First sight

The plane eased downward through the clouds as the pilot announced our descent into the New York City area. I looked out the window at the gray and white mass of clouds wondering if I would be able to see much of the city from the air. The crowded plane murmured and chirped as the passengers prepared for the landing.

Suddenly the clouds broke away and the sky was clear, the setting sun bright over the land. I saw some buildings and roads…then water…and then a thin green figure far below. Green figure? OMG, the Statue of Liberty?! YES! That’s the Statue of Liberty! And Ellis Island! And that’s Manhattan!

The rigid and crowded cityscape of New York rose sharply from the flat water and I gawked at the chaotic browns and grays of the buildings. I couldn’t believe all the buildings and roads…this was New York City…this was my new home.

The plane turned and my view of the city was blocked by the wing. A moment later we were bouncing on the runway…and soon I was standing outside the airport repeating my address over and over in my head so I could confidently tell it to the taxi driver.

As I rode in the cab towards Manhattan, the tall peaks of the buildings were constantly in view in the distance. I looked at everything trying to absorb it all; a tall man carrying a load of roses, two police officers chatting on the sidewalk, a guy on a skateboard pushing past cars at a stoplight, a woman pulling a dog in a wagon. Everything was New York and I felt like I had so much to learn.

I crossed the street to me new apartment building smiling like a kid. I was excited, but a part of my brain was refusing to believe it all and assured me this was a dream. I was in New York…to live in New York…to start some kind of new life in New York.