Places – Appreciation Magic

Niagara Falls

Name an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.

I lived in NYC for almost 18 years. While there, I never made it to see Niagara Falls. While it is quite a few hours from NYC, it’s still a lot closer than where I’m at now in Iowa. In fact, I’ve been to Iguazú Falls in Brazil and that’s certainly a lot further away.

I think it happens a lot that people often don’t see places that are in their own backyard. While in NY, I met a lot of people that hadn’t explored the many great attractions in their own city. I’m thinking my chances to seeing Niagara Falls are likely better now that I moved back to Iowa!

Appreciating Country Roads – Day 23

Being from Iowa, I have traveled many a country road. I learned to drive on dirt, gravel, blacktops and highways but I love country roads the best. I really appreciate country roads for the feeling of freedom they invoke with their wide open spaces and less traveled paths. There’s not much traffic on them and there’s a lot of landscape to see. When there is traffic, the “stranger” usually waves! They’re not really a “stranger” after all, but a sign of friendliness from the people I encounter in more rural places. There’s a feeling of connectedness that comes from being out in the country and on a country road.

I appreciate country roads for the views along the way, in the ditches, fields, or in the sky. I appreciate the wonders of nature that are evident from traveling down a country road. I appreciate the wildlife that I see along a country road. I really enjoy the sky from a country road and some of the most beautiful sunsets, shining stars, unusual cloud formations and spectacular lightning storms have been seen from a country road. Living in New York, I don’t see a lot of country roads these days. But whenever I do, it feels like home.

With that, I’m reminded of John Denver’s song, Country Roads. Take me home, country roads! 🙂

I Love Beautiful Beaches – Day 20

I just love and appreciate beautiful beaches! Here’s one in Jamaica I took a photo of a few years ago. The colors are so vibrant and the setting so charming. There are so many beautiful beaches I’ve visited in my life and I really loved this one. I especially appreciate the beach on a hot, humid day like yesterday….except for the fact I’m in New York! lol

I Love New York! – Day 19

I love New York! Why? Here’s a short list! Central Park, Times Square, Soho, The Village, Riverside Park, Union Square, Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botannical Garden, Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Staten Island, Broadway shows, off-Broadway shows, off-off Broadway shows, the Staten Island ferry, Statue of Liberty, pizza, cheesecake, bagels, delis, the tourists, 4th of July fireworks, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, Rockefeller Center, Christmas tree lighting, public transportation, taxis, ferries, bridges galore, JFK airport, Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, museums, museums, museums, art, art, art, film, Tribeca, Tribeca Film Festival, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Garment district, Chelsea Market, Chelsea Piers, bike lanes, Wall street, Chinatown, Chinatown shopping, Chinese noodles at Wo Hop in Chinatown, the opera, Lincoln Center, Shakespeare in the Park, Public Theater, the Greenbelt, fashion, department stores, Grand Central Station, the Northeast Corridor line connecting cities, boardwalks, fishing piers, harbor cruises, Brooklyn bridge, the Verrazano bridge, so many bridges!, St. John The Divine, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the snow removal system, the NYC Parks and Recreation Department, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, online grocery delivery, order delivery or takeout all hours of the night, Century 21, the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, tradition, ethnic foods, the many varieties of Chinese food mixed with other ethnic spices and flavors (like Chinese Jamaican Spanish food!), delicious Italian food, US Open, Knicks or Nets?, Jets or Giants?, Mets or Yankees?,cheap places, expensive places, free concerts, baseball games, diversity at the grocery store, friendly New Yorkers who willingly give directions with a recommendation on what’s good to eat at the destination, and the whole world is represented here!