Bright 1 Dionna L. Bright Professor Ingram English 1101 Sec.

3 5 August 2013 Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothin' you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York -Empire State of Mind x Jay Z and Alicia Keys

I could still remember popping sensation and the ache in my ears from the high elevation of the airplane ride. I knew that I was tired and exhausted, but at the same time I felt a sort of excitement at the new arrival. As I got off the plane the cold brisk air surrounded me and my breath illuminated as I exhaled. I looked around at my equally fatigued but excited friends. My best friend and I looked at each other, knowing and in perfect unison we yelled NY HERE WE COME!. I couldn't describe the joy I felt in that moment and how enthusiastic I was about the plans that lay ahead. After the plane ride it had taken almost another hour to get through security and find our tour guide, Kamau, and begin our day. We rode on a bus and I gazed out the window and soaked in all of the sights around me while our tour guide pointed out places like Grand Central Park, The Apple Store,

Bright 2 Radio City Music Hall and much more. New York City was wildly full of unique people with wide ambitions, dreams, and wonders. My best friend sitting beside me sighed and said Im destined for this place I smiled at him feeling the same way and thinking how I'd be living here one day, but truly not knowing that I'd soon have a change of heart. My art teacher Mrs. Burwell was being nice that day and after the bus dropped us all off on 49th street she let us roam the city by ourselves for two hours. My friends and I walked around in awe. We all had our first experiences eating New York pizza not being able to stop smiling and giggling at each other cause it was just that good. We roamed subway stations and just walked around staring at the skyscrapers, the unique people and the famous buildings we recognized from movies. We all shook our heads and said things like this is unreal, this is crazy, omg Im in New York. I looked to my friends and smiled as we journeyed around the city, grabbing slices of New York pizza and going to tourists shops to get original "I LOVE NY" shirts. That first day was extremely tiring from all the walking, the sights and the smells. As the hours passed by I began starting to feel more out of my element than in awe. I've always been the type to smile at strangers, and coming from North Carolina I was used to people smiling back; NY was a different experience. The streets were so crowded that there wasn't even space for an ant to crawl. The masses were aggressive, practically throwing themselves in front of cars and running into the next person while rushing to get to their destination. I realized that I couldn't lag behind my tour guide and try to smile at everyone I passed by. I had to keep up with the hustle and bustle of NY. My friends had to make the same adjustment so walking through the city we created a human chain so that, as Mrs. Burwell said No Child Left Behind. The day was long and even though I had been so enthusiastic to get to NY that morning I was now feeling tired and not enjoying the new surroundings and city as much. We finally got off the streets of NY and arrived at the MET museum.

Bright 3 The afternoon dragged on while my eyelids fluttered, feeling heavy while I strongly attempted to keep them open. You'd think that all the noise and people would keep me from my slumber but it only did more to make me feel more exhausted and tired. I felt nauseous from the thick air and had continuous thoughts of returning home. It was only my first day in the city and I did not want to feel so fatigued and tired. The MET museum was so crowded and we had already been there for two hours. My best friend and I had found a bench to sit on because we were so tired. I knew I'd have to hear it from Mrs. Burwell but I didn't care as my eyes closed and I fell asleep. Day two in New York City and I was a little more prepared for my surroundings. By this time I had gotten used to the rude people, the crowded streets and the tall buildings that made me feel so small and inferior. My new experience was riding a subway. Ive actually been to New York and rode on the subway before this experience but I was too young to remember it. The streets of NY were hectic and wild but underground was an entire new story. Walking down those steps into the subway station was like entering a new world. The air was thick and filled with smells of pee, perfume, food, feces, must, and more unpleasant and sometimes pleasant smells combined together to make up the subway aroma. It was crowded beyond belief causing my classmates and I to create another human chain. While we waited for the subway you could see the homeless people squatting, Entertainers playing their drums or singing, loud obnoxious people barking into their phones, and impatient people glancing at their watches. The business was everywhere! When those subway doors open we had zero point five seconds to get on before they closed again. There were more people in the subway station and on the subway than population of people back home in Pittsboro. Once on the subway you were packed between people sitting down or standing up holding onto the poles shoulder to shoulder. I felt like Monk the famous OCD detective on USA, in that I wanted to personally scrub every inch of the subway before I laid my hands anywhere. I quietly died inside while I was holding onto one of the nasty poles wanting to cry because it was too packed for me to get my wipes out of my bag. I was slightly salty once

Bright 4 we got off the subway and was relieved when we returned to the streets of New York. Subway riding was one of the many things that set NY apart from anything Id ever known or seen in the south. My last day spent in New York my tour guide took us to Times Square and Brooklyn. They couldnt have been more different experiences. When we went to Times Square of course there were masses and never ending crowds of people. Not only the people but everywhere I turned I saw a cartoon or animated character. I got pictures with Hello Kitty, Naked Cowboy, Bumblebee, Jack Sparrow and so many more. Times Square was filled with so much entertainment and unique people. It was the perfect place for tourists but I could also see why natives of New York hated it. My tour guide Kamau explained to us that people who live in New York despise going to Times Square because of the huge amount of tourists that spend their time there. It seemed that Times Square is the extreme part of NY for the people who lived there. It was great but Kamau could tell that we were getting restless so he took us to Brooklyn. I absolutely loved Brooklyn. The streets that day were practically empty. Though it started drizzling when we got to Brooklyn the rain added to the peacefulness. That day we shopped in some of the vintage and consignment shops and ate a Mexican restaurant. I truly enjoyed going to Brooklyn because it balanced out all the hustle and bustle from New York City and it was nice to not see so many people in one place. In New York I did more than just fall asleep in museums and have crazy subway rides. I went to two Broadway shows, I got to ice skate for the first time at the Rockefeller Center, I was able to take selfies on Top of the Rock overlooking the city, I got to roam the sidewalks through Central Park and so many other things. New York was filled with great memories and exciting moments. Even though I loved NY and enjoyed it so much I know that living in New York would never be possible for me. Ive always thought that I hated the south and the country because it was so quiet and peaceful and media made me think that New York was the place for me. But actually having that experience and adventuring

Bright 5 around New York made me appreciate North Carolina that much more. Spring break of 2013 my senior year was an experience Ill never forget. I will always remember how it helped me to understand how different the north and the south really were and appreciate my hometown that much more.