Nostalgia

Finally got all my external hard drives plugged in and my computer station cleaned up. And so, finally, I have some time to look at old photos, reminisce about some old times, and perhaps blog about it.

For many reasons, whenever I get a chance to look at old photos, I always go back to the summer I went to New York City by myself. May 2007. I was younger then, switched from the West Coast to the East Coast for a fellowship that I took to give myself a chance to start over. At that point in my life, I've never went on vacation by myself, and I was definitely not used to and was deathly afraid of being alone.

Deciding to go to New York via the Chinatown bus was a step I took to liberate myself from that fear and I'm proud to say that it worked. From that trip, I learned to enjoy my own company and the times I get to contemplate about things and reflect without any distractions. I am no longer afraid of dining alone...sightseeing alone. I am glad that I'm not afraid anymore but I am especially glad that I haven't forgotten how to enjoy others' company, which is equally important.

Anyhow, here are some photos from my beloved Canon IS2, which has been passed on to my little sister. I would also say that the 2 day trip in NY was my first dedicated photo-walk :), perhaps that was the beginning to more than one thing...

Manhattan Chinatown

 My first taste of Joe's Shanghai's crab-pork soup dumplings!!!!  And yes, I sat by myself at a group table with 2 families but the great part was that I got my food first!  Ha :)

And I've been addicted ever since

Guggenheim Museum

Central Park

One thing about traveling by yourself is the complete freedom to do whatever you want to do without feeling guilty or obligated to do something else.  I sat on the floor and must have watched this guy play music for a good 40 minutes.  That was awesome.

This was the lovely hostel that I stayed at while I was in New York.  Was it fancy or super clean?  Nope.  Was it only $25 and perfect for someone making a fellow's salary?  Oh yes!  And besides, it really wasn't too bad.  Initially I was afraid to stay in a co-ed 6 people room.  But the people were actually pretty neat -  one guy was trying to make it as a ballerina, another girl was there for a business trip but needed a cheap place to stay to extend her time in NY.  And most importantly, I don't remember ever feeling unsafe.  Make sure to always read reviews before going, www.hostels.com ! 

All right, good night!