City Love

Hi. I have an announcement: I'm in love. Prospective suitors, my apologies, but you'll have to share my heart. I love this city. I love the smells, tastes, colors, sounds, sights, textures, the rhythm and the art. I feel geographically content and homesickness is laughable. My friends, I'm loving this.

I walked out my front door today and decided you should meet who I come home to each night:

Then I walked about 1.5 blocks west and found myself at 81st and Central Park West:

So, today was the first time I've actually been inside Central Park, and I made sure I was nice and secluded without a car in sight before I sat down on a park bench. This was my view:

The people-watching was absolutely fantastic. I saw so many mothers walking their strollers, so many couples just super googly-eyed and grossly giddy. An old man came and sat by me for about ten minutes. He looked tired. Lots of tourists stopped right in front of me to take pictures while trendy teenage girls walked in front of their shot, obliviously texting.

After an hour of writing and another hour or so of reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, my stomach said, "Hey. It's time to feed me. Get us out of here." On my walk out of the park I found the Delacorte Theatre - where Shakespeare in the Park happens. I can't wait to see shows there this summer.

I ate lunch at a charming Italian cafe called Pappardella. I ate the most delicious caprese I've ever had in my life - I even ate the tomatoes. (gasp!) I took my time and about an hour later I walked ten blocks to Columbus Circle, sat down, and read some more, and watched people some more. This was my view (you're looking South down 8th Avenue):

This is Columbus Circle from inside the shopping center to the East. The lines are the windows - I took the photo from inside:

Then I walked down to Circle in the Square to pick up my class schedule. I am going to be the busiest girl in all the land - it is extremely exciting. I came home on the subway and found a stop that was hidden but is WAY more convenient than the one I was using previously. I stopped by a little shop to get to gollashes, since I'm sick of having wet feet when I want to walk through the city in the rain. After that I journeyed a couple blocks to a gym I found on google called Crunch (is that encouraging or what?) - and I registered for Yoga classes there. Hoooorayyyy I can now officially become centered. ("Om Shanti Om")

Having taken that big step in my self-improvement-summer-plan-'09, I happily made some dinner and got ready and jumped in a cab to Lincoln Center for Swan Lake - a ballet that I have been dying to see for years. Music by Tchaikovsky, unbelievable pas de trois and two phenomenal pas de deux. Also includes the famous 32-consecutive turns by Odile, and the little quartet of ballerinas who cross arms and look funny, when really they are being brilliant. It was performed by American Ballet Theatre inside The Met.

Soo, I took a photo of the inside - totally not allowed so enjoy it if you've never seen it - and wish you could see how exquisite the chandeliers really are.

Hooray this is me.

More to come soon! Love to all.