Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today, I want to be a part of it, New York, New York

The song that came out of the vents of the airplane as I arrived in New York was no other than the famous “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra. What irony it was that I arrived in the city that never sleeps very sleepy. The sleepiness evaporated quickly once my hands held a cup of coffee, and was soon replaced with excitement of the big city.

I’ve been to New York once or twice before, but this time was different. With 15 other teenagers next to me and a busy schedule, I knew that I was going to receive the true New York experience.

These vagabond shoes are longing to stray, right through the very heart of it, New York New York

Walking through the streets of New York makes me realize how significant and how insignificant we really are. I encountered so many different people of so many walks of life leaving it was impossible to not wonder what their story is. The smell of mouth-watering foods from vendors and restaurants swiftly attacks ones nose and beckons them inside. I could not help but crane my neck to look at all of the buildings. New York has some of the most beautiful architecture that I have ever seen.

From seeing the bull on Wall Street, to the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island, to Times Square I could not help but feel a part of something greater. I was walking in the same spot that so many that came before me had been. New York was rich in history, and I could not help but bask in the wealth. The Rockefeller Center, Trump Towers, Saint Pat’s Cathedral and Grand Central Station did not disappoint either. Everything was magnificent.

I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep, and find I’m king of the hill, top of the heap

Time Square acts as a nightlight, bright colors flashing throughout the night. The old saying the sun never sets on the British Empire seems true for New York too, there is always something that is happening. People walk throughout the night, teenagers drunk on life and adults literally drunk. The hustle of the city is evident, but during the night the hustle seems to continue.

While Central Park is not busy during the night, during the day the park offers a sense of relief from the chaotic city. Men with acoustic guitars line the bench areas, playing a soothing rhythm that made me feel like I was nowhere close to a big city. To me, the best part of Central Park was where two worlds collided, where you could stand in the calm of the park and see the cities skyline. For a moment, the view was breathtaking.

These little town blues are melting away, I’ll make a brand new start of it, in old New York

The real reason the newspaper and yearbook staffs went to New York was to attended a conference and award ceremony hosted by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University. An extreme Ivy League school, I expected the university to be pretty, but it was gorgeous.

The seminars that I attended were wonderful and helpful. My favorite one had to be a swap shop, where I got to meet with students from across the country and exchange newspapers and ideas with them.

On the last day of the conference there was an award ceremony. The Fentonion, Fenton High’s Yearbook, ranked in the top three percent of the country and won a Silver Crown Award.

If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere, it’s up to you New York, New York

To me, New York is full of opportunities, but hidden under that is those who were not so lucky. Homeless people speckle the floor of the subway as they try and escape the cold for at least an hour of warmth and rest. Clattering cups of change fill the hands of those in search of their next meal.

I was incredibly lucky to see New York through the eyes of the people that live there. I saw New York in sun, wind, and snow, from above the ground and under it, from twelve floors up and from the street.

Most importantly, I realized how easy it is to get lost in New York. But in New York it is just as easy to find yourself. Among the crowds of people I realized that no one is paying attention to me, which allows me to pay attention to myself. My short five day trip to New York and Columbia University has allowed me to reinvent myself and left me with a little more unblurred cloud of my future.