new york: nonfiction.

i never had a real affinity for the city of New York until my best friend in 7th grade, Karly, came back from vacation. she seemed to know so much about broadway, fashion, news and stardom. she was in love with New York, so naturally, i was too. even though i had never visited the city, i planned to apply to NYU when i graduated high school.

come time for applying for schools, i did all the right things to apply to NYU. i applied and didn't get in. i don't remember being heartbroken or even disappointed. i had already gotten into BYU which was an idea i hadn't entertained fully until i didn't get into NYU. who knows what my parents were thinking when i applied to go to college at not just a prestigious, expensive school, but one in the big apple. they probably knew all along i wouldn't get in, but never dashed my dreams. not once. i think i remember my mom asking me if i thought i was going to live like Felicity if i went to NYU. of course i didn't have plans to, but i'm sure the romantic notion entered my mind once or twice when i was writing my essays. i don't blame her one bit for guessing that's what i had in mind.
for the most part, after my NYU application, i lost interest in the whole New York thing. i know i was excited freshmen year when i heard Newsweek reserves two internship spots for BYU's journalism program--that was my dream. to write for Newsweek in New York.

the longer i studied and explored my options, New York faded. it wasn't so much that New York was any less appealing, but India, D.C., etc. were so much more appealing. after meeting a few people who talked incessantly about New York that it drove me mad, my affinity for the city lessened. i guess before i went, the glitter rubbed right off.

well, i went there for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. how can i say what it was? all i can say is that it was a lovely city, and i can see myself living there for some time. i don't know about continuing to visit there...there's too much hustle and bustle. but if you got me a small apartment on the upper west side (dream on, right?) and gave me a city-dwelling dog, fresh flowers in butcher paper, and some reusable grocery bags, i could do it, could love it. yes, i just described Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. and that sort of sums up the city for me. everything that is meaningful to me in New York City revolves around movies. namely Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail--my two favorite movies (Titanic is now third if you were wondering). I tried to reenact both movies as best as possible.

Karly is currently doing the communications internship there, and i couldn't imagine anyone more suited. that girl is going places--wherever she wants. it doesn't have to be New York City, but it could be if that's what she wanted.

although i will always be a Utah girl, i think Washington D.C. suits me well. i like the small-ness of it, the cleanliness, the professionalism, the style, the class. but i can't say New York didn't have it's beautifully designed parks, a love of books, the smell of coffee, the raw magic of street performers, and all the symbolism of upward mobility, materialism, and the great American Dream.