost without my support system from people at home as well as people in the city.

"You'll feel your comfort zone widen drastically"
This is one point the author makes that I agree with. Though I feel like previous travel experience helped widen my comfort zone, I cannot deny that moving to the city has as well. New York City is quite the experience. I can already tell that I am beginning to get used to the numerous oddities that are in the city.

"You'll learn to enjoy your own company"
As introvert, I already enjoyed my own company before moving to the city. I feel like to a certain extent that being an introvert made it a little easier for me to adjust to life in the city because I did not need people around me as often. In a way, moving actually helped me realize to what extent I did need others around because at times, when I was alone, I was lonely even though there were thousands of people around me physically. The author is right that "alone" does not necessarily mean "lonely" but moving to a city by yourself can be extremely lonely too.

"You'll realize you have the ability to conquer your fears"
This is completely true. Even the act of moving on your own is scary, but it is possible. For example, I do not like fire at all. However, my apartment has a gas stove and oven. I had to face my fear of fire if I wanted to cook anything that I could not use a microwave for. While I still do not like fire, I am not nearly as scared of my stove and oven as when I first moved in. This is just one example. Yes, I probably could have gotten over my fear of fire at home another way, but there are so many ways that you can conquer fears by being on your own and taking on a new place.

"You'll find absence makes the heart grow fonder"
This is indeed that case. When I went home in October, I found that I cherished my time with my family and friends much more because my time there was so limited. While I can stay in touch with them via phone calls, texts, Skype, Facebook, and Snapchat, there is nothing like getting to spent time with loved ones in person. Being away, in a way, has strengthened a number of my relationships with people at home. I only hope that my loved ones at home feel the same way.

"You'll grow and develop as a person"
Though I have only been living in New York City a few months, I already know that it is having an impact on me. This relates to a fear I had before moving to New York City. I still wanted to be me. I did not want the city to change me. While I recognize that change will be natural from being in school and living here, but I still wanted to be me. Even if I never call New York City home, there will be no denying that living in the city will have shaped me in to the person I become.

It may seem like I am quite critical of the idea of moving to a city where you do not know a single soul, that is not exactly the case. Though I am still trying to decide how I feel about living in the city, I would not trade my experience of moving here. Coming to school here was what I wanted, in part to have an opportunity to experience a city, not necessarily living in a city where I did not know any one, but simply the experience of life in a city.

So, if you want to move to a new city where no one knows you, do it! It is a scary, yet exciting learning experience. The most important thing is to be yourself wherever you are.

Washington Square Park

Homecoming

As the month of October begins, the leaves begin to change, the weather cools, and the hope of Outfly rises. Outfly is a day at my alma mater when classes are cancelled and there are a variety of events for students on campus to serve as a break. Only the college president and student body president know what day it will be. Outfly is a tradition that connects Wartburg students, staff, faculty, alumni everywhere. For the first time in three years, I was not called at 3 in the morning being told to wake someone up for work or that I needed to get ready for work. While I obviously did not have my class here cancelled on Outfly, I still found my own way to celebrate. I sported on my favorite Outfly shirts and spent a beautiful afternoon reading in Washington Square Park. It was neat to celebrate the tradition as an alum for the first time, and show my Wartburg pride.

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to return to Iowa during Fall break. While I had been looking forward to going back since I purchased my ticket shortly after arrived in the city, as my trip approached, I began to wonder if I was going back too soon. I was only just beginning to feel settled in New York when I would be going back. How would I handle returning to New York after returning to Iowa?

Getting to the airport for my flights was a journey itself. My flight was set to leave Newark airport at 6 AM, and of course, one should arrive a couple hours before that. I did not feel comfortable trying to use public transportation at 3 o'clock in the morning, so a began my adventure a few hours earlier. I left my apartment at midnight and walked to Penn Station. At Penn Station, I had to get some assistance to figure out which train would take me to the connection to the terminals for the airport. To my surprise, when I arrived at the airport around 2 AM, it was a ghost town. The check-in desks were vacant. Though, that did not stopped me from checking in, I have pretty much mastered the art of carry-on only travel. Thank you self check-ins. My hopes to the sleep at the air port were dashed when I found out security would not open until 4 AM, so I slumped over my personal bag at table and attempted to sleep. Unfortunately, there was construction at the terminal so sleeping was impossible until I got through security, which finally opened at 4:30 AM. Needless to say when I boarded my flight to Minneapolis, I quickly feel asleep, and woke just as we were landing. I was awake at the airport, however once I boarded my flight to Des Moines, I was out. I do not even remember taking off. I finally landed in Iowa and was greeted by my dad in time to have lunch with him.

