New York City is gigantic, beautiful, ugly, mad and magical all at the same time. Constituting what could very well be the center of the known universe, the city is one of epic proportions and tragic contradictions. Scarred forever by the hand of man, she stands alone at the top of her own pedestal. A visit of New York is like going to the zoo, the museum, the movies, school, and through a badtrip simultaneously. There’s no staying indifferent. One either watches or plays a role, but no one is left to yawn. Every seat is a first row, every part a lead.

Yet on this trip I saw none of that. I wasn’t visiting New York, my date was with destiny. So instead I enjoyed the small things like re-learning to jay walk, looking at urban flowers and trees, playing with a vocal black cat, marvelling at life’s smart coincidences, sweating in subway stations so hot they must channel magma, shopping for groceries in small neighbourhood stores, walking around Brooklyn – Moonstruck, trying to get rid of my French accent – tu parles!, and smiling a lot…

But first and last and always, New York for me will now have amazing green eyes.