Closer to My Dreams

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here: New York.

Sure, we had occasional deterrence, most notably the flight delay, but we also had occasional triumph, like being lucky enough to complete our flight without any prior landings due to chaotic weather. But, we are here now. I am here now.

It's a lot to take in.

And, it's been an exceptionally long ride. Just today, through the early wake-up, the air-time, the shuttles to and from, the hotel check-in, and the extravagant dinner, I've had an entirely overboard rousing. But it is, and has been, all worth it, and I assume that as an immutable concept. Because, New York is an entirely different experience than California. I thought I was prepared for it; I thought I knew the contrast prior to arriving.

And, it didn't hit me for a while. The fact that I was in New York, within driving distance of my dream school and upcoming summer school, didn't quite register within my mind for a while. In fact, I didn't really catch on until, en route to the Empire Hotel, I snatched a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline--beauty.

I thought.

The street names are completely altered. The thematic courses of avenues, roads, boulevards, and the like follow a more traditional European style. Foreign undertones are widely noticed. Yellow lights are actually green lights in disguise. The differences are ground-breaking coming from a California life. Sure, I'm used to the city. But, I am not accustomed to The City; the heart of the East Coast is pumping vivaciously. I feel it.

The first day, which has been a night, to be fair, in New York is beyond my bewilderment. It provides a sense of simultaneous awe, fear, and curiosity--emotions I intent to embrace whole-heartedly in the hours, days, and weeks to come. I can muster only excitement, with a touch of exhaustion, from my initial N.Y. experience. The first impressions are felt and now comes the fun part. But, New York raises one immense question.

Where will I begin?