Thursday evening, the day I arrived, the group from church my family went on the mission trip to Tanzania, had a get-together. When I was in Iowa just happened to line-up with when our hosts from Tanzania were visiting. We spend time together catching up on each other's lives and hearing about the current mission work going on.

Friday, I drove up to my alma mater for the weekend to visit my friends and professors. I do not think I have even been more excited to drive through cornfields in my life. The open space, the fields being harvested, the beginnings of fall, a refreshing change to the confines of concrete in the city.  I shared with professors what I was up to and how I was doing. I filled my weekend with quality time with friends. I spent a lot of time with a number friends doing everything from watching a movie to carving pumpkins to simply sitting together and talking. I was even able to attend the fall concert of the choir I was in for four years. Because I happened to be visiting the weekend before Homecoming, when one the people from the Alumni Office that I had worked with over the summer saw me, she asked what I was doing there. I told here that I was celebrating my own Homecoming since it worked better for me to visit that weekend, rather than the next. What time back to Wartburg is complete without a large cup of chai from the campus coffee shop for the road back to my house?

Not only was I on break at this time, but so was my brother who just started college this year. Because I knew that I would probably not come back for Thanksgiving, on Monday night, my family went to dinner with my mom's brother's family so I could see them. Though it is not the same as getting together on the holiday, I knew it would have to do.

Though I meant to get some readings for my classes done while I was back for just under a week, that did not end up happening. My week was quite busy, and not so much of a "break," but was worth every minute. I was so grateful to spend time with family and friends. Going back to Iowa and seeing my friends and family was rejuvenating. It reminded me of the support system that I am so lucky to have even though they are a thousand miles away.

After I returned to New York, someone asked how I felt about coming back to New York and if I thought of it as coming "home." I felt conflicted. I loved being back in Iowa and being with family and friends. However, New York is where I needed to be. I would not say that I thought of it as coming home though. Who knows, maybe I will never consider New York to be home, only time will tell.

Happy One Month to Me!

I have been living in New York for just over a month now and I am beginning to really feel settled. Last time I wrote about struggling with trying to meet people and find a sense of belonging. Since then, I have been able to talk to the few friends I have made about this. We were all feeling the same way. It is nice to know that I am not alone, I am not the only one facing the challenge of meeting people in a city of over eight million. Due to the nature of an interdisciplinary program, I do not have class with any of the same people, when you pair that with only having class once a week, it makes it a little harder to get to know people in the program. However, I have found other ways to get to know people. I started attending a Christian fellowship for graduate students which meets once a week. I also found a welcoming church that like with a university student ministry. Though I have not been one to discuss my faith or participate in small groups before, I have found these groups helpful in meeting people and opening me up to bible study.

When people learn I am from Iowa, they usually comment on big change I have made. One of my responses is usually that I miss grass and trees. Sure there are parks in the city, but they feel artificial to me compared to Iowa. Sunshine is one way to lift spirits as well, so on a sunny afternoon I went and did homework in Central Park. I felt much better after spending a few hours laying in the grass and soaking up some Vitamin D.

One of the things that has made adjusting to the city hard is how much is going on. The city is a sensory overload. However, one of the reasons I wanted to attend NYU was the fact that it was in New York City and there would be so many opportunities there. I have been here a month and I feel like I have barely seen the city. What I what I am going to try to do is set aside a day once every couple of weeks to go to a museum or site or neighborhood and just experience the city and take it in. One of my friend's and I are on a couple of quest. The first is to find the best, cheapest chai near NYU. Unfortunately, I have learned to accept if I want a small chai, I am probably going to have to pay about five dollars. Our other quest is to try different dessert places. Our first stop was a cupcake ATM. You scan your card, pick a cupcake, and a machine retrieves the individually boxed treat. Though it was delicious, I am still biased for the local shop (Scratch Cupcakery) near Wartburg.

Not only is living in the city an adventure but so is living on one's own. I like to cook so I have yet to download the Seamless app to have food delivered. I am beginning to get used to the gas stove and oven, despite the flame. However, I still have some cooking skills to master, mostly frying. I tried making falafel a few weeks ago and it resulted in me setting up my smoke detector. I have made falafel a couple times before however someone else did the frying. This time round, the balls did not want to stay formed together and when I put them in the oil they would break a part. Though I could get the large bits out once fried, the small ones were harder and ended up getting burnt. This burning resulted in the smoke detector. To which I opened my windows, turned up the fan above the oven, and frantically ran upstairs to get the ladder to turn the alarm off. The con of the situation was that I set a smoke detector off for the first time ever while cooking. The pro however is that I know that my smoke detector works. Despite their appearance, the falafel still tasted delicious though.

