THE ART OF NOTICING: NEW YORK CITY.

Airplane wing above Manhattan and storm clouds during arrival into New York City.

What I've noticed over the thirty something years I've been coming to New York is how it has a way of pulling your attention upward. The buildings, the bridges, the sheer scale of it all. And yet, what tends to stay with me aren't the obvious things. What I remember most are the smaller moments.

Looking up at tall skyscrapers and clouds from a street in New York City.
Looking up at tall skyscrapers and clouds from a street in New York City.

I've always been drawn to old churches when I travel. It's not necessarily for religious reasons, although there is often a divine presence I can feel in these places. It's more about the quiet and a slower pace. These beautiful places of worship, with their rich history and detailed architecture, invite a different kind of attention. In a city that is constantly moving, they feel like a much needed pause.

View looking up through the cables and structure of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
Washington Square Arch framed by trees and city buildings in New York City.
Historic red brick buildings framed by trees in New York City.
Mother of Junk Vintage, furniture and antiques displayed inside a warehouse in Brooklyn, NY..
Collection of vintage letter tiles arranged in a wooden tray at Mother of Junk in Brooklyn, NY.

One of the things I notice when I travel is how often words find me. A phrase painted on a wall, a handwritten note, a line from a play. Small but meaningful pieces of language that seem to appear at just the right moment.

Exterior of Best Pizza restaurant in Brooklyn, New York City.
Playbill for the Broadway musical Six in New York City.
Playbill for the musical Heathers in New York City.
Oasis performing on stage during a concert at MetLife Stadium in New York City.
Mural featuring a handwritten poem painted on a building wall in New York City.

For me, travel is a literal break from the scenes and routines of daily life. New places offer a different visual landscape, new sounds, textures, colors and experiences. They wake up my senses in a way that feels both grounding and inspiring. When everything around me is unfamiliar, I naturally begin paying closer attention. Things tend to stand out and details catch my eye. Travel interrupts the familiar just long enough for me to see again.

People sitting along the waterfront overlooking the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
 

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