Empire State of Mind

For those of you who recall a certain NYC to-do list that I posted earlier this year, you'll be happy to know that I have checked the first item off the list! Jessie and I got to go up to the top of the World Trade Center to see some of the most incredible views of the city. I know sometimes New Yorkers feel lame doing things that can be categorized as "touristy" but this was definitely not lame. Being able to look out on my favorite city of the world and see the Empire State Building to the north, New Jersey to the west and Brooklyn to the east was unbelievably cool. There's something about a bird's eye view of the city that feels idealistic. You're not seeing the grittiness on the sidewalks, but you're seeing the cinematic New York that people move to with $10 in their pockets, and the one that people write songs, poems and epic love stories about. For those of us who do live in the (slightly) gritty reality most days, it's nice to remember what made us fall in love with the city in the first place.