Live From New York: Part One

Ever have a couple of days that blur together in a good way. When I got on the Long Island Rail Road two days ago I was still 50 miles away from Manhattan but, I instantly experienced an information overload. First newbie mistake, purchased an off peak ticket during peak hours, paid with a crisp twenty, and the freaking machine gave me back ten quarters. A homeless man walks up and asks for a $1.25 to catch the bus, I reach in my pocket and hand him approximately eight quarters, or so I thought until, when I pulled out my ticket and realized that I had received gold dollar coins, not quarters from the machine. Sensing a Karma refund during this trip. Of course, by this point, I can see the train pulling up to the station and I have to frantically bags and all purchase a new ticket from the kiosk, but I make it.
The girls on the train were very Staten Island, at least, according to what I’ve seen MTV’s True Life: I’m From Staten Island. They were very tan, had obnoxious nasal accents, wore too much make up, were dressed to impress, and somehow it was all very alluring. For the first time in months, I listened to my iPod without skipping songs, I just let the soundtrack happen, I found some of it very fitting for the occasion.

Ben Folds – Learn to Live With What You Are
Wings – Maybe I’m Amazed
Sloan – Everything You Are
Spoon - Everything Hits at Once
Alice in Chains – I Am Inside
Notorious BIG – Juicy
Prince – When Doves Cry

I should back up, I have never been to NYC until now. Growing up in LA, I had the west coast attitude that NYC was just a more dangerous, cold, crowded, expensive version of Los Angeles without cars, and yes it is scary, cold, congested, hella expensive, and the majority of cars seem to be taxis. In LA though, I could never land at an airport 50 miles from downtown, and in 70 minutes be there for only ten bucks.
Climbing the stairs out of the subway, I felt dwarfed by the buildings, only when I looked straight up could I see the sky. I schlepped my bags from Penn Station to my hotel five blocks away and on the way walked by no fewer than 8 Sbarro’s, 2 H & M’s, 2 Footlockers, 15 ATMs, and 1 Empire State Building. It was 25 degrees outside, but I never felt cold, the adrenaline from jumping into the current of people hoping I was walking the right direction for 20 minutes kept me warm. I already know, that I going to need to come back. It’s overwhelming, I’ve only been in Manhattan five minutes, and I’m already running late 23 years.