Lazy Sunday in Brooklyn

Well here I am, only a day after I last wrote! Are you proud of me?

I felt a bit guilty that my last post was overwhelmingly negative. As, I am in New York City after all. I think that is the problem with New York - visitors expectations are unbelievably high. So I think it can be a tad anticlimatic when one finally finds himself or herself here. I got the same reaction from all of my friends when I mentioned that I wasn't enjoying myself very much here - "but, you're in New York?!?!" they may as well have said "what the hell is wrong with you?!!"

But, as I mentioned yesterday, I wasn't exactly very stoked about coming to North America in the first place and coming for so long, I guess I felt a bit trapped. I felt a lot of anxiety at having to spend about a month here. How would I pass the time, I thought to myself...

But anyway, only two more days left in New York and I'm finally starting to really enjoy myself here.

Had an extremely pleasurable day today. Started off with a workout at the gym, then fruit salad, yoghurt and rolled oats for breakfast with a coffee from Cafe Orwell - the cafe next to the hostel. I then jumped on the subway and headed to Smith Street.

I am not even sure what suburb this is but it is South-West Brooklyn. Smith Street is a strip of lots of cafes, bars and clothing stores. I had a look around before deciding to walk to Prospect Park - a few kms away.

Before I headed off I grabbed an iced coffee from a street-side store. The friendly African-American dude behind the counter asked me if I worked around the area. When I said no he said something along the lines of "yeah because I never see pretty girls like you around here". Not used to such comments I blushed and made some awkward remark. But he gave me the iced coffee for free against my objections - who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth...

I headed to Prospect Park and soon decided that black skinny leg jeans were a bad choice for the scorching hot day. I tried to roll them up but by the time I arrived at the park I was sweating profusely and desperately looking around for a shady corner where I could eat my lunch and read Steppenwolf. I found myself a nice spot on a grassy bank underneath a big oak tree overlooking the park. There were happy Brooklyners everywhere - playing various sports, lazing on the grass reading like me or playing with their kids. Ah this is the life, I thought sleepily to myself.

I walked through the park which is absolutely stunning. Less manicured than Central Park - there were parts where I was the only person walking down the path and it felt almost more like a forest. A really lovely spot.

After doing my park thing I decided to head to the Brooklyn Bridge and walk across. It turned out I wasn't the only tourist with this bright idea as me and hundreds of other sightseers trudged along the bridge in the hot sun. It was nice to get amongst the sea breeze though and the views from the bridge are amazing. So, definitely worth braving the crowds!

I then went to my new favourite store - Whole Foods - and bought my new favourite guilt-free treat - a sugar-free blueberry scone, along with a magazine and a bottle of NZ savignon blanc. Which I'm just about to open and enjoy as the last of the sun slips away and provides the city with some much needed cool relief...

Here is my song of the day for today, I thoroughly recommend you listen to this - Beirut at his/its best! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VyPeQzb6FY