Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 406

A hidden lake found in Los Angeles

You would never know it driving down one of the most famous boulevards in North America. Tucked behind a gate and down a short path. A place fit for a UNESCO World Heritage Site (in my opinion).

It’s a discovery you tend to make if it calls to you. I know that sounds very New Age, so let me re-phrase. In my experience you have to be ready to find it. More than likely someone you know may even bring you when it’s time. It is in the LA County, but far from “la la land”.

In a way it is a place within a place and the epitome of coexistence. It’s a place where all religions are welcome and have small stone pillars denoting five religious symbols. They have sessions that introduce meditation techniques and spiritual weekend services. There are places to sit, think, read and write. You can even take a circular stroll through the well-managed gardens that surround a miniature lake (apparently the only spring fed lake in Los Angeles).

On that stroll you will find petite waterfalls, manicured grounds (but not too manicured), waterfowl of several types (ducks, swans etc.), and The Gandhi Peace Memorial. The later is enough to stop you in your tracks. There is also a reproduction of a historic 16th Century Dutch windmill, a Mississippi-style houseboat, and The Mill House (where guests can meditate). Unlike my normal food related finds, there is no restaurant and I didn’t notice if the gift shop sold snacks.

You can let yourself feel like a Monk for several minutes, hours or all day (at least during their opening hours). This place always reminds me that simpler is probably the better way for human beings to live.

It’s the kind of place that makes you question much of your life and where time seems to stand still. You can waste time elsewhere, but I doubt you’d waste very much here. If normal everyday life didn’t drag me in, I could really spend days on end. You can be sure the remark, ”I treasured my time spent there,” is an understatement.

I don’t want to be selfish and keep it all to myself. I do want it to find you when you are ready, like it did me. With that said, I will keep it’s public name hidden, except for the likes of powerful search engines.

If you do determine where this place is, you will find out very quickly that it’s founder had many thoughts and teachings. I wrote one of my own (below) while recalling several visits. I thought much about my inspirations to travel and write while visiting the hidden lake and gardens. Maybe you’ll have your own, “self realization findings” there (a little hint if the search engines aren’t helping you by now).

A Little World Traveler’s Saying “Being a traveler who loves to discover the world, it isn’t easy to choose one place over another, but if given the choice – I’d stay!”

About the Author – Jeff Shoer: Having traveled the earth in search of a happy stomach, Jeff continues to follow a path to spiritual and food loving destinations. He hopes to walk off the calories en-route to more great tastes and finds.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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Craving for Cream Puffs in South Korea

I was at a party with a selection of great-looking mini-desserts. Having a sweet tooth, I got one of each. Meanwhile, my friend filled her saucer with her favorite cream puffs. I wondered why she didn’t try the other variants and I learned the answer as I forced myself to finish the ones on my plate. The cream puffs were splendid – perhaps the only good thing on the table. Unsatisfied by my selection, I got up to replace mine with more cream puffs, but the tray was already empty.

When I planned my trip to Seoul, I vowed I would have the best time of my life. Months prior to my trip, I read travel books at the library, logged-in to different travel apps, and listed all that I wanted to see and do. In my list I included the time shrines and museums would open, and if there were attractions like the changing of the guards, I’d be there to see it. I knew it would be long before I return to Seoul, so I have to make memories worth sharing.

When we travel for a weekend getaway, our effort to try and make the most out of that trip is to cram so many activities in our itinerary. While it is a surefire way to see all that the place has to offer, in the end we are overwhelmed by memories of exhaustion rather than the quality of how we spent the time.

In Seoul, time will never be on your side. The bustling metropolitan will leave you in awe. There are so many things to see that the day may end without coming to a decision. I spent five days in Seoul, and during the first day, I roamed around the neighborhood where I stayed to familiarize myself with the nearest convenience store, train station, and information center.

