Turbulence abated 0
I had a certain amount of fear about returning to NYC. Within hours of arriving, I remembered why I left. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to rip the “I love NY” bumper sticker off my car. I am ready to call California home.
Turbulence made my redeye sleepless but my eyes were open to constant reminders of what makes New York, New York. A Hasidic Jew held the door to the AirTran elevator for the male in front of me, got in, then let the door almost shut on my face. A baby screamed on the A train while we were stuck in a tunnel with a broken down train blocking our route.
When I finally got above ground at Wall Street, I realized I didn’t fit in… now or then. My big hair and jeans represented my carefree attitude. I stopped by my old office and I was greeted by a sea of unhappy corporate slaves. My laughter carried across the floor and strangers popped up from their cubicles like prairie dogs trying to determine who was having fun.
I wandered up The Street past bomb sniffing dogs and rifles to explore the Medici exhibit at Federal Hall. Bleary-eyed and hungry, Wall Street Pete dragged me past the new WTC subway stop to an Irish pub for pre-lunch beers. Less than two hours later, I was on Fifth Avenue visiting my stylist. That evening, I went to a friend’s book release party at a swanky apartment on the upper west side.
“Would you trade the Pacific Ocean for that?” my co-author friend asked as I looked at the Hudson and New Jersey.
The remainder of my visit was spent battling slow tourists on sidewalks, waiting for subways and cabs, and visiting friends. I no longer have a fear of New York. It was never a long-term career destination. I did it and I got out. I survived. Now I can go back and rediscover why New York is the great city it is…without having to live there again.