A Day in the Life

Welcome to Sunset Park, BK

I took a walk this week. I did some thinking, picture taking, observing, discovering, the usual things I like to do. Each day, I strive to accomplish at least one goal I set for myself. I try to stay busy, because it keeps me focused and gets me one step closer to making my dreams come true. Sunset Park, in Brooklyn, is one of my favorite neighborhoods. I’ve grown an attachment to it since working there two years ago, and can’t get enough. Besides working there, I find any excuse to visit the area. Just going to the park, snapping pictures, taking in the sunshine gives me joy. I want to live there someday. 

Belt Parkway BK

There are many areas in Brooklyn and the other boroughs I admire. Although I haven’t frequented Staten Island or the Bronx, I still admire each borough’s natural beauty. I’ve always been a nature girl; ironically I was born in a city lifestyle. Nature always makes me feel happy. I’m still a geologist at heart. One of the things I love most about living here is going on car drives. Now I can imagine what people reading this are thinking, why would I love car drives when there’s so much traffic? OK, I don’t love the traffic, but I do enjoy riding along the highway. I get to daydream, see something new, and (hopefully) be in good company. Since I don’t drive, I don’t get to experience this often. That will change soon. 

I often wonder what my life would’ve been like if I never lived here? Would I be this creative?  New York City is an interesting place. What’s not to talk about? There are times I become bored, because I’ve been here all my life. And I certainly want to travel and live somewhere else one day, just for the experience. But I can’t deny, as stressful and expensive this place can be NYC is a fascinating city. I have more of an appreciation for it now than I had years ago. The convenience here is great especially for people, like me, who don’t drive. As much as I utilize the transit system, there’s still a lot more for me to see. For instance, I love Queens. That’s one place I want to visit more often. 

pothole on 5th Ave & 50th St, BK

Lately, I’ve been traveling within Brooklyn in search of potholes and broken sidewalks. Inspired by my friend and PIX 11 reporter, Greg Mocker, I wanted to see how bumpy Brooklyn really is. From what I’ve observed so far, we are very bumpy. More needs to be done to fix our sidewalks and streets. Not only it damages cars, but can cause people unnecessary slips and falls. I should know!  Noticing these potholes and broken sidewalks have inspired me to report and blog about it, in hopes something will get done. Plus, I get a chance to be an amateur investigative reporter/writer. Sounds interesting huh?

8th Ave Brooklyn

Despite the bumps and lumps, I enjoy walking in new neighborhoods. Sunset Park is definitely one of them. I walked along 7^th Avenue for the first time (I’m very familiar with 8^th and 9^th Avenues), and realized how quiet and residential it is. The store owners are friendly, and no one makes you feel uncomfortable. I like that. Although 8^th Avenue is crowded, I enjoy being part of the crowd in Brooklyn Chinatown. It’s so colorful (like me) and have many shops to explore. I’ve learned years ago, when I first worked in Manhattan Chinatown, that you must know how to walk in busy, fast-paced crowds. If not, you may get pushed aside. It’s not done purposely, just the nature of the environment. Now I’m used to it, and can walk my way through a crowd I didn’t think was possible! I’ve made friends at some local businesses along 8^th and 9^th Avenues, which makes the journey even more worthwhile. Not to mention I occasionally run into former students of mine. That’s definitely a plus!

A day in my life is one filled of simplistic joys. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. I’m on the trail of more discoveries about NYC, and most importantly about myself.