The next two days, I hopped from one historic site to another – my itinerary for the day more detailed than any travel agency. Honestly, the shrines and palaces all look alike, hence I spent no more than 1 hour at each place and rounded up all major shrines in Seoul within 2 days. On the fourth day I filled my SD card with photos of Korea’s autumn colors at Jongmyo Shrine. I was lost in the moment of photography – everything from the architectural details, the serene lake, and the people coming together to savor the last warm rays – until I felt my stomach complain.

Due to the time spent in Jongmyo, I skipped going to Insadong, Dongdaemun, COEX, Lotte World, and other areas commonly included in the “Must-see in Seoul” list much to the chagrin of my friends back home. I don’t understand why they feel disappointed about my trip when I was extremely satisfied. I was excited to go back, not to cover the ground I skipped, but to take photos of the same place in a different perspective and season. I want to see what kind of feeling it will give me when I experience it during winter or under the rain.

The abundance of nature in Jongmyo is something easily seen in most conservatories yet there is something magical about it. The road less traveled compelled me to explore the area rather than follow the concrete main path leading to the exit.

Cheesy as it sounds I thought, “Ah, this must be how it feels to be alive.” Ironically, I felt it at the place built to honor the deceased royalties of Joseon.  It was as if their spirits were handing wisdom from the world beyond, telling me to live to the fullest without regrets. It is not the kind of YOLO that justifies dangerous activies, but the kind of YOLO that should make your heart beat through the endless possibilities of learning and new experiences. It should make your inner being hunger for more, push forward without looking back.

Like the dessert table, life offers us many choices resulting to two types of hunger: unsatisfaction and craving. Which one’s yours?

About the author: Patricia is a mermaid who enjoys the world of humans.She likes dark chocolates and warm hugs.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Exploring Tune Hotels

Traveling in Asia has been our life for the last eighteen months. George and I love to fly on Air Asia, they have great fares and fly everywhere we want to go. They are to Asia what Southwest Airlines is to the United States; a reliable low cost carrier with many flights.  During a recent flight, we learned about Tune Hotels, which is the hotel chain related to Air Asia. Air Asia is also involved in Tune Talk (phone calls), Tune insurance and Tony Fernandez has plans for a Tune Hospital as well as sponsoring a car in the Motor Car Races!

When we returned to Asia after visiting family in America, we decided to investigate Tune Hotels in Downtown Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is a few blocks from the rail transport system. We took the KLIA rapid train from the airport into KLCC and then went a few stops on the rail line. When we left KL, we went three stops on the rail line to the bus station. It is simple to find the hotel no matter what public transport option you choose.

Even if you arrive with jetlag, it is simple to go across the street to the Selamat Datang Market in the basement of the Maju Junction Mall where there is Starbucks if you are craving coffee after your flight to Malaysia. There is also a 7-11 right inside the hotel for any other basic needs. We went around the corner for fantastic food. We recommend the restaurant Cirber for traditional fish ball noodle soup and try the local cold tea. Nasi Kandar is a local favorite restaurant where we enjoyed fresh hot roti telur (egg), Tofu, rice and water for under $2usd. Lunch in a capital city for two American dollars directly across from our hotel was a great find!

Tune Hotels is famous for their 5 star beds, power shower and a la carte service. I agree with them that travelers want to find a room with a comfortable bed and a hot strong shower. I can tell you that you will not be disappointed. Our bed was lovely and the shower was both hot and powerful. I have often complained about a hotel when the bed is too hard or the shower is only a few drops of water and will not get the shampoo out of my hair. Tune Hotels truly deliver on their promises.

The system at Tune Hotels is similar to the pricing on Air Asia flights. Every room comes with the basics and then you can add packages for extras. The room does have a ceiling fan but if you prefer air conditioning you need to choose a package or buy it as an ala carte.

