I'm in a New York State of Mind

I don't have any reasons, I left them all behind, I'm in a New York State of mind - Billy Joel

On the bus to New York, we were travelling down the motorway in the dark. On either side of the road, the night sky stretched far and the bus was engulfed in this darkness. Perhaps it was the lack of headphones for most of my journey or maybe it was the dark, but I found myself in a very contemplative state about my longing for the familiarity of home. I wouldn't describe it as homesickness, but there was a longing for home and a longing for the people who make London a place that I love with every fibre of my being. As this longing burned within me, the buildings of the city began to rip through the night sky and suddenly the bus wasn’t as dark, it was illuminated by New York City. I realised then that I felt at home here and the longing for London burnt out. Born and bred in a city, I cannot shy away from my cosmopolitan core. I love escaping into the country but it is in cities where I feel most at home.

            Although Washington is a ‘city’, it doesn’t feel like one, as it is such a transient place. I couldn’t compare Washington to New York or London. The city clears out on the weekends as everybody leaves after having finished their week of work, rendering the city to feel more like a town (with the addition of tourists) than a big bustling city. I love Washington, but it cannot compare to a big city. This was why when I arrived in New York, I felt so at home. We spent 5 days in New York, the holiday for President’s Day allowed the trip to be a very long weekend. I stayed with my roommate, Oona, at her family home on Long Island, and the days flew by in a blink of an eye. It wasn’t only the fact that I fell in love with the city that made the weekend so special; it was also the stay with Oona’s family. I am a creature of home comforts, and therefore there is something so special to me about being in a home. Oona’s family treated me like they’d known me forever and made me feel like I was part of the family. For this, my gratitude is endless. I could write reams and reams on how thankful I am to Oona, but I’ll save it as she is usually the first person to read my posts (hi Oona) and also because she deserves a whole post of her own (watch this space).

Some highlights/thoughts from the trip –

            I wanted to check Times Square off my touristy to-do list because it’s so iconic. Standing in the middle of the square, you’re surrounded by bright billboards. There was something about this that had me in awe; it was such an extreme of the world that we live in today. The place stenches of 21^st century commercialism. A sculpture of golden hearts in the shape of a ring had been installed in the square; it was symbolic of a love affair with Times Square. I myself couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it. Oona and I were stood in the middle of the sculpture, soaking in the vibrancy of Times Square when we witnessed a proposal happen about 2 feet away from us. It was a true New York moment.

I could have stared at this forever

            I also really loved the MoMa, The Museum of Modern Art, as I always feel like modern art museums are really fun places to visit. The museum contains some really iconic work by artists such as Andy Warhol and Van Gogh, but I often find that the really iconic artworks are somewhat anticlimactic to see in person because we are familiarised to seeing them. Therefore, it wasn’t the iconic pieces that make the MoMa so spectacular to me, but rather it was their more modern exhibitions. There’s something so enjoyable about looking at modern art and playing the “what does it mean” game, there was a live piece that we couldn’t quite figure out the meaning behind. I feel like the MoMa is a museum that one could continually revisit, it offers such a wide range of modern art which prompt an endless depth of possible interpretations.

            After spending a few days exploring the city, we drove into The Hamptons for a more relaxed day. Although it was off-season in The Hamptons (many of the restaurants were closed and it was a bit of a ghost town) we managed to find a cute place for lunch called Margarita Grille. After going on a drive and a very short walk on the beach (it was -15 degrees), we settled in on a table by the fireplace for a really lovely meal. There was something about this whole day that we spent on West Hampton Beach that had me feeling elated. It was a combination of my growing love for New York, as well as the vibe in The Hamptons.

            Despite it being some of the coldest weather I have ever experienced, it was an amazing weekend that filled me to the brim with warmth. When I left Philadelphia a few weekends ago and arrived back in Washington, I felt a flood of relief at being back home. I realised that this meant Washington officially felt like a home to me. However, when I left New York yesterday afternoon and arrived in Washington that evening, I felt like I had left a city behind that I could very easily call home. New York could very potentially rival my love for London.  

- Roop xx

Spending the weekends

The teaching here in America is fairly different to what I’m used to back home, I am trying to become accustomed to the constant examination with quizzes, pop quizzes, short papers, group assignments, presentations and essays, as well as balancing the preparatory reading for my classes. It is easy to get caught up with the day-to-day cycle of college life and stay on campus. However, I want to ensure that as well as studying, I continue exploring. Thus, I am trying to ensure that weekends spent in Washington are noteworthy and contain new experiences.