A New Kind of Adventure

Little did I know three months ago when I visited New York, that I would be back so soon, but here I am back in the city. At the end of July, I was admitted to NYU’s Draper Interdisciplinary Master’s Program. Since then, my life has been a whirlwind. I struggled to find housing without having to come out here. I knew nothing about living in the city. What neighborhoods are the safest? What should my expectations be? I considered searching for a roommate, and even contacted a couple of people. I just could not bring myself to sign a lease with someone I had never met. I took a risk and decided to use a broker. I had read horror stories of brokers stringing people along or overcharging or passing them off to others. Though I did get worried after apartments I was interested in became unavailable right when I decided that I wanted to go for it. Eventually, I did find a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan. It was a little more than what I was hoping for but my safety and comfort, I went with it. Unfortunately, I did not get the student discount I was hoping for, and the reason I chose the company in the first place, because my broker had to go through another broker from his company. That really frustrated me. The other broker did not want to reduce broker’s fee because he did not want to reduce the amount that he would make since he would already have to split it with my broker. So in one word: greed. The guy was not willing to give a student a break because of greed. Not only was I trying to find housing but then I was trying to figure out how to pay for school, what classes to take, and how to get myself and belongings there. Looking back I wish I had taken a step back and spent a little more time with my friends that I was only going to be around a few more weeks and obsessed a little less about my future. Though I know they were understanding and supporting of me, part of me still feels guilty.

At the of August, I took a one way flight with just a carry on. I stayed in a hotel for five days while I waited for my lease to start and for my parents to arrive with my brother’s truck and a small trailer with my belongings. During my wait, I had orientation for my program, did a graduate tour, attended a safety session, and went to the historical society museum with some people I met, and bought textbooks and other supplies. The same day my parents helped me move everything, I also had class. I go to the grocery store after class, which luckily is basically across the street. My head spins. The whole health food market is huge in the city, not that I have a problem with that, my problem was (and continues to be) the layout of the store. There is olive oil in three different locations. Finding anything is quite the challenge. Do they not have the 4 lb thing of peanut butter? I don’t think they understand exactly how much peanut butter I eat. 

I had two classes the following day. Then I went grocery shopping again, for more than just enough for peanut butter and honey sandwiches and cereal and milk. I guess I have to be willing to pay this much for fresh produce. Where is the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese? $1.79 for a single box! I could not justify that. Where is the packs of four? Why is bulk not a thing?

So here I am trying to figure out campus. Where can I print? How can I print from my own computer? Can I even print from my own computer? As well as trying to figure out the city. Where is the nearest pharmacy that I can use? Where is a doctor that is in my insurance network? Where do I get renter’s insurance? Where can I get a futon and have it delivered? Where can I do my own laundry? (Seriously, people pay to have other people do their laundry. I find this rather bizarre mostly since I feel like doing one’s own laundry is part of becoming an adult.) Speaking of being an adult, I had to go ask my upstairs neighbors how to use my gas stove, which with my severe dislike of fire, I have a love-hate relationship with. I love that I can use it to cook, I hate that involves a giant flame with gas. I honestly can’t help but view it as a giant Bunsen burner.

My first weekend I discovered the free NYU bus routes, two of which have stops just a block or two away. That was my best discovery. Since my discovery, I have been taking advantage of it. Though I don’t mind the walk, in fact it can be quite nice. Knowing that I have that for raining or cold days or at night is nice. I like being outside but for me there is something missing. I miss grass. I am a fan of cooler colors including green, but I find myself liking green more and more because it reminds me of grass. I hope to go to Central Park and spend the day reading sometime this weekend.

I soon learn that IKEA is the only place that delivers. Delivery is how much to Manhattan? Well, I don’t really have a choice. I will just call and tell them what I want and have it delivered. After half an hour on hold, I am informed that I cannot place orders over the phone and physically have to go to the store. Great, now I have to find out how to get to Brooklyn. I eventually have to IKEA double check on which sofa bed I want and look another item in the very beginning of the show floor. Then of course have to go through the entire rest of the show floor before getting to go down to where I can actually pull the merchandise. Then I have to wait in line to pay, wait in line to give my purchases to home delivery, and then wait in line to pay for my home delivery. I spent more time waiting in lines at IKEA than I did doing my shopping. 

