The new and (now) the old

Once again, another maturing and enjoyable experience comes to an end. This is always the hardest part for me because I wish these moments could go on forever. Alas, there is a time for everything new to someday become old, and while I don’t wish the memories I’ve gathered on this trip become old and begin to fade away, I know they will inevitably do so… After some time. I’ve still got so much reflecting and remembering to do now, though!

I’ve discovered a lot on this trip about myself, about journalism, about humanity. I observed what life is like in two different places; I talked to people with unique stories; I experienced what it was like to be an outsider in an unfamiliar, somewhat frightening place.

Yet as we were off in our own little world exploring and learning in New York and DC, our classmates, families, friends, and colleagues were carrying on with their lives, too. And whether or not they developed stories like ours during this January term I do not know, but soon enough we will all reunite – classmates with classmates, parents with children, friends with friends – and reminisce on these individual journeys we’ve had. The part I find most interesting about this is that with those close to us, our stories almost always meet up again and continue like normal, even after they diverge so much. We split off and come back together, and it’s as if no separation ever happened. But so much has. For me, it sometimes feels like a dream, in the sense that I have a memory of exploration and travel and interaction with people I don’t normally see, but it feels almost fake or dreamt up because I am quickly swept right back into my routine like a swimmer in a current.

But from my first photo to my last, I’ve enjoyed all that this trip has offered. I am excited to continue growing the relationships that flourished during this class. Thank you, New York, for being a place of such adventure and hope. Thank you, DC, for giving me a new perspective. Thank you, Kevin, for putting up with us. And thank you, my classmates, for making the whole experience so much better.

the first

the last

Some Things I Learned Along the Way

As I am now sitting on the plane heading back to Spokane, I’m reflecting on some things I learned, saw and experienced while in NYC and D.C.

• Starbucks will never fail me, I don’t know what I would have done without my morning Starbucks run or the ice water in NYC.
• Going to art museums is worth it, especially since I can still use my student ID to get the discounted rate.
• The streets in NYC are conveniently numbered and the Subway is not as scary as I thought, aside from some interesting folks.
• Visiting D.C. during a government shutdown is an interesting experience with major decisions being made all around us.
• I finally got a Twitter to see what all the fuss was about and found it was a good place to see breaking news and to follow lots of news organizations.
• Entering the journalism field right now is exciting and scary at the same time with a lot of changes to traditional journalism practices.
• I desperately need to teach myself more audio and video editing skills.
• Make connections anywhere you go, whether it be at a news organization or people in the hostel.
• The streets in NYC never quiet down and honking is an art form.
• Trying to walk to the MLK memorial when it’s 17 degrees out with a wind chill of below zero is not a good idea. A warm botanical garden is a much wiser decision.
• Try new foods everywhere you go. On this trip I had Thai, Korean, Chinese, Mexican, American, Vietnamese and Japanese food. Finally learned how to use chopsticks!
• Going on this trip was a good decision because I got the chance to see what it would be like to work for various media organizations and gave me some more directions of where I want to be in the next few years.

To the people I met.

Meeting people is a critical part of being a traveler. If they’re from the area, then you understand the place much more. On the other hand, if they aren’t then you’ve still added to your network. I met a lot of different people on this trip, many of them now following me on social media. It’s always good to know people in every corner of the world. By increasing one’s network, nobody is ever alone.

Kawan and Justique – Starbucks

The lady at the front desk of the Broadway Hostel in NYC laughed as she told me to not drink the water from the pipes. With a smile and nod, I ended up in a Starbucks down the street, asking the person at the counter to fill my water bottle. Multiple returns to that Starbucks throughout my stay on Broadway lead to me meeting a young man named Kawan and his buddy, Justique. We talked about basketball on several nights. Kawan is currently taking a gap year between his associate’s degree in law and his bachelors in criminal justice. Thank you, Kawan and Justique.

Lloyd – Broadway Hostel

On one of my last nights in the NYC hostel, I was helping another man named Lloyd carry bags from the storage room. Lloyd worked at the hostel and eventually we starting talking to each other more. He even came out to dinner with our group to a place in Times Square. Lloyd simply wants to find a good job anywhere in the U.S.. Thank you, Lloyd.

“Officer Fire Extinguisher” – Staten Island Ferry Terminal

I never actually learned this officer’s name, but I was asking him for directions on how to get a ticket to go to Liberty Island. This conversation spiraled out of control and became a conversation about his intense partying life. One weekend before I was talking to him, the Officer was spraying people with a fire extinguisher and ripping the shirt off of his friend. He also ended up talking about how boring the Statue of Liberty was. One helpful tip he gave, however, was that the Staten Island ferry was free and offered a good enough view of the statue. The officer is probably  Thank you, officer.

Eddy – Pizza Place on Broadway

It’s much easier to slow down and have a conversation with a random passerby when you’re not with a bigger group. Just a block over from the hostel in NYC, I saw a red, neon sign for “PIZZA,” I figured it would be a good place to stop for late night snacks. Eddy was a cheerful, middle-aged family man from Mexico that I met regularly. He would serve me two pepperoni slices and ask me about why I was in NYC. The man was a maestro of the pizza art, his hands acting independent of each other as he put pizza in the oven and prepared more slices. Eddy was laid off from his job in Mexico, which lead him to try and make something of himself in NYC. He owns two pizza establishments. Thank you, Eddy.

Various Hostel Roommates in DC

Wiley Drake, 79, was a presidential candidate from the independent party back in 2016. The man was warm, congenial and welcoming to me. One can imagine I was surprised when I read about him on Wikipedia. He called on his supporters to pray for the death of Barack Obama. He is also very pro-life, being in DC for the March for Life.

Eddie Thomson is from a small village somewhere in southeast England. He is the chef for a restaurant around those parts called Prawn on the Lawn, which I will surely visit one day so that I may check up on him. He wasn’t talkative at first, but opened up through conversation.

Emanuele is from a small village in northern Italy among the Alps. He has been based out of England for five years as a nurse. One day, he wishes to visit Alaska. I told him I would like to visit his village as well.

Sebastian is from northern Germany, currently working at his PhD in civic engineering. He came to D.C. to attend a conference in public transportation. The man was quite talkative about how big everything was in America. He told me to let him know if I ever come to Germany and I surely will.

Steve was an older Chinese man that hardly spoke English. He was always on a conference call with his associates on one phone and on face time with his loving family in another. We had one conversation, but it was hard to speak to him with the language barrier. I think he works in interior design. 

Brian was a short, little man from Vermont. He was quite animated, especially for meeting him at one in the morning when he came in to the room. Apparently he had problems with his flight from New Orleans, where he was vacationing at. He only stayed one night before flying home to Vermont.

Lastly, I met Mark. He is a 27 year old physical therapist from Texas and likes to go trail running. I usually caught him coming back from runs. I applauded his healthy lifestyle. He invited me to go running with him sometime if I ever found myself in Texas. 

People come and go from our lives, but it’s always interesting to learn about how other people have lives that are as vividly complex as my own.