“I never thought I’d come back to New York. I have a lot of...

“I never thought I’d come back to New York.  I have a lot of bad memories here.  It can be an ugly place.  My ex-husband lives here.  On September 11th I was on the street below the second tower.  So there are things I’d just prefer not to remember.  But recently my mother got sick and I came home to take care of her. I was in a bit of a rut at the time.  I’d fallen away from my passions.  I was just working to pay the rent.  And one evening I was walking by the river and I passed a place called Hudson River Community Sailing.  They offered free sailing lessons.  I don’t know why I stopped.  I was intellectually convinced that sailing was not for me.  I was getting older.  I was out of shape.  But I decided to give it a try.  And I got hooked on it.  I got kinda obsessed with learning to sail.  I remember the first time I was out there alone.  It felt amazing.  I was in the middle of the Hudson, the wind was blowing, I could see the whole city, and my hand was on the tiller.  It seemed like I was doing something impossible.  I’m not white.  I’m not male.  I don’t own a boat.  I don’t even have money.  But I’m in New York City and I’m fucking sailing.”