I remember that there is a Target in Brooklyn. I had been dying to go to Target so I figured why not? After beginning to walk the wrong direction a block, I turn around and several blocks later I make it to the mall with the Target. It was busier than any Target I had ever been to, with the except of opening time on Black Friday. Still it was Target. I grab a basket. Alright, if I can carry it in this basket, I can carry it on the subway with me. I go to the food section. Boxes of fruit strips. Jumbo box of fruit snacks. Reasonably priced popcorn. My four packs of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. I strategically place my items in my basket and carry the box of fruit snacks. At the checkout, it is only three bags. I don’t think I have ever been more happy to shop at a Target in my life. I was desperate. It was worth having to carry those three bags on the subway. That was also the only time I was thankful that they double bag everything here. Seriously, everything gets double bagged. I bought stuff from Bed, Bath, and Beyond today and was double bagged…and I was going to put it in the cart that I bought.

My desperate purchase from Target

I have always taken pride in feeling like I have never experienced culture shock. Yes, I have struggled with reverse culture, adjusting back to life after getting back from travel, but never adjusting to the place I was traveling. If I had to describe my experience of moving New York City in one word or phrase, it would be culture shock. Part of me wonders if it the feeling of permanence of being here because I do not know when I will get to go to the place I call home. Culture shock has been taking a number on me. I struggle with insomnia. Some days I struggle with bouts of depression. At times, everything seems overwhelming. Sometimes, I question my decision to attend NYU and move to the city and I feel like I have made a huge, expensive mistake. I am trying to adjust to a new school in a new city. I am balancing classes with adjusting to the city with trying to find a job with course work with adjusting to school. 

The biggest struggle is finding a sense of belonging. When people ask where I live, I still say “I’m from Iowa.” When what they are really asking is where in the city do I live? After acquiring a sofa bed over the weekend, my apartment finally feels homey. However, a sense of belonging is deeper than that. Yes, I have made a few friends. I’ve met people in Draper and my classes. I have gone way out of my comfort zone and gone to events in an effort to put myself out there and meet more people, but I can only socialize like that for so long. Often time these gatherings for NYU involve wine, or at least the graduate and Draper ones do, not that I have a problem with that, I love wine, but it was just kind of surprising. Attend this graduate reception for the library in the 8th floor reading room, here is some food and wine. Part of me wonders how successful these events would be if it were not for all the free food and wine. I digress. A sense of belonging is search I am willing to pursue, but I realize it won’t happen overnight. I need to be patient and give myself time. One of the reasons I wanted to come to school here was the opportunities that the city would have and experience of living in a city.

A picture of my apartment

View from the 10th floor reading room of the library, I could used to this.

Mission Navajo

Several months ago, one of my closest friends invited me to go on a mission trip with her and her grandparents. She had made the trip a few times before so I had heard a lot about. I put some thought to it and agreed to join her. However, at the time, I did not not quite what I was getting myself into.

We drove with her grandparents from Iowa to New Mexico, stopping for a night in Texas. When we arrived in New Mexico and went to find our rooms at the boarding the school that is when I began to panic. There were a lot of people I did not know that all seemed to each other. I also found out that I would be helping my friend lead a small group of high schoolers for devotion everyday. I was not exactly prepared to do that. Though I had gone on a mission trip with my church several years ago, I could not remember devotion being a strong focus on our trip. This trip however would have time for devotions each day.

Our first morning was a Sunday, the group went to three different churches. We would be hosting vacation bible school at two of the churches over the next few days. The church service reminded me of the church services I have been to in Tanzania, similar in style, organization, and timeliness. We sang hymns in English and Navajo. After the service, there was some time for fellowship where we ate Fritos pies, which are like walking tacos with Fritos instead of Doritos. Then we planned and decorated for vacation bible school. In the afternoon, the group met up at Window Rock, an aptly named rock formation with a large hole in it. Then we caravanned to Cross Canyon. Many of us made the hike down into the canyon. The view was absolutely breathtaking. After the hike, we had Navajo tacos and blue corn mush. The canyon was on a man named Jimmy's "property." Technically the government owns the land and it is leased as a trust to Navajo people. Jimmy and his family hosted us, leading us on the hike and making dinner for us. The land had been in Jimmy's family for several generations, since the Walk of Shame. When we arrived back at the school, we heard for the school's superintendent and one of the elders. They shared about their lives, the school, and the people.

