I always had this illusion that once you arrive for the first time in New York - suddenly you step out of the airport and BOOM - the impression falls all over you. Nothing was less true.
Upon arrival in New York - after survivng a night in Geneva Ariport, delays due to a snowstorm, 3 flights and a passport control that reminded me more of a criminal intake report than the first - I was so exhausted, that even seeing King Kong hanging on top of the Empire wouldn't have made too much impression on me.
If I didn't have to figure out how to get to the place we rented for the first few days, I am sure I would have fallen asleep on the Airtrain and be kicked off in some dark end station 3 hours later when the metro would close.
Anyway, even the next day, walking down 5th Avenue, I was still waiting for this BOOM - and it never came. Until, a few days later, I was standing on the Top of the Rock, about 70 floors higher than most of the mortal souls - and I suddenly forgot to breathe.
It was around noon, the sun was shining, and the view was just breathtaking. You look down on this city, and you see everybody running, hasting, ... you feel how alive the city really is. Of course, you also have a wonderful view on the neighbouring Empire brother, Central Park, the Hudson River and many more. But just the feeling of looking upon so much LIFE is amazing.
Judge for yourself...
But, that was not all. I remembered how to breathe after about a minute, and came back to my senses. Though, I will always remember this as the first moment that I was really impressed by this city. That I felt like it would be wonderful to one day make part of this huge LIFE - even if only for a while, not too long.
But when the next evening we got to the Empire, and I saw this... Not only I forgot how to breathe again - but I think my heart did skip a beat. Or a few.
Just think about it, every single one of this tiny lights is a lifestory... A person, just like you and me, with its own life, dreams, successes, defeats,... Lovestories with happy - and some less happy - endings... People meeting, people saying goodbye...
One day I will be back in this city, with my own dreams!
But untill then, I will just look back at those pictures and imagine all the magic that is going on over there. And the tiny lights.