Comfort Package: 24 hour air conditioning and Towels 22MR

Cozy Package: 24hr air conditioning, 24hr TV, 24hr WiFi and Towel and Toiletries: 36MR

Other extras (pricing as of Feb 1, 2014 for a stay in KL, Malaysia:

Breakfast 10MR, WiFi (12MR per device for 24 hours), late checkout (2pm) 12MR, Entertainment Package: 24 hour period (32 inch LCD TV with 12 channels) 10.60MR, Early Check-in from 11am 15MR, Towels and Toiletries 6MR, Air conditioning 22MR for 24 hrs, 16MR for 12hrs.

The hotel was very clean and felt very secure. You can only have one room key per room which could be an issue if you wanted to go somewhere without your partner or roommate but is important to their eco-commitment and the system of keeping the lights off if you are out of the room. It is also essential for the security system. You cannot enter the lobby after midnight without a room key.

We enjoyed our first stay at Tune Hotels and look forward to more clean, convenient and fantastic nights with the Tune Hotel Group! More hotels are opening all over the world. We cannot wait to stay with Tune Hotels in Bali and Makasar, Indonesia. The only question to ask is– which hotel will you stay at first?

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#RBQuests: From Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Condado Plaza Hilton

I am on location in Puerto Rico filming with Richard Bangs and White Nile Media! This week we are creating videos for PRTourismCo and Orbitz Originals.

Wondering what we are doing? I will be sharing social media with the tag #RBQuests. Use this link to the TagBoard or see below to follow along.

My first night in Old San Juan, I was honored to have with Mr. Gay World Puerto Rico, Juan Ortiz, as my guide. Want to learn more about the Mr. Gay World Competition? My interview with Juan will be on YouTube soon!

We began our evening at the NuYoRican next to Da’House with sounds of salsa. We went to meet one of Juan’s fans and eat a top 10 tasty pizza at La Foccacia. This bright restaurant beckons all types of people and acts as a gallery for many local artists and writers. I highly recommend you enjoy the art and the food.

Our next stop was the local favorite, Lupi’s Mexican Grill, which has two locations, one in Old San Juan and boasts 60oz Margaritas! Owned by Eduardo Figueroa, of the NY Mets, San Francisco Giants, and the California Angels, this fusion restaurant is lively, friendly and authentic.

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar, Puerto Rico

Mr. Gay World Puerto Rico and I then went to Santurce which he called the “gayborhood!” Our stop included Circo, a club renown as the top Saturday night hot spot for drinks and dancing!

Our first hotel was the Condado Plaza Hilton and my room on the 7th floor had outstanding ocean views! For the next two nights, we will stay at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. More news, photos and video from the road coming soon!

Do you have any Puerto Rico favorites? Share them in the comments below! Maybe we will film there next!

Thanks for following along! Lisa

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Where the Death Railway in Thailand leads

The bus drops me off just outside the busy terminal. Braving the searing heat of the afternoon sun, I trudge across Kanchanaburi. It is a typical Thai town, its streets lined with delicious street-food, uniformed schoolchildren, and bustling shops hawking their wares. Slowly, I continue walking. Then it comes into view; a walled-off oasis, sequestered from the hustle and bustle of the modern day. I enter, and travel back into history.

Rows upon rows of marble plaques present themselves along the perfectly manicured grass patch. This is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, the final resting place for thousands of soldiers who had been worked to death on the Death Railway. The Perpetual Resting Place of the Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen who are honoured here, the plaque at the entrance says.

A barren tree towers above these graves; nature’s fitful attempt to shield them from the searing heat. Several hoses sprinkle water throughout the cemetery grounds. They are doing their best to make up for the great injustices of history, for the owners of the graves have already experienced so much, too much.

I walk along the rows of plaques, stopping momentarily to glance at the engraved names. Some were English, others Dutch, a few American. There are many adorned with crosses, others with the Star of David, while some have no religious symbol at all. Some were privates, others sergeants; others were commissioned officers. Many were in their 20s, while others in their 30s and 40s. Some remain still close to the hearts of surviving friends or family, as evident from the freshly-laid flowers laid alongside their tombstones. The graves of some are more bare, but no less poignant. Known Unto God, one says.

