I Love Commuting (and I live in NYC)

Escaping the cold air that mercilessly nips at my nose, I jog down the stairs the Main Street Station and slip out my yellow MetroCard. The turnstile unlocks as I swipe the card through the silver slit.

“This is a Times Square, 42nd street-bound 7 express train. The next stop is Mets-Willets Point. Stand clear of the closing doors, please.” A few stragglers quicken their paces and sprint into the car just before the ding-dong, signaling the door close. The metal doors close shut with a swift click, and the subway is off to the iconic stadium, home to the team that almost made it.

Growing up in New York City, I was not given the opportunity to learn the foreign art that was driving. Thus, I became a master at navigating the complex transportation system that the city is infamous for. The 7 train acts as my “home line”: the one line that takes me closest to home. It also takes me to the most diverse places that New York City is characteristic of.

Each subway stop gives me the opportunity to observe those who board and depart, and the changing landscape of each neighborhood. The contrast between the modern, sleek Citi Field stadium against the neighboring Willets Point street and its industrial, decaying businesses, with little to no passengers at the station unless a game is on. Jackson Heights and its astounding diversity, represented by the melange of skin tones that board the train. Hunters Point Avenue of the quickly gentrifying Long Island City, with hip, young, urban professionals.

Growing up in the quintessential melting pot has greatly affected me as the leader I am now and the stronger leader I strive to be. I was raised to understand that there are many different types of people around me, and that it is vital to accept them into the homogeneous society America strives to be. I have been so fortunate to learn and understand to coexist with everyone to the best of my ability, regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, or any other difference that may pose as a barrier or challenge, because I know for a fact that these minuscule differences have no effect on their abilities to work hard.

The nearest subway station is a thirty-minute bus ride away from home, $2.75 each way. Home is Fresh Meadows, Queens- the picturesque 1950s-suburb on the edge of the city that never sleeps. Although the quiet, suburban environment has nurtured my growth, I go into the city because it is hectic, lively, and doesn’t stop for anyone or anything. Never constant, always changing, with new ideas, new people, and new occurrences at every minute. I have always had a compelling desire to work in a fast-paced, bustling environment- to step outside of my comfort zone and branch out to explore new possibilities. Perhaps that is why 2,500 miles away from home in California, I will feel right at home.

When asked to find a happy place, most responses consist of luxurious, sprawling beaches or curled up in bed at home. For me, it’s commuting.

I check my watch. 8:11 AM. The train is damp, crowded, and full of grumpy individuals, often running late, who long to be back in bed. I let out a small smile- this is my happy place.