NYC does Sleep and I’m glad

I’m not sure where to start. This place is hard to compare to anywhere else. I haven’t traveled the world and so I may not have enough context to elaborate on everything it has to offer. Still, here is my perspective on the mundane aspects of a place called New York City.

Really, you can find it all here. You’ll rub shoulders with a millionaire that had to take the subway one day perhaps because the traffic wouldn’t allow them to get to their destination on time. Yet, you can see the poorest of poor begging for a brave soul to give them a plate of food.

These stark contrasts are what make it so dynamic and so unique. So many perspectives, so many emotions. A city of dreams to many but a city of misery to some. Access to capital, expensive buildings, cars and clothing run along isolation from mass transit, welfare dependency, subsidized housing and trash scavengers.

You can have all sorts of conversations. Some can be unpleasant when a mentally unstable person yells a threatening message in the restaurant you are eating at. Others can be very profound. From the idiosyncratic college student with an idealistic mind to the overpaid professional that takes mostly everything in life for granted. You can learn from everyone and if you open yourself enough you can have exchanges you never imagined.

One of my most touching experiences was a conversation with a man I once met at City Hall Park while having lunch. At first a very coherent man, he later showed signs of some mental instability. He was always calm and for an hour we spoke about everything from the status of the economy to how he had to go to meet with the president of the United States, the CEO of Goldman Sachs and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. It was an enlightening experience because even though some sentences were choppy or didn’t make a lot of sense, he paused to explain and wrote down on a piece of paper he was carrying the tips for a successful marriage. He then asked me to recite these with my wife once I got home prior to saying goodbye.

You can talk to a millennial whose career focuses on sustainable urban planning or to a baby boomer who paints a negative picture of a place where the average person cannot dream to make ends meet.

It’s a vibrant place. It’s inspiring, it’s depressing, it’s every feeling you can possibly imagine. Perhaps driven by the level of interaction with people from all walks of life or maybe by the introverted thoughts that run through your mind while you listen to music during a crowded subway ride back from work.

It has a lot of smells. Your nose can be overwhelmed at any given point by a combination of the smell of trash on the sidewalk in the summer heat or the distracting and inviting smell of someone’s $200 dollar perfume or succulent street food.

Oh the food — you can eat anything from absolutely anywhere. You can test your limits by trying the spiciest dishes and strongest drinks you have ever had. You can get to know different cultures through their food, ethnic music from a street musician or by reading into someone’s eyes. You can experience bad days, exhilarating celebrations and people that become indifferent about life just by being aware of your surroundings.

Perhaps I have traveled the world.

Thank you New York, thank you.