Over the course of the next few days, my schedule was pretty much the same. After breakfast, there was the hour for devotions. Devotions were part quiet reflection and part small group. After devotions, we split up to work on different projects. My friend and I went to a woman named Dorothy's house to install a walk-in shower. Over the course of several days, we took out the bath tub and old panels and installed the new shower. We also spent time getting to know Dorothy, an loving and crafty elderly woman, as well as her nine-year old granddaughter Kimora. The one person spent a lot of time getting to know Dorothy while working on crafts with her. We played volleyball, dolls, and other games with Kimora. Each day we took a break to meet up with the group for lunch before going back to work. We had a little break in the late afternoon before going to the two churches for vacation bible school. I shepherded the 5 to 8 year olds. Though it was difficult because there were about twenty of them each evening. I loved getting to know those kids. The one I grew closest to was Jakob. The first night his mom told me that he does not talk very much and is quite shy. Slowly that first night, I could get him to talk to me. On the last night, I could see how much I had impacted him when he saved a seat for me next to him when our group had dinner time as well as much he would talk to me. His mom even hugged me as they were leaving. I think I impressed all the kids with how well I could remember their names from night to night. I loved getting to help with vacation bible school again because it was something that I had been missing.

Unfortunately, the second night there was a fight that broke out between to teenage girls. It was heartbreaking to witness. We also concerned about the well-being of some of the kids that we pick-up and drop-off from an nearby neighborhood called Kid's Canyon. Before leaving the church that night, the pastor spoke to all of us. His main message was "Let it go." To which, my friend, another girl our age, and I got very upset with. We discussed it afterwards. That was not what we thought our mission should be about. The motto for the trip was "It's not about the work, it's about the people." The fact that we were so frustrated with what the pastor showed how we felt about the people.

The one night we went on a short night hike to a nearby place called Resurrection Rock. We spent some time stargazing in silence. The only light came from the town and Route 66 on the horizon. The sky was so clear. Something about staring at the night sky makes me feel spiritually satisfied and brings me inner peace. That feeling of being so incredibly small in the universe is surreal and powerful.

One of the days we spend doing cultural activities in the afternoon. We watched a couple of dances and heard some flute music. I went to meet a weaver. She was an amazing and kind elderly woman. She showed us how she spins and dyes her own yarn with wool from her sheep and showed us how to use her loom.

On the last day of projects, I went with a group to visit the food pantry. Though, we did not end up doing any work, I learned a lot. The pantry has a garden where people can rent plots. The garden is watered using rain water collected in massive barrels on around the building for the pantry. The pantry is not only providing food but education as well. They are trying to teach people how to budget their food as well as how to eat healthier. A man named Ken gave us a tour and shared this information. It was neat to hear him speak because he was so passionate about his job and was so opinionated. In the afternoon, I watched a video about the Navajo code talkers that was put together by a group of children at the school where we were staying. Then a group of us went to Kid's Canyon. The houses were like shacks and there were so many adults and children. It was powerful to see. 

Despite my concerns at the beginning of the week about the trip. I loved it! I learned a lot about the Navajo people and the circumstances of the people in the area through talking to the people I encountered. I made friends with people in the group as well as with the Navajo. I also learned about myself as I reflected on my faith.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The answer to the joke "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" However, my answer to that question involves a little more than just practice. The head choir director at my college was invited to conduct a festival choir at Carnegie Hall, so naturally he invited members of the choirs and bands who were interested to join him. I could not say no to this opportunity. So last month, I spent several days in New York City to perform in Carnegie Hall.

I car pooled with friends to the airport at 2 AM for our 5 AM flight. After some delay due to maintenance at O'Hare, which included having to un-board one plane and re-board another, we made it to Newark where a mini-bus was waiting to take us to our hotel in Midtown. Some how we were booked to come in a whole day early so we had no obligations until the next evening. So naturally, despite our exhaustion from the early morning, once we dropped our bags off, we were ready to get a bite to eat and start exploring. My friends and I ate at a deli before heading to Central Park. An odd treasure in the heart of the city. One is surrounded by nature, yet just beyond lays the concert jungle. Then we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, because it is open for free on Friday evenings. The most famous work there is Van Gogh's "Starry Night." I didn't realize that Dali's "The Persistence of Memory," the work with the melting clocks and Warhol's iconic Campbell soup work were there as well, along with so much more.

