My favorite exercise will always be exploring New York City and walking. No trains. No buses. No taxis. No headphones. Cellphone in my pocket, and to bring my professional camera as my perfect solo companion while holding hands with my curiosity. Feeling comfortable while walking alone is the best gift. It is beautiful to enjoy your own company.
An old friend complained about how boring it was waiting or walking alone around in this beautiful city, and to me, that was a crazy statement because New York City taught me lessons just by walking its streets. Luckily, I had never lived in New York; I had always lived in the neighboring state. So therefore, I embraced New York as a tourist. As a lucky permanent tourist, I appreciated the city’s best during the day’s commute, and then at night, I retrieved to a better, much quieter place—the perfect balance.
But how could anyone be bored with New York City? It has to be a person living in La-La-Land constantly without appreciating uniqueness. Don’t they see art? Architecture? Human interactions tell hidden stories of their country’s background with their body language, different accents, and eye contact. The chaotic noise? Which could be music or bad poetry for some, depending on who is doing the listening.
We are all looking down on the world’s problems with despair. While looking at our cellphones, the absolute master of modern time, let’s try turning off our cellphones on a weekend morning, taking a walk by ourselves on a beautiful Spring morning, buying ourselves a professional camera, join the “crazy crowd” by walking alone, and start looking up. Who knows? You might discover new things about yourself. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes because once you find the comfort of exploring this city on your own, you might discover the side effect that you have fallen madly in love with the best version of New York City.
