New York, New York?

I'm following a tip from my sister, and writing about my upcoming trip to New York City. I've never been to NYC before, and I'm leaving Friday with my best friend and my sister. It's also my birthday weekend, and this trip is my present to myself. Lisa also bought tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway, which I am so excited about.

Shelley, my sister, suggested that I write about my preconceptions of New York. We are conditioned to believe that a place truly is what it's like on TV or in books or magazines. I am a huge fan of Sex and the City, and so I believe that NYC will look and feel like it does on my favorite show- fashionable, sexy, glamourous and effortless.

I have a feeling I'm in for a rude awakening.

Monday night I started looking for restaurants to make reservations at for this weekend so that we would at least have a place for dinner. Just doing this stressed me out. Which restaurant? What neighborhood? Is this a good place? Is it too expensive? Will we look out of place? Am I too Virginia for New York? I'm not cool enough, am I? Suddenly all these thoughts were swirling around in my head and I began to doubt if I was ready for New York. I definitely was not in an Empire state of mind, Jay-Z.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I have put NYC up on a pedestal- this idea of urban perfection, and that I've set myself up for a fall. Because I'm so excited about this trip, because I have this picture in my mind of what New York is going to look and feel like (look, there goes Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones, off to their lunch date!), I'm afraid that I won't be able to see New York for what it really is- just another city. Yes, it's quintessentially American, and fashionable, and nearly every movie or book is set there or has a character who longs to return to the Big Apple, but we have to remember that it's also a place of business, and that it is someone's home.

I'm trying to be pragmatic and realistic so that I'm not intensely disappointed by the city that never sleeps.

However, I'm also a big tourist and I can't wait to squeal like a little girl at the sight of the Statue of Liberty and Bergdorf Goodman. And Fifth Avenue. And Broadway. And Manolo Blahnik. And Wall Street. And... sigh. Oh New York. I can't wait to meet you.

Urbanly yours,

Nay