This post is a thanks to all of the people who helped and cheered me on during my trip. In no specific order:
–Troy – thanks for the low down about Detroit and the live-time help navigating through the streets of Detroit.
–Ellen – thanks for the insight of Detroit and trying your heart out to get me to go to Flint and Pontiac, and guiding me through Dearborn.
–Esther – thanks for your encouragement on writing while on the roadtrip and cheering me on.
–Girlfriend – thanks for putting sense into me in getting a hotel and not sleeping in my car, and telling me to be safe as much as possible.
–Ben – Cheering me on and worried about me roaming the streets of Detroit, and talking to me during the first couple of minutes during my 9 hour-speeding-through-Michigan-Ohio-PA-New Jersey road trip.
–Zaza – for giving me ideas and cheering me on.
–Vi – for giving me ideas of what to do in NYC and meeting up with me for a couple of drinks with her fiancee.
–The Hollanders – for walking with me 30 plus blocks and back to Central Park, 5th Ave, and all the other places we went before I headed to Albany.
–Adam – for the hospitality and great times we had for the day I was in Up-State New York. I also want to thank your business partners: Greg, George, Mike for a great time, too.
–All the people on facebook-who helped me through the exciting times and encouragement throughout the trip.
–Kresimir – for the advice about things to do in NYC and encouragement.
–John – for convincing me to take the train and not travel through New York with a car and the insight all together.
–My mom and dad – who were scared for my safety and why I was spending so much money traveling around for the fuck of it.
–My brother – thanks James for just checking on me.
–Whoever else I’m forgetting, thanks for everything.
The Times Square Experience
I didn’t take any photos at time square. I just wanted to see what was happening. Many times, when I take my camera, I’m just snapping pictures left and right and lose the sense of being in the moment, and just enjoying life for what it is/was. Here is a quick essay of what I saw, experienced, and felt. Enjoy…
I’ve always seen pictures and scenes of Times Square. I didn’t know what to expect, especially my first time of actually walking through. After leaving the bar, having drinks with an old high school friend, I told the cab driver to drop me off near my hostel.
I started the walk. I knew it was close, but didn’t know how far it actually was. I saw people walking towards the same direction. People were out: eating street food; smiling and having a good time; bums doing what they do of begging for food and sleeping; wannabe rappers selling their crap music on the streets; and many people with cameras like mine ready to snap away.
I think I walked 10 blocks or more. As soon as I was in the heart of Time Square–I didn’t even know I was there. I saw bright lights, many people all over, and street artist doing their art (caricatures, face painting, and some Asian guy using spray paint to make some sick landscape of NYC). I made a full square or circle around Times Square.
I was about to make the trek back to my hostel, but stopped. I told myself I was going to enjoy this moment. I sat on a bench and watched. I saw people taking pictures of friends and of Time Square; I saw other people chilling like me; I saw a dad laughing and playing with his daughter and spinning her around; and, ironically, I finally saw the big-ass clock, that was present in the middle of the venue.
It was time for me to turn around. I had my fun. I got a great sense of what I was looking for and believe I had a better experience than taking photo after photo.
I once heard a friend say that it is another experience when one is in the moment and not taking photos of everything in sight. I have to do that more, I just have to live for the moment; I have a different picture of Times Square, yes, through my words, but through my memories that will be a part of me for some time.