The weekend spent in snow…

It was a Thursday evening when we all received the e-mails and text alerts, we buzzed in unison with our phones; school had been cancelled in light of the upcoming arrival of snowstorm Jonas. The concept of being snowed in was a novelty to me, as back home the most snow I had witnessed was about four inches. I was part of the crowd at the grocery store stocking up on food for the weekend, but I was also an outsider in this crowd. I observed the masses of people clearing out the shelves in this liminal state, it struck me that a grocery store had ran out of vegetables, eggs, frozen pizzas, and most of their fruit because people were stocking up as if though we were approaching a zombie apocalypse.

It was on Friday that Jonas arrived, a soft layer of snow began to caress the pavements as I made my way to a basketball game. A few hours of eating pizza and watching GW win on the court later, an exodus of students left the arena out into a blizzard of snow. Over the weekend, the city fell still under the weight of the weather. From this stillness, there was an eruption of joy. 

The National Mall was beautiful, the snow adorned the monuments and the usual bustle of tourists was replaced by students sledging down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. We even ventured out as far as the Jefferson Memorial, which proved to be quite the task considering I was walking in knee deep snow. We slipped, we fell, we laughed and we felt the cold in all of its glory. The city suited the snow, it somehow transformed into a place even more picturesque. I spent the weekend going on walks and then seeking refuge from the cold outside by drinking hot chocolate at the flat and watching movies.

The incredible amount of snow that fell in the city appeared surreal to me. Despite having enjoyed the weekend, it is easy to romanticise the weather from the advantageous position that I am in; with shelter, food and warmth. The weather definitely grounded me in appreciation for the simple things in life that we have been blessed with. 

The weekend spent hiking…

            A few weeks later we escaped the city to go on a hike with GW trails (a hiking club) in Rock Creek Park. The trees were barren without their leaves and the air was bitter cold, but it was beautiful. We hiked for 15 miles and by the time we returned, we were freezing but it felt worth it. I'll definitely be going on more hikes. I'll leave some pictures that pretty much sum up the entire day of walking. 

Whether it was the snow or the hiking, both weekends were a great break from everything. They provided me with a new way of exploring Washington and I hope that I will continue to find new ways to do so. 

- Roop xx 

An ode to instant communication

It's officially a month since I've been away from London. The month has been punctuated with multiple texts and calls across the Atlantic. The pixels of my face are decoded and streamed across the ocean, delivered to the screens that are held in the hands of my nearest and dearest, just as I receive the images of their wonderful faces. Without the ability to do this, I would miss my family and friends an unfathomable amount. 

Before I left for the US, I was sat surrounded by piles of clothes I needed to fold up and take with me, and Adele's Hometown Glory started playing from my playlist. She sings "the people I've met are the wonders of my world", the lyrics felt so profound in that moment. 

Oh the people I've met are the wonders of my world, are the wonders of my world, are the wonders of this world. 

Her lyrics flooded me with appreciation for the people in my life and as I emerged from this appreciation to take some air, I was hit with the fear of being alone in a place without them all. My excitement for my semester abroad was momentarily knocked out by fear. 

          In some sense, my fear was not misplaced. Moving away can pull the common ground that you are stood on with some of your friends from under your feet, you're left plummeting into an unfamiliar space  where both parties are at a loss of what to say. However, I largely had no reason for my fear. For those who matter, nothing has changed at all. I can pick up my phone and the distance between us dissipates. 

I've been able to have lunch with my sister numerous times (although Jevan is usually eating dinner when it is lunch time here). We pretty much talk constantly, on every form of communication that may exist because I would be at a complete loss on how to function if I don't speak to my sister everyday. We simultaneously snapchat, text, FaceTime and write letters to each other - this may or may not be a slight exaggeration. I talk to my best friends all the time and sometimes I feel like they're here with me. I've even been able to go grocery shopping with my best friend. Serena patiently waited for me to pay and then I carried her home as I juggled my Whole Foods bags in one hand and my phone in the other. 

I feel like my life is moving at 100mph here and I've been able to keep my loved ones in the loop thanks to Skype, FaceTime, Messaging and the unsung hero that is Oovoo (it's a group video calling app that has been amazing for the girls and I). I understand the complaints that perhaps our generation is far too attached to our devices, we're cuffed to our phones and chained to our computers. Yet, this attachment has emancipated me from the weight of homesickness that I had anticipated. I am truly thankful that I have been able to be so connected to everyone back home, so thankful that I could sing an ode to instant communication. 

- Roop xx