At the back of the cemetery there is a wall. It carries the names of those whose bodies cannot be found, or positively identified. Their Glory Shall Not Be Blotted Out, the wall proudly proclaims. In more ways than one, I think, as a stream of visitors snap photos of the wall. Their names will live not only as markings on this wall, but also in the minds and photos of those who have come to pay homage to those who shall not be blotted out.

I stop next to a series of simple wooden crosses. In Remembrance, they state. From the family of a survivor who sunk aboard the HMS Repulse, and was at Changi Prison. And with that, I leave the cemetery, and step back into town.

A few days and a few thousand kilometres later, I drive past the gates of Changi Prison on the way home. And I cannot help but think that just sixty years ago, I would have seen trainloads of these men exiting these gates on a one-way journey to Kanchanaburi. Had they known that their time on Earth was up when they turned back to see Changi behind them? Had they lived the life of their desires? Did they have any regrets?

The lives of these young men had been cut short by the brutal outbreak of war. They would have had dreams of their own back home. They evidently had not lived the life they had envisioned. Who wants to spend their time imprisoned, beaten, and worked to death?

But therein lies the paradox. The cemetery tells a story of men who had lived, worked, survived, and ultimately succumbed together. If they could come back to life, I would think that they would have no regrets on how they lived the final stage of their lives. For they had lived with dignity and with utmost humanity to the best of their capacity.

And so, for those of us who are blessed enough to have the opportunity to chart our own lives – we must learn to cherish it, and live it to the fullest with no regrets.

About the Author:  Zhe Xu Lee is a University student in Singapore.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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Tambopata: Waltzing with Butterflies

Tambopata: Waltzing with Butterflies

Bleary-eyed and lethargic, we chug downstream through muddy brown waters as the cool morning air gradually lifts our heavy, squinting eyelids. The breeze is a refreshing change from the cloying heat we are used to and as our spirits are lifted by its tonic touch the boat becomes a chattier place, several languages mixing in a confused but enthusiastic hubbub over the thudding of the outboard motor.

After just over a month of trying to integrate with the people of Puerto Maldonado, a border town in the Peruvian Amazon; after mistakes and miner’s strikes, after panicked cats coming through collapsing roofs, after exotic pet shows and unkempt, city-wide parades; my girlfriend and I had decided to venture into the region’s Tambopata Reserve, and let nature clear our heads.

As it turned out, integrating with the natural world in our limited, excitable manner would not necessarily prove much easier, but it would be infinitely more inspiring. Armouring ourselves with enough nuclear bug-spray to irradiate our children’s children couldn’t save us from mosquito bites in the triple digits. Terrified baby opossums would endeavour to share our bed space with that fluid that babies always seem so ready to share. But whenever our sorry, tired bodies glided gently out onto the tranquil waters of Lake Sandoval, our minds forgot about their complaints.

Off-white butterflies dance gently around the faces of basking turtles. Stiff, formal wading birds stalk the banks, decked out in their tuxedos of blue. Giant otters dive synchronously under the water, and break the surface again, making barely a ripple. In sunshine the lake and its surrounding jungle is peaceful, meditative, still. Reclining in your canoe, dappling a hand in the water, seems like the natural thing to do. As the sun sets a gentle wash of mauve, orange and inky blue crawls across the water and we are sucked into darkness.

Night-time is close and eerie. Unprepared, we become completely reliant on a solitary beam of soft light that our guide, Jackson, flits around the suddenly flimsy seeming canoe. Our eyes strain into the darkness searching for gleaming, alien lights looking back at us. The shining eyes of ten metre caymans are all you see until they are almost upon you. “Coco!”, calls Jackson into the darkness, beckoning them closer. We decide Barney sounds friendlier. At least jaguars don’t swim. Do they?

