For me, this year is about happiness and health of the body, heart, and mind. It’s about exercising happiness in all three of these each week. I’m trying to focus on each. To be balanced. Whole. Honest. Gentle. Most of all, genuine with myself. And one of my moments of pure bliss this past week was a long walk we took to Hunter’s Point in Long Island City. It reminded me of something incredibly important: self dates. Or “Selfies” as I have started calling them, and I don’t mean the flip-cam kind. I am making a point to take myself on a date once a week. A “selfie” date can be just with yourself, with your best pal, or a loved one. It’s just a period of time set aside that gives your soul a big hug.
When I lived in Chicago, I walked. I mean, I WALKED. I walked everywhere. Forty-five minute walk to work? Sure! Two hour long walk after class? Of course! I walked, I explored, I people watched, and I learned the city inside and out. Walking was my favorite time of the day. I loved it. It was my time to unplug, be present, and discover. When we left Chicago, I felt like I knew every intersection, every corner, every knook and crannny. I loved that. I was ready to tackle New York in the same way.
We got to New York and long walking wasn’t quite as practical. Everything was so fast paced. Frankly, I “didn’t have the time.” As I’ve been looking forward toward this next year I’ve been wondering if it is really because I didn’t have the time or if it’s because I got caught in a rut. A rut where I didn’t make the time. So this weekend, Mike and I decided to take a break from our work and go on a long walk to Hunter’s Point.
I will never forget the first time I heard of Long Island City. I thought it was some city an hour away on Long Island. Little did I know it was a hip neighborhood just across the river from Midtown Manhattan. One of the best parts? Gantry Plaza State Park, the lovely park lining the river that looks back over Manhattan. We had heard about it, but never been. So Mike and I put on our heavy coats and took a walk. It took us about an hour to get there and it was gorgeous. We arrived just as the sun was setting,. With the overcast clouds looming over the city, we caught a perfect blue hour.
We sat and chatted, snapped some photos, and enjoyed the view. It made my heart, body, and mind incredibly happy. It was wonderful. We sat there as long as we could, until our fingers started to freeze, and all of the lights of the city flicked on. We then walked over to Vernon Blvd. (the main street in the neighborhood) for a pint of beer. It was such a lovely evening.
Our world right now is busy. There’s a lot going on in all of our lives. And I think taking some time for yourself, putting down the devices for a bit, and enjoying the view is a deep breath of fresh air. This year I’ll be breathing a lot more. And I’m excited.
