"Serenity is not peace from the storm, but peace amid the storm"
City life was not something that I ever imagined myself doing, and yet here I am going to school in New York and spending my summer living in the Financial District. Sometimes I find that I lose myself in the insanity of the city. I consider it a good thing most days and bad on other days.
For those of you that may know me well, you would know that since I came to NY for college I have contemplated the idea of staying here after graduation. Now with senior year right around the corner, the decision seems ever more daunting. Yet, I still can't seem to make up my mind.
There are pieces of the city that I have known to love, and others that still make me cringe (or at this point, have learned to fade out). And a part of me feels like that is how everyone survives in this city.
But I have also realized that there is no complete peace away from NYC. It has a way of distorting your vision and expectations of what a city should be like, eventually luring you right back to it. Even then, staying in the city and only dreaming about other less chaotic places will only bring rise to the flaws surrounding you, and therefore never allowing you to find peace. But, if you allow yourself to find the good in a place and learn to accept (or fade out) the flaws, then serenity can be found (amid the storm).
I often find myself questioning if this is the type of life I would want to live. Yes, New York you do have amazing food and the convenience of so many things that you couldn't get anywhere else in a close proximity, but your prices are too high and your streets sometimes smell, and it makes me uncomfortable when strange men decide to pee openly on the street in front of everyone.
But I guess we're all just figuring it out. Like humans, no city is perfect and sometimes the benefits out weigh the flaws..... Maybe, its still up for discussion for me.
Like with everything in life, though, I suggest finding something that you can hold onto. Something that feels familiar and brings you serenity when life seems to become overwhelming.
I have always had a connection with nature. It has always brought me peace in times of stress. I think that is why I found myself often wandering around Central Park this summer, usually in places with the least amount of people.
And although Central Park may have been the focus of the pictures for this post, there are plenty of other places to find an escape. Since I have been staying in FiDi, I have spent several mornings and evenings strolling in Battery Park taking in the reflection of the water. It has become my jump start for the day and my cleansing before bed.
Whether you live uptown or downtown, a different borough, or outside of NYC, find something near you that brings you peace.
I may still be figuring out where my life will take me and where I might end up living, but at least I have found a way to accept the things surrounding me and appreciate what there is to offer.
Even in a concrete jungle, nature has much power.