Stumbling down the pitch-dark trails is equal parts forbidding and exhilarating. Jackson’s spot of light lingers on spiders the size of my hand. “Don’t disturb them!”, he calls out cheerily, before the light darts off in a different direction and we loose sight of them completely in the encompassing dark. By the time we return to camp our eyes are drooping but our grins are fixed as we swap stories of the day’s events over candle-light.

Our day begins and ends, essentially, with the light. Each morning’s 5am wake-up call gets us out on the lake just as the sun breaks slowly over the tree-line. Or finds us enveloped in a thick, smuggler’s fog. Torrential rain doesn’t dampen our spirits, nor does the sunburn that reddens our skin. We jump at any opportunity to explore this magical, interactive landscape. To scope the colourful macaws as they flocked to their clay-licks, to play with blundering beetles in the undergrowth.

The jungle has a magical ability to make the world much smaller. Your field of view draws in much closer, and you become intensely aware of smaller details – sounds, sights and smells. Cut off, even for a limited time, from the all-pervasive web, and with our trickle of electricity dedicated to essentials, we sought out the simpler magic I remember from childhood. Chasing each other recklessly down tangled pathways, ninja-fighting the ever-present mosquitoes, waltzing with clouds of butterflies. By day three even our cerveza pounding, chain smoking Italian compatriots were swinging from vines like giddy children.

I was inspired by Tambopata to let go of my misgivings about a place in the world I thought I had grown tired of. To wake with the morning, and sleep with the night. To take my eyes away from screens and turn them instead to the world around me. And to spend my time immersed in an environment entirely and unreservedly, taking advantage of all around me.

About the Author:  Andrew Fowler is a wandering English teacher and gastronomical adventurer who has lived in South-East Asia and South America for the past four years. He was born and raised in London, UK, and is currently lugging an oversized backpack full of his worldly belongings through Bolivia.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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A year in China

China. The spontaneous decision that changed my life for the better.

As Confucius so rightly said, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” This couldn’t be truer, with the past year of my life spent living and working in a rural Chinese village.

Who would I be now, if I hadn’t spent hours trying to relate the Chinese characters to my English written map, lost in the Chinese underground? Or my days negotiating bargains at the overly crowded bustling marketplaces? What would I be doing now, if making a speech to 8000 staff and students at my school didn’t encourage me to be more confident, and to carry on educating others and travelling the world? Who would I be now if I hadn’t forced myself to try weird and wonderful foods, even when I knew I would feel guilty when I saw a donkey next?

It just so happens that the next donkey I saw was at the Great Wall of China. Appearing through the haze and the moist fog, I will never forget seeing miles upon miles of the historical wall before me, and conquering one of my life’s ambitions.

China is a diverse and almost indescribable country with every single province offering something amazing. I was lucky enough to experience the vast differences between the majority of them.

Xi’an, typically famous for the Terracotta Warriors, yet also home to a mixture of religions and architecture like I had never witnessed before. With the city walls separating the traditional from the modern; its curled rooftops and blankets of red and gold at one glance, and ultra modern vast high rises at another. My mind was blown by the warmth emanating from the locals here, and their sheer delight at taking a photo with me, the ‘foreigner’.

Shanxi province, I discovered, is home to booming fireworks filling the air at all times of the day and for any celebration you can think of! In Guangxi Province, I floated down stream with steep, green mountains surrounding me on the Yangzi River; I even tried spear fishing on a bamboo raft which for me was a difficult task due to my phobia of fish! Finally, I headed north to Beijing- the city with more smog than you can ever imagine.

Yet with all of the time I spent in China, I did not waste a single second. Whether it was riding through the rice fields in rural villages, to hand making noodles in a local’s home- I learnt so much from every single day, that I will truly treasure forever.

I can only put into words my experience of a year in China, but China inspired me into seeing that you can live as minimal as possible and still be the happiest and most grateful person you can ever hope to be. You can enjoy a wealthier, more lavish lifestyle in larger cities or become ‘famous’ by getting lost in traditional village farming areas.