The next morning, my friends and I took the subway downtown, all the way to the port, to take the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. We reduced our waiting time some because we reserved tickets at the hotel the day before. However, there is still quite the line to go through the airport-like security. The first stop was Liberty Island. We got off walked around the island, which is quite small, and took lots of pictures. We also had lunch there. Then we got on the ferry to go to Ellis Island. Because I had a few members of family go through Ellis Island, I was pretty excited to be there. Unfortunately, many of the artifacts were not on display because they had been removed for Hurricane Sandy, and the island had only been reopened in the past six months. The Registry Room took my breath away as it came into view as I climbed up the stairs. I can only imagine what it would have been like when it was being used at its peak. Then we took the ferry back to Manhattan and took the subway back to Midtown for dinner at a cafe before our evening rehearsal with everybody. After rehearsal, a group of us went to Serendipity III, famous from the movie Serendipity, and got frozen hot chocolates, a specialty.

After rehearsal in the morning and getting a bite to eat with part of the group, a friend and I got discounted tickets to a Broadway show for that evening. We went to the show Holler If Ya Hear Me. The musical was more of spoken word poetry, using the music of Tupac Shakur. We sat in the first row balcony of the Palace Theatre. The show was in preview at the time, due to open later that week. I can best describe it as the gang aspect of West Side Story with the activism found in Rent. It was different, but we enjoyed it. After the show, we met up with a couple the others to catch the synchronized light show at Times Square.

My friends and I had an early morning to do some final sightseeing before rehearsal in the afternoon. We took the subway downtown to visit the 9/11 Memorial. I knew that this would impact me, but I could not have prepared myself to the extent that it did. A man who went to my church in my hometown was there that day and was killed. I managed to break away from the others to look for his name. When I found it, it all hit me. Not just his name, but all the names on the memorials at the foundations of where the towers stood. Each of those people had family and friends, had a story, and it all just hit me. I remember watching the news in class the day it happened. I remember the next day as both fourth grade classes sat together as we discussed what happened, as we tried to understand what happened. I remember the pictures of the newly widowed woman in the local newspaper. I remember the poems that read in ninth grade for English. It all just it me. I turned away from the memorial and walked to the nearest bench and let myself cry. When I collected myself, I found the others. Before we left I decided to walk entirely around the tower's memorial. Along the way, I found hope. The flowing water of the memorial produces a slight mist. As one is walking, depending on the angle, one can see a rainbow. I do not know if this was an intentional aspect of the memorial, but it gives a sign of hope. 

Since we were in the area, we decided to visit Trinity Church as well.

On our way back to Midtown, we stopped to take a look at the Empire State Building. Because we still had a little time we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. Unfortunately, there was a lot of restoration work going on at the cathedral so we could not get the best view of the cathedral. 

After rehearsal, we had to change into our concert attire before going to Carnegie Hall for sound check. The performance was that evening. I made it to Carnegie Hall. The auditorium was impressive. The hall was more vertical than I was expecting, but beautiful. Singing there was quite the experience! After the concert, we went to Hard Rock Cafe as a group to celebrate.

The next day we had to saw goodbye to the city. Despite only having a few days there, I am impressed with how much I was able to accomplish while I was there. It was an honor to get to sing in one of the most renowned choral halls in world, while under the direction of my own college's head choir director. It will surely be something I will not forget.

There's No Place Like London

We took the train to London Paddington Station and got our passes for the tube. We dropped our stuff at the hostel near St. Paul's Cathedral and headed back out. We stopped at King's Cross for cheesy pictures at the Platform 9 and 3/4 signs, where in line a won trivia face-off, winning a ticket for the Hogwarts Express.  Then we checked out to Piccadilly Square.

The following day, we used our Osyter cards to board one of the iconic red double-decker buses to go to the Tower of London. Though I had learned about the Tower some, I had forgotten that it is more than just a tower and is actually more like a little village. I learned that despite being famous for being a prison, it was built as a royal castle. Today, it houses the Crown Jewels. While the jewels are impressive to look at, I personally would not want to wear them. The Tower used to house the Royal Mint as well. From the Tower, we went to Trafalgar's Square. We explored the National Portrait Gallery featuring portraits of royalty, politicians, writers, musicians, artists, actors, and scientists. From the Portrait Gallery, we went around the corner to the National Gallery. The art there ranges from the 13th to the 19th centuries, containing hundreds of masterpieces, including those by da Vinci, Monet, Van Gogh, and more. The best part was both of the galleries were free.

