On 11/19/12, I wrote something inspired by a Thought Catalog
piece. Here's my take:
1. 1. Run away to Brooklyn for two months.
Eat the best food while standing between redheaded sisters and a family of
chic, noisy Muslim women. The man in front of you calls home to “Mama” in N’
Orl’ns, talking with his mouth full. Watch a diverse group of loud, confident
neighborhood kids argue and tease each other and play basketball with the
unspoken knowledge that all their families suffered from the hurricane, and
took it in fierce New York stride that you will never really relate to. Crash
at a friend of a friend’s tiny apartment, falling asleep on the couch to the
sound of a car chase. Try white
peach bean paste bon bons. Take countless pictures. Go to a
dance battle. Try not to feel too overwhelmed. Do shots with the bartender of
the theme bar you like. Go on a few dates with a hardcore Yankees fan with
gentle eyes and, as he’s taking you home on the 4, give a subtle nod of
understanding to the girl at the other end of the train car – the one who just
kissed the back of her boyfriend’s hand. New York has its own magic, and you
two, as outsiders and mere mortals, are powerless against it.
2. 2. Two years later, you visit San
Francisco.
