The New York City skyline

The New York City sky line looked breathtaking from my hotel window in Jersey. Just five minutes out from the city, I could see her extend from the northernmost point almost to the Statue of Liberty. I stood very aware of the beauty of this skyline in the early morning mist. It appeared to be a tranquil painting of the beauty of modernization and humanity. I entered the tunnel at 8 a. m. and did not expect for the rush hour traffic to already be congesting the small tubes to the city.

My heart raced as I was frightened by all the traffic and aggressive driving. I clenched the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were white. When I finally made it downtown, I was in awe of the size of the city and the buildings. The streets were filled with potholes and steaming manholes. Men were working on buildings everywhere around me. People in business suits rushed by homeless digging through trash cans.

At Battery Park where I waited for the ferry to Ellis Island, street performers and vendors lined the sidewalks. I stood in line with hundreds of others waiting to leave the mainland to visit the island that my ancestors once stood at, begging to enter this country. Later in the day, I looked out over the top of the Empire State Building. I am afraid of heights, so I stayed as close to the wall as possible. The view was spectacular, but I couldn’t wait to have my feet back on the ground again.