When you need a connection, go to NYC.
We live in micro-bubble lives. Work, home, our market, schools, where we shop and where we eat, is all a microcosm of this big world. It can be a bit stifling. Sometimes you need to break out and experience the rest of the world. You probably don’t realize it, but you really do. Living in our bubbles is like being in a thick forest – you can’t see the forest for the trees. Exposing yourself to the other 99% of the world will make you appreciate your life (or give you the courage to change it), make you more tolerant, and broaden your ability to love and interact with your fellow humans. It’s good for the soul, and I know of no better place than New York City to do that.
Where Souls Meet
After I got a divorce in 2010, man did I need something for my soul, so I ran to my niece who lived in Brooklyn to get away from Dallas and to heal a little. I was fortunate enough to be working for myself which allowed me to make trips to NY for business and to see my family. During these years of visiting and under the direction of a fabulously liberal New Yorker, I learned the ropes of living – and understanding – the greatest city in the world. My soul fell in love with NYC.
The Marriage Agreement
I remember before I moved to NY, I just couldn’t wrap my mind around how people could live in such small spaces. It didn’t take long, however, for me to fall in love with the density, diversity and energy of this place, learning that people are willing to exchange their overblown mega mansions and large living spaces to have “all this” at their disposal. That was me. I was ready to bond with the world, have it under my nose and available. Space? Highly overrated. I needed so much more than a big house with a pool. And that’s the marriage agreement with NYC; space for the best of the best. So in 2016, I made the leap and moved to NY, to a little neighborhood on the other side of the East River called Brooklyn Heights.
The Art of Living
It was there, on a narrow tree-lined street of historical brownstones, in a 300SF apartment, I learned the art of living small and exploring big. I learned you don’t need a lot of space to entertain. I learned that a really good cook doesn’t need all that kitchen stuff. I learned that 300SF is really all a human needs. I learned to make conversation with strangers (neighbors) on the street, in a bar, at the laundry. I learned the art of relationships, making friends, logistics and organization – which oddly, gave me a sense of self and better control – all the while feeling free to be myself more than ever. My soul was fully activated!
More than a City
During my short time of living the life of a New Yorker (just over 2 years), I amassed thousands of photographs of my adventures and sightings. It became my daily goal to capture a small snap of the essence of the city that has enchanted the world and captured my heart. I invite you to take a peek into my experience of living in New York City through my pictures. My recent gallery is Experience NY but there are several more galleries on NY, so enjoy digging around on the site.
The World’s Community
NYC is not all buildings and people, as you can see, they only provide the backdrop to a beautiful community that includes gardens and parks, amazing food, great wine, good people, beaches and boardwalks, museums and so much more. It’s the best of the best, all sharing, thriving, and living their lives with each other.
Let it be known, I did leave a pretty big piece of my heart there ❤️🗽.
Be sure to visit my gallery at Experience NY and more on LensQueen.com.
