Everyone's dream city becoming mine sounds unreal; it feels phony. Flying to the opposite side of the world to chase my blurry dream? Someone would say it might be too much, but here I come. After thirteen hours of flight I was kind of exhausted, but I soon became excited to see the "Welcome to New York" sign on top of the entrance in the airport.
On the way to the 24th Street dorm--where I would be staying for the next few months--my eyes were taken away by similar but slightly different roads. All the signs were in English, which was also very new to me; even the broadcast that came out of the Uber's radio was in English, too. Soon we arrived at the dorm while I was enjoying the series of surprises, and the friendly Uber driver helped me with my suitcase. My roommate and I ran out of the dorm with excitement and walked around for a long time, saying "This is our city." I was like a tourist, amazed by every street and every building. Places and spots I've seen in the movies were finally made real. I still remember Washington Square Park in Avengers: Infinity War, and now it's right in front of me! Everything was like a dream for the first few days, and I couldn't believe I was here. "You start building your private New York the first time you lay eyes on it." (Whitehead 4) As I blended into this city, I started to build my society up here: A stranger who grabbed the same vinyl at the same time in the vinyl store; the Morton William's staff member who remembers that I buy avocado every time; the barista at the coffee shop who got won my heart by when we complemented each other's tattoos; Carmen and Delia next door, who helped us when there was a cockroach in our room. People seem chill and friendly. They are easy to talk to; there's a lot of small talk between everyone. After leaving everything behind in Korea, I think I'm adjusting well in this city, step by step. As much as I've fantasized about New York, of course, the disappointments came as well. Smelly sewers, under-constructed roadside buildings, lots of homeless people on the street, old subways, etc. Even in this bustling city, there was melancholy. As much as the light was bright, the shadows were dark, and I had some fear of things I had not yet seen.
Nevertheless, old and new things coexisted, and that's what makes this city so attractive. Since I've come this far, I won't feel anxious about the things that will happen, I will go through it, and I will get through. Every night when my phone rings and my mom's face appears, I feel the different time zones. Everything bagel with scallion cream cheese instead of mom's homemade brunch; Starbucks iced coffee every morning instead of just getting enough sleep like I used to during vacations. This is how I live my independent life in this New York City.
Madison Square Park has been my favorite spot so far. My friends and I stopped by with the picnic mat and did our work there. I often feel ecstatic about the atmosphere around me, so I grab my film camera to take a few shots. My friend mainly shoots landscapes, and I take a lot of people. We all have a different perspective to view this city and try to keep a record in our own way. "This New York City you live in is not my New York City." (Whitehead 6) We live in the same city; we see different things and feel different emotions. I went to the Empire State Building Observatory, and I found myself so small in front of New York City's night view. Skyscrapers everywhere, the lights, the streets, and cars. Always awake, busy, and complex.
The idea of "everyone's dream city" was wrong. It's someone's home, it's someone's school, it's even someone's nightmare. It really depends on how you see this city and make your own private New York City. My New York is just getting settled, and we still have a long way to go. How is your New York?
Siwon Chung is a sophomore at the School of Visual Arts majoring in BFA Design. "I'm a third-culture kid who grew up in Shanghai as a Korean," Siwon says. "I went through many identity crises because of the multiple cultures that I grew up with; but at the same time, I enjoy being a new person everywhere and anywhere."