The next day we we hit the major places people think of when they hear "London." We started the out with a tour of Westminster Abbey, which happens to be right by Big Ben and the House of Parliament. Inside the abbey is the tombs of a number of the royal family including Queen Elizabeth I. There was also a section devoted to writers, where one can find Chaucer's tomb. The section is tombs and memorials. We also so Sir Isaac Newton's. For class, we had high tea at the Cellarium of the abbey. In the afternoon, we did a Mrs. Dalloway walk to St. James Park near Buckingham Palace. In the evening, a group of us went to Evening Prayer at the Cathedral before crossing Millennium Bridge and walking along the River Thames. 

How is one supposed to decided what to do in one's only mostly free day in London? Because we had to stay in a group for class, my plans were partly dictated by others. However, it was a day well spent. After a little souvenir shopping, the group I was with caught part of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. We picnicked for lunch in St. James Park before heading to the British Museum. I was completely ecstatic. I saw the Rosetta Stone. The Rosetta Stone! We only had a short amount of time at the museum and I could have probably spent days there. We met up with the class at the British Library for a tour of some of their treasures. My bliss from the museum continued as we were shown the manuscript of Beowulf, the Magna Carta, and so much more. After our class dinner, a group of us went to ride the London Eye. I was a little concerned about the price but it was a lot of fun. The view was pretty good as well.

There was no better way to end our time in England then to take a tour of the Globe Theater and then see a show. Of course, we saw the show the proper way, as groundlings. We waited quite some time to be the ones right up against the edge of the stage. We saw Shakespeare's Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, which to be blunt is quite graphic. The play contains 14 killings, 9 of them on stage, 6 severed members, 1 rape (or 2 or 3 depending on how you count), 1 live burial, 1 case of insanity, and 1 act of cannibalism. So as groundlings, we got spit and a little blood on us but we still had a blast. During intermission, we gave the actor that had to sit on stage right by us a piece of chocolate, which got him to smile. Seeing the play live allows for more comedy than when I read the play for class, however, it is still quite intense. There was no better way to spend our final day in England.

Aquae Sulis and the Surrounding Area

Aquae Sulis is the Roman name for the city of Bath. The first place we visited of course was the Roman Baths. The complex includes several different bath rooms, the spring, artifacts, and more. Seeing the Roman engineering at work was a humbling experience. After the Baths, we visited the Assembly Rooms, which inspired some of Jane Austen's writing.

We were fortunate that for a day we were going to spend a lot of time outside, it was a beautiful day. We toured around the area near Bath.  Our first stop of the day was Stonehenge. Though it was smaller than I was expecting, Stonehenge was in way unimpressive. In a way there was more to Stonehenge than I thought. Like most people probably think, there is the main circle of stones. However, the landscape around Stonehenge is just as interesting. Our next stop was Avebury. Though the stone circle of Avebury was/is much larger than the one at Stonehenge, much of its stone was used for building.  Ironically, the Church, which did not like the circle, used the stones to build a church. The town of Avebury is actually set inside of the circle. Next we went to the little village of Lacock. The newest building in the town was built in 1824! Because of this, the town is often used for historic filming. It is used so often, that the filming industry paid to have electricity and other cabling all be under ground to not affect the picture. A couple of the Harry Potter films had locations there. The main street was used as part of Hogsmeade. One can also find the houses used as the Potter's house and Slughorn's house. Parts of the abbey were used as well. I loved wondering around the village because it was so picturesque. Our last stop for the day was another village frequently used for filming, Castle Comb. Most recently, War House was filmed there.

For class, we would only use seven of eight days on a BritRail Pass, so we were encourage to use our extra day on one of our free days. A few others wanted to visit a castle so they searched for ones nearby we could get to by train. I decided to go along we them. We ended up in Sherbourne. First, we visited the Old Castle. The ruins of the Old Castle sat on a hill in the countryside. We ended up being the only tourists there. From the Old Castle, we went to the New Sherbourne Castle, which was Sir Walter Raleigh's manor. At first, we were all a little wary of the cost to get in. However, it ended up being worth it. After taking lunch outside, we went into the castle. We also spend some time exploring the gardens.

The next day, the class headed to Glastonbury, which we had been warned could be quite interesting. We started the day by visiting the abbey, where supposedly the graves of Arthur and Guinevere were discovered.  After that we decided to visit the Tor. We took a bus to the base and hiked/climbed to the top of the hill to the Tor. It was quite the work out. Though there is not much to the building at the top, the view of Glastonbury and the countryside is quite spectacular. Despite not running into anyone peculiar, besides our tour guide at the abbey who pulled a Fisher Price dog around on a string and only acting crazy, it was a good adventure.