China inspired me to appreciate the world for what it is, with rain or shine, come rich or poor, and that every single person truly can learn from one another. It inspired my confidence, my integration with all kinds of cultures and backgrounds, and also introduced me to my soul mate- something which I could never have expected upon my landing in this fascinating and historically astounding country.

Love appears when you least expect it- and mine appeared in more ways than one. No regrets can ever be had when I think about China- the country which changed my life in incredible ways.

About the author: My name is Billie Jago and I have been working as a TEFL Teacher around the world for the past 3 years, most recently in China. I have a passion for travelling, and teaching others about my amazing experiences.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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My Caravan holiday in Looe, Cornwall, UK.

The town of Looe, courtesy of Google Images

Situated on the River Looe and around a small harboor approximately 32 kilometers west of Plymouth and 11 kilometers south of Liskeard, the quiet town of Looe, Cornwall is a great destination for tourists wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. A steep valley encompasses the harbour, while long, sandy beaches stretch for many kilometers to the east and west of the harbour along the shore. The combination of a river, harbour, valley and beaches makes a great destination with many activities to do for tourists.

Spending the week or month renting out caravans and holiday homes in Looe is the most enjoyable way to get away from life for awhile. When I visited there with my wife, we were most impressed that no matter which caravan we decided on, we had a great view of the ocean. Our holiday home also had its own TV, a full service kitchen and a good sized dining room to eat at and relax for the evening. Having our own kitchen and dining room meant that if we wanted to spend the evening in and cook for ourselves, we felt like we were at home. The most amazing difference was the spectacular ocean view that we had out our window in front of us.

The town of Looe is a fishing town which means its fleet of small fishing boats returning to port have fresh fish every day. We went to the fish market a few times and each time there were different types of fish to pick from depending on the catch of the day. As well as a great fish market, the town itself has plenty to do, ranging from good pubs to enjoy a nice cold beer. A little ways inland is the Wooly Monkey Sanctuary where Wooly Monkeys and Barbary Macaques reside that were rescued from the UK pet trade. The eastern part of Looe have many sandy beaches with narrow streets coming off of the beaches. Small shops, restaurants and pubs pack the streets which makes for good shopping.  In the summer there is a great music festival that will appeal to anyone’s taste given the great variety of music that is played.

Overall,our week in Looe was a pleasant one. We spent most of the days wandering the small town, enjoying the fresh fish and exploring the beautiful sandy beaches. Most nights we cooked for ourselves in our fantastically placed caravan, admiring the stars over the ocean. We spent the week in our home away from home and when we left, we always remember where to come back to if we have an extra week or two to spare in the future.

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Choosing When To Bloom in the Rainforest, Brazil

I rolled the seedpod around in my hand while Hugo positioned his frame to make for the best human trebuchet. Though I didn’t understand much Portuguese, the message that I “jogar como uma garota,” throw like a girl, came across clear. While he demonstrated how you must use your whole body to throw, I kept gesturing for him to show me again so I could watch the seeds launch into the dense forest and wonder at where they would grow. On our daily walks through the rainforest I had become infatuated with century plants. It wasn’t only their twelve-foot span of spiny succulent leaves growing out of sandy Brazilian coast soil that fascinated me, but their name that sparked the allure.

The century plant is a monocarpic species, meaning it produces flowers and seeds once before dying soon after, and its name is derived from the myth that it only flowers once every hundred years, although they usually live to about thirty. Now, tossing sacred seedpods shaped like badminton birdies into the tangle of tropical vegetation, I contemplated the years and resources invested into each pitch. I yearned to feel the weight of this with every calculated throw, as if every release of my hand determined the fate of the species itself, as if my being in this foreign land to do research had some significance in the tangle of life here at all. Hugo laughed at my concentration and continued down the tunnel of a trail.

