I want to go to there

NYC. New York City. The Big Apple. The city that never sleeps.
I always wanted to go.
Now I'm here.

At first I was hesitant whether I'd really like it. The 15 hour travel, the 2.5 hours in immigration, he endless cab ride to Manhattan through the desolation of Queens on which I'd almost fallen asleep, the crappy hole that our rented apartment turned out to be - it was getting to me. But when we ventured out to find water and food that same night I was immediately appeased. And now, five days later, the apartment is still disgustingly crappy and we're going to check today whether we can move to our Brooklyn hotel earlier than planned - but I love this city. I absolutely live it. Not all of it. But the parts that I like I really like.

The grime and dirt I was fearing before I came? Nothing. My skin is as happy as a clam here.

I thought I'd have to make more of an effort to look good when leaving the house. But I could go out in my fucking pyjamas and no one would blink an eye. I have never felt this comfortable in my body. Because I don't think about it all that much. Because people here don't stare. They don't give you weird looks when you're wearing your funny zebra hat. (On a side note: we've found great clothes here!)

They don't laugh when you start dancing to the music of the band playing in the subway station. Instead they smile at you. They are not opposed to sharing a table with or talking to strangers. They are curteous! They queue almost as well as the British. I have not once been jostled in a crowd since we arrived (except by tourists).

Our doorman put a NYT in front of our door today - because he thought we'd be interested in DADT news. We're basically close to tears half the time because we're so touched by how nice and lovely and helpful these people are.

The bad sides? Sure, there are some. We didn't like Soho/Noho. Its hard to find healthy food. We don't speak conductor and the notices in the subway are odd. The subway is fine but getting to the right platform is hard.

Sure, there's the issue of politics/the system, but that's both a separate blog post and not a NYC issue but a nationwide one.

Thus I can wholeheartedly say:
New York, I love you.