"All the world's a stage": Shakespeare's Home

A literary tour of England is not complete without going to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace. This year just so happened to be the celebration of his 450th birthday. Our first day in the city, we visited Shakespeare's birthplace, the Nash House and New Place, and Hall's Croft. Shakespeare's birthplace was the Shakespeare family home at the time of William's birth. New Place was a house that Shakespeare bought. Hall's Croft and Nash House were houses owned by members of Shakespeare's family. Hall's Croft was owned by his daughter and granddaughter. Nash House's name comes from the husband of his granddaughter. The Nash House is a well-preserved Tudor house.  New Place is the location of Shakespeare's last home, however the building is no longer there. In the evening, we went to see Henry IV Part One at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre. The theatre was rather vertical but it was an exciting performance.

The following day, we went to Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare's wife. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and catching up on journaling and the course readings.

Our last day in Stratford-Upon-Avon, we went to Mary Arden's House and Tudor Farm.  Mary Arden was Shakespeare's mother. There was not as much to Mary Arden's house as the other places we had visited. However, the farm had a number of demonstrations. We went to a falconry one. After we returned to the city, I spent the afternoon in a tea with a friend. In the evening, we attended The Roaring Girl at the Swan Theatre, the smaller theatre of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some aspects of the play were modernized, and besides a couple ways to interpret the play, it was fantastic.

Heart of Higher Learning

First off, I apologize for the delay for the rest of my England trip posts. Between journaling, reading, and all the activities, the trip was quite exhausting, but in a good way of course.  Since returning to the States, I have had a lot going, which will be included in a couple of other posts.

After our weekend in the Lake District, we headed south to what for me is the Heart of High Learning, Oxford.  While walking around the city, I was amazed by how much of the city is actually the University of Oxford. The University is actually made up of several dozen colleges.  The class did our own walking tour of Harry Potter filming locations by heading to one of these colleges, Christ Church. At Christ Church College is climbed up the stairs used in the first film where Professor McGonagall meets the first year students to take them to the great hall. Interestingly enough, the stairs actually lead to the dining hall that inspired the design of the Great Hall. After our walking tour, we made our way to the Eagle and Child, the pub where the literary group the Inklings meet, including Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.  In honor of the Inklings, I had a hard cider with my dinner.

The next morning we went to the small yet interesting Oxford University Press Museum. The Press is probably most well know for the Oxford English Dictionary. Surprisingly, there is no longer book printing in Oxford; book printing is actually done at other global locations. In the afternoon, we went to the Story Museum. A few of us checked out an exhibit called "26 Characters" where 26 authors dressed up as their favorite children's book character for portraits, as well as did interviews about writing, particularly writing children's books.  As a class, we attended a printing workshop to learn more about the old printing process. There is a certain art in this printing method which is getting lost in today's digital age.

The following day, we took the train to Winchester.  We started our day in Winchester at the Great Hall with King Arthur's Round Table.  Though the table was probably actually built by King Edward I for a tournament he held there, the table makes for a good tale along with serving as an example of the role of Arthurian legends in English history. Kings used Arthur's legacy to try to build their own legacy, linking the two. After lunch, we toured Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen is buried.

There is no better way to spend a free day in Oxford than to explore some of the museums, many of which are free. To be honest, I could have used another day or two just to check out the free museums in Oxford. The first museum we went to was the impressive Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.  In our time there, I was only able to explore two of the five floors with exhibits.  Then we went to the smaller Museum of the History of Science, popular for a blackboard with Einstein's writing from a lecture on it.  A friend and I decided it was worth it to book tickets for a tour of the Bodleian Library. Though the tour was short, I loved getting to see what can be considered the "Heart of the University of Oxford," the Divinity School, which just so happened to be used as the infirmary in a couple of the Harry Potter films. The Divinity School was the first lecture hall of the university. We also saw the first section of the library, where during the Reformation almost all three hundred books were burned. The guide said something along the lines of ideas being more dangerous, because the decoration of the Divinity School below remained relatively undamaged. After our tour, we meet the others at the Museum of Natural History, where the dodo bird remains are found, and the Pitt River Museum. I could have spent several more hours in the Pitt River Museum which housed different cultural artifacts from around the world.

The next day we went to Blenheim Palace, the only place with the name palace that is not royal or owned by the Church. Today it is the home of a duke. Winston Churchill was born there. The massive building has extensive gardens that go with it. We spent a large portion of the day touring the palace and exploring the gardens.