Steppin' Out -- NYC

To seek renewal, maybe you'd go to the spa.

I'm in New York City!

Really, this is better than a massage table, where I'd be lying with my eyes closed, dwelling on health issues and uncertainties, and all the things I should be doing (but can't quite manage) to keep pace with "normal" life.  

Better to be stepping out here -- onto this crazy-busy sidewalk -- nearly galloping to keep pace with my good friend Elaine, who's surprisingly city-wise for someone from Idaho!

We dodge traffic and people,
step on and off curbs, 

and in and out of elevators.

We catch the lights

as we catch up on conversation.

It's invigorating

and exciting

and exhilarating

and exhausting (in all the best ways!).

At MoMA, we hunt down the original Starry Night.

At Chelsea Market, we stalk an Israeli food stand till it opens.

At the Strand, we get lost in the stacks.

Then, on the way back to the train station, we stumble onto this spot...

...Oh YES, we do!

New York City is only 2 hours from Philly.  

But for me, it doesn't feel like an easy journey.  It's been years since I've traveled anywhere, especially on my own.

The night before, I reduce what I'll have to carry -- discarding extra clothes in favor of crutches and emergency items for any "body breakdown" I can imagine.  (And then, in imagining those breakdowns, I almost cancel the trip!)

On the way there, I obsess about sitting on metal benches at the train station and climbing in and out of cabs, obstacles that can disrupt even the best of leg days.

With the weight of worry,
it's a wonder I go anywhere at all!

But when I finally meet up with Elaine, those concerns fade into the backdrop of city noise.

Elaine keeps me in the moment.  She approaches challenge with curiosity.  She takes travel adventures (and mishaps!) in stride.  We've known each other a long time, and it's just so FUN to be together again.

I can't keep this pace forever, but for 24 hours, it's worth a try!

At the Strand, we both find books that call to us.

For me, it's a book of photography by Vivienne Gucwa, a NYC resident who, back in 2009, began walking the city as a way to deal with stress, and along the way, found renewal through the lens of her camera.   

On the train ride home, 
her words and images resonate with me.

This little trip helps me dust off some of my own "lenses" too -- ones I'd almost forgotten I had.

The harnessing of courage.  

The joy of taking risks.

The irreplaceable comfort of friendship.

And the pure, life-changing power of steppin' out.