As the 5th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I couldn’t help but remember the trip I made to NYC in mid 2002. Barely nine months after the tragedy, being there generated a mixture of different emotions. The trip was for a friend’s wedding but I knew I also was looking forward to seeing ground zero. I wanted to stand right
by the hole and feel it. And I did. It was surreal. It was almost too quiet. Quite a contrast to what I was imagining. But I felt the strength of the community nonetheless. I’m really grateful for having experienced it. This photo, by the way, was taken on the rooftop of a friend’s condo building. I was also told amazing stories. Can you imagine living a couple of blocks away from where this incident happened? That must’ve been quite a thing to go through…

The friends I was hanging out with really made my trip worthwhile. It was my first visit and I haven’t gone back since. In fact, I miss it. Even though I’m now comfortable living in the country, I know I’m still a big city boy at heart. For some odd reason, I’m just naturally drawn to the hustle and bustle of a large metropolis. I drove down to Denver last week and was amazed at how everything is just right in front of you. You seem to forget a lot when you live out in the sticks. Though in a good way. It kinda clears your mind of a lot of junk!

Anyhow, I just wanted to mention how awesome that trip was. A friend of mine, Ryan, and I drove from Atlanta. Yep, awesome drive as well… except for the toll gate every couple of miles. That sucked big time! Oh well…

But I fell in love with the city. I mean, talk about diversity. I lived in L.A. for 14 years and I thought L.A. was diverse. It is, but NYC was way more. Probably because it is smaller and more condensed. But I just love that in a place. You have access to the whole world in your neighborhood. The culture, the character… it’s everywhere. Coffee beans by the pound, loose tea leaves, ethnic cuisine, delis, bohemian shops, bookstores, record stores, Soho, East village, Broadway, Letterman… I could go on and on, but… it’s bedtime. 🙂

Okay, so maybe I should share some more pictures from the trip before I sign off. Check it out.

Night night…