This past weekend, I visited Baltimore to see my friends from Loyola who I haven’t seen in six months because they went abroad for a semester. It was probably the best weekend of the summer because reuniting with them could not get any better. I had the opportunity to get to talk to them about their international travels, and it was amazing hearing my friends talk about the different lifestyles they experienced while abroad. One of my friends, who studied in New Zealand, talked about how her life was all about road-trips, circling the island in search of their next adventure. My other friend, who studied in Spain, always told me about the long lunches in the plaza, sipping on wine while watching the world go by. Listening to my friends becoming nostalgic about their life-changing experiences in another country immediately brought me back to my time abroad. On the other hand, I was able to think about my home, New York, and the plethora of things it has to offer as well. Besides the nine to five work days, life in Brooklyn is actually much more fun than I anticipated. With The Bank of New York Mellon’s main building in New York City, we are only three subway stops away from Wall Street. Luckily, I am still able to experience city life. Whether I am there to work or go out, New York is my favorite city in the entire world. Having many experiences dating back since I was really young, it’s amazing how much I appreciate it more now that I have been to a number of cities throughout the world.
It is amazing how every time I experience a new city, I always find a unique nuance about it. For example, New York offers diversity and a liberal stance on life, which is its grand appeal. Every area is vastly different than the other. There is no way you can compare the radical society of Greenwich Village to the refined, elegant lifestyle of the Upper East Side. The fast paced speed that we New Yorkers are accustomed to is unreal. We dodge cars while walking across the street, thinking we are invincible to a two ton steel truck coming directly at us.
To be honest, I cannot compare Middle Eastern cities to NYC, there are way too many differences. Europe, I feel, is a better foundation for comparison because it is more westernized and I did not experience the extreme culture shock that I felt while in Egypt and Jordan.
For example, when I visited Copenhagen, the lifestyle definitely had a quaint charm to it. I know why it is considered to have one of the best qualities of life. Seemingly hard to describe in just a few sentences, the center of the city sets the mood for its laid back type of lifestyle because it is inhabited by one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, called Tivoli Gardens. It takes pride in the major things it has to offer: great water and home to Carlsberg, which is one of the top beers in the world. The national symbol of Copenhagen is The Little Mermaid, if that doesn’t say enough in just three words. Overall, it is small and a relaxed way of life is deeply rooted in its origins. This feeling was felt during my time there.
Hopefully I will post something soon with a new experience that inspired to think back on my travels! But for now, here is a picture from this past weekend in Baltimore.
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