It’s rare not to see people, hear people or be bothered by people in New York. But it can happen. Yesterday I bought an ice coffee and sat down by the water. It was so incredibly hot and I could feel the sweat dripping along my body. Because of this I almost wanted to go inside again to change to bikini to go up on our rooftop instead, but it was so peaceful there. I had my headphones in my ears at first without music. I wanted to listen to the water but I didn’t want to be bothered by anyone and when you have headphones they (sometimes) leave you alone. But then I noticed. Not only did I sit on a place where there is no people directly by me, but I also didn’t see any people in the area. I put my headphones away and I didn’t even hear people. All I could hear was the sound from the water and a helicopter in the air. “Quiet”.
I sat there for over an hour. I had my book next to me together with my headphones on the bench. The sweat kept dripping. The water kept clucking underneath me. The shadows from the railing kept moving. All my normal thoughts left me and the only thing I could think of was how beautiful this day was and how wonderful it felt to be alone and how much I love living by the water.
This all might sound crazy, but living in a city like New York, you’re never alone. I don’t feel alone even when I’m locked inside our apartment when my husband is taking the dog out. Living in Battery Park though, that is like living in a bubble on Manhattan. We can hear the birds in the morning and it’s quiet in the evening. But, this is still NYC. Noises, movements, constructions, people, motions, emotions, smells. New York City is a perfect vacation spot, a great city to study in, but when you actually move here things change. At least for me it did.
Det ar ovanligt att inte se manniskor, hora manniskor eller att bli besvarad av manniskor i New York. Men det kan handa. Igar kopte jag en iskaffe och satte mig vid vattnet. Det var sa otroligt varmt och jag kunde kanna svetten rinna langs min kropp. Pa grund av det ville jag nasta ga in igen och byta om till bikini och ga upp pa var rooftop istallet, mend et var sa fridfullt dar. Jag hade mina horlurar i oronen till en borjan utan musik. Jag ville lyssna pa vattnet men jag ville inte bli stord av nagon och nar man har horlurar lamnar de (ibland) dig ifred. Men sedan markte jag. Inte bara att jag satt pa en plats dar det inte fanns manniskor direkt bredvid mig, utan ocksa att jag inte sag nagon i omradet. Jag la ifran mig horlurarna och jag kunde inte ens hora nagon. Allt jag kunde hora var ljudet fran vattnet och en helikopter i luften. “Tyst”.
Jag satt dar i over en timme. Jag hade min bok bredvid mig tillsammans med mina horlurar pa banken. Svetten fortsatte att droppa. Vattnet fortsatte att klucka under mig. Skuggorna fran racket fortsatte att rora sig. Alla mina vanliga tankar lamnade mig och det enda jag kunde tanka pa var hur vacker den har dagen var och hur underbart det kandes att vara ensam och hur mycket jag alskar att bo vid vattnet.
Allt detta kanske later knasigt, men att bo i en stad som New York, du ar aldrig ensam. Jag kanner mig inte ensam ens nar jag ar inlast i var lagenhet nar min man tar hunden pa promenad. Att bo i Battery Park dock, det ar som att bo i en bubbla pa Manhattan. Vi kan hora faglarna pa morgonen och det ar tyst pa kvallen. But, detta ar fortfarande NYC. Ljud, forflyttningar, byggarbeten, manniskor, rorelser, kanslor, dofter. New York City ar ett perfekt semester stalle, en fantastisk stad att studera i, men nar man faktiskt flyttar hit saker forandras. Iallafall for mig.