New York City : My Experience In The New York City

I am your pilot this morning, and I will be taking you to Newark, New Jersey. The flight will be about three hours. Sit back, relax and have a good flight. I looked to my left to see my parents on their phones, not paying attention to any of their surroundings. There was a long line of people in the aisle waiting to take their seats, each person pushing large suitcases. In the row across for us, Jack was sitting in the row seat listening to music. Since there was four of us Jack had to sit by himself with two other strangers but he didn’t mind. The engines suddenly started to roar as I started to get pushed gently back into my seat. The front of the plane started to rise from the ground and as soon as I noticed we were up in the air. I took a deep breathe as I took my backpack out under the seat. I grabbed my new book “Looking for Alaska” and began to read. One of my friends gave it to me as a going away gift because she knew I loved to read. After a while, my mind slowly started to drift off onto a whole different planet. I was still in shock that I just left all my friends and I was moving to New Jersey. The whole situation was not processing through my head and I thought that we were just going on vacation to New Jersey, and we were not actually about to live there. Even thinking about having to make new friends and joining a new soccer team sent chills down my body. I am always shy around new people and now I have to break out of my

In the months, weeks, and eventually days leading up to my flight to Germany the panic was gnawing away at me. Despite the fact that this wasn’t the first time I was venturing out without my parents or even my first time on a plane, it was my first time for a myriad of other experiences in my life. My first international adventure, my first time living with a family that wasn’t my own, and my first time being surrounded by people speaking a different language; all of which began with a simple decision to cross the threshold between the jet bridge and the plane.

Stepping out of my first plane ride, I experience an epiphany of new culture, which seems to me as a whole new world. Buzzing around my ears are conversations in an unfamiliar language that intrigues me. It then struck me that after twenty hours of a seemingly perpetual plane ride that I finally arrived in The United States of America, a country full of new opportunities. It was this moment that I realized how diverse and big this world is. This is the story of my new life in America.

As soon as the door opened, the heat hit me. It was like putting a hot iron in front of my face. But it felt even worse as there was a slight wind which pushed the heat towards me. My body was surrounded in a blanket of heat and I even started to sweat slightly. My uncle told me to wait by the lift as he went to collect the car so I wouldn’t have to walk as far and drag my suitcase along. While I waited, I took time to look around at the surroundings. I could see mountains which stretched towards the clouds and the airport behind me. There were a vast number of people walking around from their flight looking drowsy and with no energy. The frequent red double-decker bus also came and a few planes flew above my head. I didn’t even have to look, but I could hear the planes departing and arriving. The planes all looked the same in the sky, big and white with some sort of logo. During the wait, I took a few steps to take away the cramp. Although I had trainers on, I could feel and see that the floor was new. The concrete looked

The airport in Los Angeles was crawling with travelers, dragging their luggage and scurrying across the terminals like ants in a massive nest. Jackson, my nephew, had no idea that he was meeting in Los Angeles; he thought we would be meeting in Seattle, just as we usually did. I wondered if he would notice the palm trees and the stifling heat in the middle of December and know immediately. With these thoughts wandering my head, I sat impatiently by the terminal where his plane was supposed to land.

I am forced out of bed before the sun gets the chance by the high-pitched screaming of my alarm. Working against the clock, my brain fights the last-minute task of arranging all my clothes into a suitcase. The taxi ride to the airport is all but a tired blur. With a long hug and a bittersweet speech from my parents, I am off on my own to break new boundaries. The airport and I are no strangers.

It was 7:00 am on a summer morning and I was still in a daze after just being woken up. Today was to the day that I was going to see my sister and as soon as I made sure I had everything, I headed out. My sister lived far and instead of wasting gas to drive, I was going to fly. I was on my way to the airport with my mom and grandma and as we got closer, my heart began to race with fear and anticipation. It wasn’t because I was afraid of flying, because I actually loved it. I loved the way fields looked like worn quilts from so high above. However this time was different, because on this trip, my family would not be accompanying me and I would be flying alone.

The sounds of the city penetrated the walls of the cab as we drove through the streets of Manhattan. I could hardly wait to partake in the action that was happening outside. The buildings themselves were an amazing site to behold. The buildings took on personalities of their own. Each building was bigger and more graceful than the next. When lights were added to the mix it was a dazzling combination. The city itself felt like a great big hug, and I felt overwhelmed by its power. The city allowed me to become part of it just like many others many years ago who immigrated to this awesome city. As I was looking out of the cab I finally got to see in person the sight of all sights; Times Square. The main juncture of

A myriad of people filled the terminal: some eager to board, others acting as if following a routine. It fascinated Andrew that although they would all share a flight, their destination would be far from the same. Each had their own story and future, intersecting at this one point in time. Each had their own decisions to make, hurdles to overcome and mistakes to learn from. For Andrew, this would be the first of many leaps to come.

New York City is the place that I want to visit, revisit, and visit again. Out there on the streets, I feel free. When coming from Atlanta to New York City thirty thousand feet in the air, which is grimy but comfortable, it is an experience unlike I have ever felt before. Crossing over the Hudson River and coming into the packed full station is reminiscent of having some kind of travel machine bringing you from earth to space in a flash. When I visited, I felt I could do anything and everything in the cities' grips. Living in America is a fantastic privilege; living in New York City is something even better. As you stagger up those stairs to the city streets and you capture that first breath of city air, you declare to yourself, this is Freedom!

The first step out of the airport and onto this foreign land felt like entering a vast body of moving water. However, this time,

The airplane ride felt like a lifetime but as soon as I began to make my way off the plane and into the parking lot, an adult attempted to hustle me for my money. He demanded to put my luggage in my car because it was a “rule” at the airport. It took everything in God’s power to refrain myself from commenting on the so-called rule. I was struggling to place my luggage in the bed of the grey truck. We were driving on the dusty, dirt-filled pavement to arrive at our home. I gazed out the window only to notice a city filled with appetizing restaurants. However, my eyes became wide

As I stared at the window of the airplane, I realized that I am leaving the place I grew up and the only place that I was familiar to. I had a long eighteen hour flight ahead of me. I could not believe I was leaving everyone and everything I knew and cared about. A part of me was excited and I could not wait to start a new life in an exciting country. Also a part of me was sad that I was leaving my friends and family and everyone I knew since I was little.

After walking forever, we finally got to our plane. We patiently waited for the crew to let us onboard.

My grandpa told me to be safe and his mustache tickled as he kissed my cheek. I hugged and kissed my grandma then walked to the line. A sign and security employee directed me to place my backpack on a x-ray conveyor then walk through the gate. On the other side was my escort who would take me to the plane. She brought me to the plane and I boarded before the other passengers. I relaxed until the first passengers arrived. I quietly listened to their conversations and waited for the passengers who would sit next to me in the center isle. The doors were shut and still my row was empty except for me.