To me the rainforest was a mystery that had to be solved: so many species still unidentified, unclassified, uncategorized. But Hugo didn’t see it that way. To him the rainforest was inexplicably magic and every living thing understood regardless of whether it could be called by an italicized Latin name. He whispered and listened in a language that no schooling, only time spent becoming acquainted with land, could teach. He sensed the slow motions of moss-camouflaged sloths, knew where to find the best fruits Golden Lion Tamarinds fed on, and danced through vines and vegetation to chase bird songs. He could read disturbances in the underbrush to determine which of his animal neighbors had passed through that morning and knew which conditions were best for Pao Brasil tree growth before any of us researchers ever could, despite all our tools, our training, our preparation.

One thing Hugo could not understand about Americans is why we spend all our time worrying how to live life right instead of just living it. He pointed to a pair of fully-grown century plants suspended in the air, somehow growing without soil on the branches of a tree. Knowing I would want the feasibility of it explained, Hugo smirked as he catapulted another fallen seedpod into shades of green. “We are like these plants, we grow where we land or we don’t.” The beauty of being human is that we are century plants who don’t flower just once, we can choose how much we grow and how often we bloom.

About the Author: Dominique Edgerly is a 25 year old middle school science teacher and outdoor educator/wilderness trip leader who has been fortune to be able to travel through five different continents in the past five years. She is passionate about meeting people with different perspectives, writing, photography, and outdoor activities of all forms. She is in the process of assembling a family narrative that has left pieces all around the globe.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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These Streets Will Make You Feel New in New York

New York City has long been a symbol of opportunity and possibility; two essential ingredients for living life to the fullest and without regret.

Star of stage and the silver screen, that iconic skyline is etched on all of our hearts. Even before I ever set foot on this island I felt there was a place for me here, under the ever watchful eye of the Empire State Building, each night resplendent in a different colored gown reflecting the ever changing moods and whims of the city.

As so many have before me I came here in the hope of finding a better life. In reality moving to New York was like taking a kidney punch from an old friend. I ran towards her with my arms wide open in a loving embrace, only to be stopped in my tracks, left winded and gasping for air.

New York is a city that will bring you to your knees. It will chew you up, spit you out and leave you bleeding on the sidewalk as your fellow man looks dispassionately on. It’s loud, dirty and smelly. There are too many people, too little space. Prices are high, hours are long and the climate is inhospitable for half the year.

Yet New York has become my home in a way that London never was. The packed streets are a daily reminder that this is one of the greatest cities on earth and that everyone wants a piece of the action. The sounds and smells delineate the unique neighborhoods I pass through and make me value all the more the quiet corners that can be found everywhere if you just know where to look. I work hard but in my free time my options are limited only by the scope of my imagination. I experience the turn of the seasons on my daily commute through Central Park as the kaleidoscope of fall gives way to the monochrome majesty of winter.

I have been here for almost three years and it still amazes and surprises me to utter the words ‘I live in New York City’. I can’t shake the sensation that the city is a giant film set, a lavish backdrop which can turn even the most mundane tasks into an adventure. New York still has the power to make my heart skip a beat. I never see myself growing tired of her smile. Like a captive with a bad case of Stockholm syndrome, I have grown to love my tormentor and I continue to pick myself and up open my arms to her again and again.

Moving abroad is hard but leaving family and friends behind can set you free. Liberated from social obligations your time is truly your own and not knowing how long you might stay motivates you to seize opportunities that would have passed you by in a previous life.

For now, I am proud to call myself a New Yorker. This city inspires me to be a better version of myself, experiencing everything she has to offer one New York minute at a time.

About the Author: Emma Walters developed full blown wanderlust after moving to Kuala Lumpur on a whim, a place that at that time she would have struggled to locate on a map. Whilst pretending to be a grown up she was offered a job in New York City where she currently resides, nurturing a secret ambition to open her own cheese shop whilst moonlighting as a guitarist in a heavy metal band.

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

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