When I got to New York it was a crazy experience. My first day was very different, going from having some the best food you can possibly think of to some of the most insane sights you would only have to see to believe; it was like walking in on a half dolphin-half poodle hybrid. I went from the country where we had the air smelling of bonfires and trees and swamps to the smell of disgust and the garbage on the streets. The noise of the cars was deafening but used to it after constant hours of loud blaring horns 24/7. Seeing a man in a speedo claiming the world was ending in 2 weeks. These are the sights of the city that you experience everyday.

If you don’t walk you’re almost never going to get to your destination on time. The way we walk here in Michigan compared to New York is very different because our version of walking is like an old lady in a walker compared to their walking. In New York the culture shock is the biggest difference. You go from a bunch of rednecks with shotguns in every house to Puerto Rican run bodegas, a protest going on in your city and every culture in one.

Gotta love it though; you have some of the best experiences when it comes to the night life. If you decide to go North for the night you can mountain climb to a quiet town and camp. You can go out to a movie, to a diner, or other things like arcades and laser tag just to name a few. In New York it’s best to be the night owl because you get to do more than the early birds.

New York is very accepting of newcomers. If you’re a tourist you’re easily spotted by the locals, it’s like nothing we see phases us while we see you in I *heart* NY shirts acting like a goof ball asking for pop and not soda. It’s always a treat to see how baffled they are by how big everything is compared to the photos their buddy Jerry is giving them. New York has everything to offer and it has always been a great thing in my life to be able to go out there. I’m happy to say that I am part New Yorker everytime I go back; it’s no longer a different feeling to go out there it just feels like it’s part of home.