NYC the Virgin Trip

Life is definitely too short to miss opportunities, today I boarded NJ Transit and went to Penn Station in NYC.  I have never been there before and I do admit that I faltered a little this morning by procrastinating a bit.

I got off the train and was bombarded by a sea of people, some young, some old.  There were excited faces, weary faces and frankly mean faces. I figured out how to get to the street, and while veteran commuters will scoff at this I can see how this could be daunting. This is not happening in slow motion and you have to be aware of how others are moving, unless you want to wind up in the wrong place or perhaps squashed.

The sounds are intense and varied, cars sirens, many language's all in their own special symphony.  The smells are what I will remember in my dreams.  Chestnuts and other nuts roasting, hot dogs, chicken and of course the bakeries.  I wound around so many different kinds of things while I made my way towards times square that had it not been so very crowded I would have been standing still with my mouth open in awe.

I admired the window displays, found Times Square and eventually Rockefeller Center and the Tree.
Skaters, with Santa on the ice, elves everywhere and more sounds and smells.

I saw a woman buying a "designer bag" from a canvas sack, shared my roasted chestnuts with a stranger and kept walking.  Broadway, fascinated me with the posters and vendors everywhere.  I didn't expect the carnival atmosphere that I previously associated with tropical islands at ports of call.
Tee shirts, souvenirs, and hawkers everywhere

I know now that a previous desire to want to be in Times Square for New Years Eve, is best left as a wish and replaced with a new activity.  It was difficult to move as it was today with sightseers and shoppers, my imagination of this event boggled my mind and I know it is best left to bee seen on TV.

I walked for a little over four hours, without really stopping, there was no place to perch and no real way to stop.  I didn't want to stop either, I just kept looking and absorbing.  It was a great afternoon and next time I will have a plan to see some specific things.  Today I looked, listened and absorbed.

I am glad I ventured out, tried something way out of my comfort zone, well it was, not now,  I will go back.  I may put off another walking trip until Spring but with the number of people it was impossible to be cold.

Now to rest, and remember I am not a Sissy