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Published: April 20th 2010
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After leaving Dubai and entering Jordan, bussing into Israel, flying to London, taking the train to Paris, then to Geneva, followed with an overnight train ride to Rome, I have now reached the final part of this trip by flying into New York City. At this time I've been traveling for around four weeks and the idea of staying in one location in which everyone speaks English sounded like a pleasant vacation within a vacation. A relaxing return to America for a week and a half was not what the Big City had in store for me though. While I was happy to be in New York City with most of the expenses covered by my future school, I was going to have to earn it by attending a conference over what I would be teaching next year, economics. For New Yorkers, you may be able to empathize with my poor choice of travel arrangements. I found out once I arrived that the conference took place on Long Island, whilst I already booked my hotel in the Bronx. For those who have yet to travel to New York, this means around a 1 and a half hour commute one way. Add
The original leader overlooking his country
It is from this very place where Washington first took the oath of office, now directly across the New York Stock Exchange. to this the starting time being at 8:30 and you have another work hard/play hard adventure. In all honesty, the subway, train and then bus to my conference location turned out to be a good time to catch my breath, read, enjoy being back in America and call all family and friends. With my week and a half here in New York, I also had a few extra days to see some major sights.
At long last, seeing the Statue of Liberty was an experience. I unfortunately arrived too late to take the ferry to the island, but taking some time to gaze upon Lady Liberty and consider the history of this place brought some real enjoyment. In fact, taking some time to consider a lot of the history around some major places proves how full of culture and importance New York is. For example, my walk through Wall Street gave me a strange sense of seeing a much more open and 'capitalistic face' of my country. It seemed interesting how much patriotism there is in this area of major business. By this, I don't think I've ever seen such a large American flag anywhere else as displayed on
the New York Stock Exchange. Further, I had no idea that the very place where George Washington was sworn in (as seen by the pictures of his statue) is directly across the street of the New York Stock Exchange. What has gone through this marbleized Washington's head as he has watched America's development?
Another interesting experience was gazing upon the World Trade Center site. As I sat and watched, there seemed to always be a steady stream of onlookers, all taking a few silent moments to simply take in what has been such a major event. To consider how this one event has had such a ripple effect throughout the world and time can lead to some very deep reflections. Although, seeing the cranes and construction underway to rebuild this site provided a feeling that as a country we are moving in the right direction.
Times Square was very busy, bright and expensive. Often referred to as the 'Crossroads of the world,' Times Square gave me a feeling that it represents the heart of New York City. It is vibrant, intense and very much alive. I would be hard pressed to spend time in this area and not
be both entertained and over whelmed.
On this idea of being overwhelmed, New York is quite a huge city. In many ways, it seems like it is its own world. The diversity, amount of restaurants, shops, people, parks and so many other parts gave me a feeling I would never have to leave the city. While I could feel and appreciate the energy that seemed to so naturally radiate throughout this city, I could sense how easy it would be to simply get swept away. In other words, I came to appreciate my lifestyle back in Denver in which I could leave the city and be in nature within 30 minutes. I suppose this would be possible as well in New York, but when you are in the city and you can literally not see beyond the blocks of pavement and skyscrapers, nature begins to feel like a foreign concept. To be honest, I have yet to feel any vibe of a city like New York. A place that is so real as well as rich certainly proved worth the time.
After my long and 'reflective' commutes in the big city, I packed my nearly destroyed bags, took
the subway to JFK and eventually found myself gazing upon the Denver International Airport. While it had been a long year as my last teaching commitment in the Middle East, ended by a trip nearly half way around the world, I could truly say there seemed no place like home.
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