Well New York, that was a weather-crazy Monday, huh?! I mean, thunderstorms at 8 in the morning?! With full on thunder and lightning and some seriously good-sized raindrops coming down with a purpose, that's for sure! But I can't lie...I really liked it. I mostly loved it for the wonderful cool air we were left with as each storm passed after these last few days of sticky heat and humidity, but I find summer rains to be quite relaxing, whether they be storms, sun showers (of which we had a GREAT one tonight!), or plain ol' rain (though that's my least favorite of the three), I find it to be so relaxing! And this isn't quite the norm for me...Usually I'm the kind of person who really only likes rain on lazy weekend afternoons off when nothing is required of me other than couch sitting, pajama wearing, movie watching and sleeping. But during the summer it's different I think because during the summer, like on days like today, the sun doesn't fully go away and even if the rain is coming down hard like it did this afternoon when I got out of class it somehow seems more forgiving. It's less of a menacing weather condition that's out to make our lives miserable, but more of a welcoming refresher amidst the rising temperatures and humidity index. I don't know...A day of summer rain like this makes me happy, even when I don't have an umbrella. Or rain boots. (Don't own either of them. It'll go on my priority list one of these days...!)
Am I sounding crazy? I feel like I might be sounding a little crazy. Well, long story short, I liked the weather today. Okay! So...good talk!
Kidding. Though I really don't have too much to say tonight. I took a walk after dinner though for the first time in awhile. I do a lot of walking here in the city. I love it. I love that there are always new things to see, no matter how many times I take a certain route. Though I really like to switch up my routes and see different sights...Keeps things more interesting! Anyway, I took a walk after dinner tonight because I ate dinner early for some reason, the sun was coming in from behind some recent rain clouds all golden and prettily and I was getting antsy in my apartment. So out I went! The East River is close to my apartment so I called Dad and moseyed (WEIRD spelling...whoa) on over to the water. I am very glad I did. It was a stunning evening!
Guys, I love this city. But I love the water. Like, I LOVE being by the water. No place is more relaxing to me. Oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds...Whatever I can get I take because there's only so much unforgiving concrete and angularity a person can take before they need to take in some different, calmer vibes for a minute. Not that I don't love this city for all that it is; I've lived here for three years now and I'm still awestruck at the sheer magnitude of this place. It's truly incredible and I'm thankful for it and humbled by it every single day. But when I need a change of pace, being by the water is where I'm able to fully, fully find quiet. That's why I'm grateful that the people who planned out this city did such a great job with taking into account that nature is kind of an important part of life! Between Central Park and the two waterfront parks that I've explored, I've found several spots that are my automatic go-to's that never fail me and allow me to feel a little bit removed from the craziness of the city streets.
So tonight I walked over to the East River after dinner, chatting with Dad, and totally drank in the beauty of the waterfront. It's the most scenic stretch of the river, but with the Queensboro Bridge right to the left (I thiiiiink it's that one), boats coming going, and the reflection of the sun setting in the post-storm pink and periwinkle clouds, yup, that's all I needed! Pair with all of that with a cool, salty breeze and I could have been on vacation! (Except not at all, but for the moment it's good enough!)
As I was walking back I was TOTALLY amazed at how incredibly amazing tonight's sunset was, and was TOTALLY bummed that I was, like, 13 avenues away from the opposite side of the island. It was all I could do to turn left at 1st Ave and get myself back to my apartment...I've been known to run down the street--yes, run--to catch the full sunset. Like one time I was taking one of my favorite theater jazz classes at Broadway Dance Center. It was from 4-6 PM and we were maybe 40 minutes into the class and we were on the floor stretching facing the back of the room. It was a crowded class and I was close to the door...I looked through the little window of the door out the bigger window outside the studio and foresaw a gorgeous sunset just by how the colors were already starting to distribute across the sky. Instantly I decided I had no choice but to see it before I went back downtown. Class was great, and then right when it was over I grabbed my bag, threw on my clothes, left the building as fast as I could and took off down the street toward the Hudson. Full on run, which is a little difficult with a huge dance bouncing off your shoulder. But run I did because I did not want to be missing this sight, being so close that evening. Out the door of BDC I kept going right down 45th street only to find that my view was going to be blocked by piers and docks and things I totally didn't account for. So down the Hudson I ran until I finally found a stretch with a clearing. I was really not looking cute at all during this fast-paced commute, I passed a few police officers along the way who probably thought I was some kind of crazy, and was no match for the runners and the cyclists making their evening exercise rounds beside me on the path, but once I got there, all out of breath and red in the face, it was worth it. I stood there for maaaaaybe 7 minutes. Ish. Give or take a few. I wasn't there long, as it was already starting to get dark and I was ready to get home--I then realized that I was going to have to walk a ways to a subway line, as NOTHING runs over to 12th avenue...so dumb. But it was worth it. Those quick moments of beauty can't be passed up and sunsets are my favorite ones. I could sit and watch them until the the last ray of light vanishes below the horizon, which is saying something as patience is absolutely not a virtue I have naturally. But sunsets, like the water, make me calm and happy. They don't last forever and every single one is different, so when I'm able to witness a truly stunning one (like what I saw of tonight's...holy cow, too incredible!) I do what I can to hold on to that minute or two and fully take in everything about it that I can. What the color scheme is. How the colors feed into and around the clouds. The shapes of the clouds. What my favorite part about the overall composition in front of me is. (Geez, that is such the artist in me talking. Haha!)
But I'm really going to have to live on the west side at some point or another so that I don't have to guess about what the big picture looks like from the little bit I see from the far east end of 20th Street and can more easily have access to it. I don't think island-wide sprints can really turn into a regular thing ;)
I think I just rambled your eyes off about the weather. The epitome of small-talk conversation topics. (I told you I had nothing to say!) Weather. Water. Sunsets. You've gotta love it all in the summertime :) Stay cool and keep smiling, friends! Here's to a great rest of the week!
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