So I went to my poster presentation in Chicago yesterday and it went pretty well. Nairne (the guy I based my research on) was actually there and gave me a run for my money. Boy was that intense! I'm not too sure if he liked that I put so much emphasis on levels of processing and not evolution. Oh well.
The best part of my trip, though, was the ride home (I got a window seat). I love sitting by the window on airplanes. It's something about flying above the clouds that I find so relaxing. Kissing Heaven, I call it.
I guess the pilot took the scenic route this time, or maybe it was just the direction we were coming from. Either way, I found myself overlooking Manhattan, cruising over the Hudson, gazing at Liberty's everlasting flame. Beautiful. The colors, the infamous grid lines that shapes downtown, those lights. It wasn't until then that I realized I Love New York. All of my life, I've taken for granted the beauty of the overcrowded city. Scowled at the traffic, the pollution, the loudness of life, the random tourists taking pictures of buildings I've seen a thousand times. But as I flew over the city last night, I grew nostalgic. For the first time, I wasn't a part of it. I was thousands of feet in the air, looking at it from a distance.
And then the pilot did something interesting. He turned the plane so we can reach our destination. The thing is, when a plane turns in the air, one side goes down, and the other up. So as that right wing tilted downward (and I was on the left side), I could see my city no more. I was forced to stare at the blank black sky. New York City was taken away from me. Or did I abandon it? Did I just say goodbye to the town I've known all of my life? Just walked away, leaving Times Square and forgetting to turn the lights off. Goodbye New York. I love you.
Chastity M.
(This image is one that I took on the plane yesterday)
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