NYC
The art of travel is one of those things I feel in my soul, but haven’t been the best at executing. There is always money to be spent on other things; a new roof, a fancy meal, a dozen vinyl records I don’t really need but oooooh, they are so pretty.
A few years ago, after yet another set of daydreams of traveling to Europe with my family, I said enough is enough. I need to start saving. These kids are not getting any younger, and they need to catch the travel bug. So, I started saving. Automatic withdrawals every single month into an account I wouldn’t touch. It was slow going, but around summer last year, I started thinking we had enough to plan a trip.
Would we go to the UK? Spain? Honestly, we didn’t have enough saved for Europe yet, but what about something closer to home? Puerto Rico? Toronto?
And then, it hit me. What about New York? It’s probably the most international city in the world, totally different from what my kids have ever experienced, and it’s safe, interesting, and stateside. After an enthusiastic heck yes from everyone in my family, we committed, I planned, and in March, we went.
It had been about 17 years since I last visited the city, and while so much has changed, the energy has not. From the moment we stepped off the plane, I felt like we were on a fast-moving conveyor belt. The city can easily overwhelm your senses while making you feel like you are part of something so much bigger.
As a photographer with a deep love of symmetry, light, and street photography, I was like a kid in a candy store. I saw photos everywhere.
Now, taking those photos was a bit more challenging. This trip wasn’t a photo adventure for me; it was an experience for my family. I found that juggling both of those things is extremely difficult. Making photos takes flow and mental energy. Making sure your 11-year-old doesn’t get lost takes diligent observation and both physical and mental energy.
So, I captured what I could and told myself I’ll just need to go back with the intention of documenting a fraction of this beautiful city at another chapter of my life. Until then, I’ll have loads of wonderful travel memories and a handful of images that will bring back how we felt on this big-city adventure.
Note about the photos: I didn’t include many of my family here; instead, I focused on the things we saw. We visited Midtown (Times Square & the MoMA), Brooklyn (The Bridge & the Brooklyn Museum), and Chelsea/SoHo (Including The High Line).
