Monday, June 30, 2014

New York, Here I Come!

In less than two months I'm going to do what, to me, used to be the unthinkable: take a vacation. I used to think that I'd rather be trapped in an elevator with Justin Bieber and Honey Boo Boo's entire family than go on a vacation. Even when I watch TV, I can't relax; I just keep thinking about all the work that I still have to do. I didn't think I'd be able to deal with several days off, because I rarely take even just one day off.

The last time I did any real traveling was when I participated in a study abroad program in Spain; that was thirteen years ago, when I was twenty. Most of my classmates slept or sunbathed all day and then went barhopping at night with American tourists. I walked up and down the streets of the city I lived in, ate tapas at Spanish bars, visited Barcelona and Bilbao, went to museums, talked to Spaniards (who were amused by my clumsy attempts at Spanish), almost converted to a new religion before I finally realized what they were talking about (I'm not making that up), and wrote down everything I saw and experienced in my journal. I resolved that when I got older, I'd continue traveling and see the world.

I didn't. Instead I got my master's degree and started teaching high school students, half of whom cursed me out or started fights in class; the other half showed me poems and rap lyrics they wrote and confided in me about their problems with other students and their families.

I went on to teach college students during the day, where I had to deal with students who acted like Kim Kardashian had just been elected president when I gave them B's. I worked in a bookstore and a clothing store at night. I had the money to travel, but I didn't have the time.

I traveled to Kentucky to review AP literature exams. I traveled to New Orleans and St. Louis for weddings. I went to my parents' home in another state twice a year; lately I've had to go there more often to help them with personal issues, and I even had to give up my spring break one year for them. But I haven't gone anywhere that was just for me. 

Now I'm in my thirties and I think back to that twenty-year-old girl I used to be, the one who didn't work all the time and was eager to soak up as much of life as she could. I stopped being that person several years and several jobs ago. I think that working two or three jobs, seven days a week, for so long drained me and turned me into a neurotic workaholic.

Last year when I was going to my parents' house to take care of their dogs so that they could go on a vacation, I thought about how unfair it was that I never got to go on my own vacations. And then I thought, what's stopping me now? I have the money and I have the time. So why not go?

I chose New York because I've read so many books and seen so many TV shows and movies that are set in New York. I also heard that you don't need a car to get around the city, which is good because I usually don't stop shrieking until I take my hands off the steering wheel.

So I finally booked a trip to New York for the end of August. I reserved a room for four nights in Chinatown, partly because it's on my list of places I want to see. I also want to see Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and that Serendipity cafe from that John Cusack movie. I want to eat New York style pizza (though I still think Chicago-style pizza is the best), buy an "I Heart New York" T-shirt and be the stereotypical New York tourist. I also kind of want to dance on that giant keyboard in Fao Schwartz like Tom Hanks did in Big. I'm not bringing any work with me, and yet somehow I think I'll be able to relax. I can't wait.

What about you? What's your dream vacation?

15 comments:

  1. I went to New York a couple of summers ago as a vacation, and I can tell you, it was awesome. I think you'll have a great time. New York is very inspiring for a writer, too, so that's an added bonus!

    My current dream vacation is to visit Spain, actually! I love the Mediterranean countries I visited in college, but I've never made it to Spain. Your trip makes it sound all the more appealing, so hopefully I'll be able to go someday soon.

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  2. Hi SolariC,
    You should definitely go to Spain; it's so beautiful there and the food is really good. My goal is to go back there someday.
    I'm bringing my journal with me to New York, so that I can visit one of the popular cafes and write there. I always loved the way New York writers described the city, like Nora Ephron did in her essays.

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  3. sounds like a vacation is long over due! take some pics, and please share them with us!!!

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    1. Hi Tammy,
      It's my first official vacation, so I'm very excited. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. The only thing about traveling alone is that it'll be harder to get pictures of myself, but at least I can take pictures of the places I see.

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  4. Congratulations on booking the trip. I think you are going to have a great time. It definitely sounds like you need a great vacation. After all, you have worked so hard, why not spoil yourself a little?

    Thank you so much for commenting on my blog and for following. I am now following your blog too and I can't wait to read more.

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    1. Hi Murees,
      Thank you for following back! I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog too.
      I spent so many years doing little else but working; it'll feel so good to escape that, even for just a few days. I wish I could leave for New York tomorrow, but at least it gives me something to look forward to.

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  5. I can see you looking back. I'm glad you're finally taking a vacation--you need the break! I love NYC. I hope it's not a heatwave when you go. But even if it is, there are plenty of wonderful places to go inside during the hottest part of the day. And you can use your student ID card for museums!

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    1. Hi Theresa,
      Oops! I forgot about the hot summers in New York. I was thinking of going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I want to get one of those Statue of Liberty hats too just in case anyone can't tell that I'm a tourist. :)

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  6. Well done for booking the trip - it definitely sounds like it's long overdue. I'd like to visit New York one day. I expect lots of photos!!

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    1. Hi Annalisa,
      I'll be sure to include photos on my blog, though they may or may not include my thumb in the corner of most of them. :)

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  7. I don't know if it's me or blogger, but lots of my comments keep getting eaten...unless I missed the thing about my comment awaiting blog owner approval. I'm going to send this one as a test.

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  8. Aha! It's BLOGGER's fault! Okay, so what I said in my eaten comment was to have so much fun in NYC! And to check out the hop-on/hop-off double decker bus tours as an economical and fun way to see all the fun things you want to see.

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    1. Hi Nicki,
      Blogger's done the same thing to me; I don't know why it happens. They should have a better website that helps people figure out how to resolve stuff like that. And thanks for the tip about the bus tours! I thought about doing that; I took a double decker bus tour around Barcelona, which was a lot of fun and much easier than trying to take a regular bus or a taxi.

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  9. Yay, New York! Can't wait to hear all about your trip! Especially if you do do the FAO Schwarz keyboard thing :-)

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    1. Hi Deniz,
      I'm looking forward to my trip, especially because it'll give me something new to write about. And I would like to try to do the keyboard thing, though knowing me I'll probably slip and fall. :)

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