Manhattan

is a blend of a million elements that you never thought could come together to create something so unnaturally beautiful. I remember when I lived in California I would hop into my little car with a borrowed camera in hand and drive for hours on highway one. It didn't matter where I drove or how long I was lost for, the scenic views were inspiring and overwhelming.





I find myself inspired and overwhelmed by elements of NYC that are so different from the ones discovered while taking those pictures eight years ago. Manhattan is full of steel, concrete, dirt and cursing. People swarm you wherever you go. You independently walk through the city with your chin up in un-independent herds of strangers that steer your direction without having any choice in the matter. The vegetation is slim but extremely appreciated. All I wanted, during my time in Brooklyn, was to find a grocery store where someone spoke English and carried something other than Polish foods. Sometimes the steam from the heat of the subways overwhelms your nostrils until you can't breathe. Sometimes the sweet sugary smells of freshly-baked goods overwhelms your nostrils until you can't breathe. There are hundred year old copper-covered cathedrals next to entire buildings made of glass. Eeek, was that a rat over there? Sorry dude, no money to spare. The long daylight hours are draining and they make me appreciate the moment I see my best friend in our apartment each and every time I come home. The sun that is able to filter through the sky scrapers sometimes hits the buildings just right and creates rainbow filled reflections on the windows. Sometimes the city becomes very quiet for only a few rare moments at a time....the honking stops, the lights turn red, people stand staionary... and you notice these moments every time they occur. Whenever I see the statue of liberty, my chest tightens up.

This place is so different from anything I have ever experienced and it changes your opinion of it each and every day, each hour, each minute. It is just as beautiful as any other place in the world, maybe not just because of the physical aspects but also because of the life-altering moments that it offers you. On a night earlier this week, I stood on a busy corner of Times Square with someone I hadn't seen in a decade while traffic whizzed by, people slammed into us, neon lights blinked wildly, distractions were everywhere....and all I could think of was that I was so happy I had another moment that I will remember forever in this crazy, beautiful city.