This past week I spent some time in New York City and it was the best experience of my life. Going in, I already knew that I was going to have the best time ever because visiting New York was a life goal of mine and seeing how New York was in the movies and TV shows really stimulated the need to want to see the real deal. It definitely was the real deal, let me tell you. After hearing about my aunt's wedding in Long Island, my dad and uncle thought it to be a grand idea if our two families spent the week leading up to the wedding in the city and enjoying the sights and touring the city from the comfort of a touring "company" that offered tickets to see the best things like town such as the Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the Statue of Liberty. Without that and my uncle as a guide, we would have never been able to make this trip so memorable. And finally, we ended the trip with the last wedding on my mom's side of the family with her cousin's grand wedding. Something that makes this wedding the milestone marker is the fact that it is the last wedding of my mom's generation and the next generation starts with me, the oldest cousin of the children of said cousins, or in better words: the grandchildren generation.
To me, this means a lot because not only have I been alive for about four or five weddings, it also means that the next time our huge family will gather is for my wedding. When this happens, I'll be the one saying, "I'm so glad you could make it to my special night. It's so nice to see you all again," which is exactly what my aunt said to my family as we entered the grand ballroom for the reception night, which is actually a lot more important in the Hindu culture than is the actual wedding, at least that's what my mom says.
Even though my time in New York came to an end, it doesn't mean I'm still not in New York. I know for a fact that strands of my hair that had fallen off my head have been left on either the subway, the bus or the streets of NYC. So realistically, even though my physical body is on its way back to Michigan, that doesn't mean that I'm not still in New York.
Being in New York showed me a lot of things. I'm so fast moving with everything that I do, that the fast-moving lifestyle that exists in New York would fit my life so well that I'd easily adapt. Just ask my family, I think I applied for a MetroCard once and refilled the value of the card once and the second time I did it, I instantly became a pro at it. I was also able to learn the workings of the underground subway system and all the terminals that go along with it as well as where the New York City buses have their stops and which route each of them takes, all in a matter of days. The unfortunate part of the trip was since I'm so fast living and want everything to be done like right away, dragging along the rest of my family, including my grandparents AND my uncle's family was a pain in the ass because of the inability to walk to places and be prepared to take on all challenges the wonderful city of New York gives us. Pro tip: never ever drag along eight other people on a trip to a busy city, it's going to be the worst decision of your life.
But regardless, the trip to NYC was the trip of a lifetime. I genuinely had a blast and am looking forward to starting my life in the city after college, working at the local hospital as a Pediatric Oncologist, in which I will push myself to strive for in hopes of one day proving everyone who doubted me wrong and tell them that I'm not one to mess with and can do whatever I put my mind to. And best of all, I will fulfill the wish my grandma had for me up until she passed away about two months ago, which was, "to be the smartest, brightest, young girl she knows me to be and to help people she never had the chance to help." I know you're watching over me grandma and I just wanted to say how much I love you and I promise I will make it. Just for you.
