Today I embarked on a journey I have dreamt of taking my entire life: scale the sights of New York City. My excitement, sprinkled with fear, has me curious how my Multiple Sclerosis will handle the task of walking along the loud, crowded streets under hot temperatures and high humidity. Only time will reveal.
Until then, staring down the plane seat in front of me, I will heed the sound advice to sit back, fasten my seat belt, and taste The Big Apple adventure!
CONTINUATION:
With less than a 30 minute lay-over, there was absolutely no time to browse the St. Paul/Minneapolis airport after landing. Arriving at the tail end of Gate F16 required a brisk walk through three concourses to clear the departure for LaGuardia at Gate C8. Barely had time for a quick potty break before boarding, but it could not be compromised (whew!). Fastened in my seat belt for the second time, I took a couple deep breaths, then giggled at the world's tiniest pretzel sitting on my snack tray.
Why, thank you!
Fastened for the third time in my first New York taxi seat belt. What a thrill!
First site to see, after eating a slice of New York pizza from The Original Little Italy on 42nd Street in Manhattan, was my own personal slice of heaven, also known as The New York Public Library (NYPL). The declaration etched in the granite above the Beauty and Truth fountain on the face of the extraordinary building really resonated with me, "But above all things, truth beareth away the victory." Ahhh. So, beautiful; so full of truth.
An underlying theme of "Ghostbusters" actually guided my ventures today. The movie oozes New York sentiment. The iconic opening scene takes place in the Rose Reading Room of NYPL. I was prepared to hike three flights of countless marble stairs to spend quality time gazing in amazement at the detailed architecture. Unfortunately, that room and the Bill Blass Public Catalog Room are currently closed for restoration.
Refusing to step away too disappointed (not even possible), I scoured the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division, thumbed through geneological records in the Milstein Division, then bought a few trinkets in the gift shop.
The Upper West Side tower where Dana (Gatekeeper) and Louis (Keymaster) live in the movie was visible during a carriage ride through Central Park. Then, I was so intrigued hearing the real history of Tavern on the Green that I failed to get a snapshot of it. *sigh*
Day one is drawing to a close. The city never sleeps, and rarely do I. My nostrils smell fried nerves and my legs are nearing the border of cramping. With walking several hours at a fast, steady pace across the distance of a lengthy airport, up numerous flights of stairs, and over 50 uneven city block sidewalks, my foot drop kicked in as I rounded the corner to the hotel. But, tonight I chose not to fasten my seat belt because it will take more than one stumble on the edge of a broken cement slab to keep me from taking another bite of The Big Apple and moving about the cabin.
