It’s so nice to be able to step foot outside, feeling the fresh air against my face rather than the stuffy heat of the living room that we’ve grown accustomed to over the past few days. The city feels packed to the boundaries, more so than usual, and the sidewalks are heaving to the point where I can’t walk two feet without being brushed against or barged into. It feels great to hear the noise of the city again and I find myself breaking out into a jog before I’ve even reached Central Park, weaving my way swiftly through the flow of people. I manage to pick up a map from a stall by the entrance to the park opposite Seventy-sixth Street and so I easily trace a route to the running loop around the reservoir.
It’s busy when I get there, with people running and sprinting and jogging and speed-walking, and I slip onto the pathway and get going. I’m only planning on completing one full circuit, but it feels so relaxing and so amazing that I end up circling the full track two more times, racking up four and a half miles. It’s the first time I’ve run since I’ve been in New York and I’m now entirely convinced that Central Park is one of the most beautiful places to run through. There’s something so refreshing about being surrounded by the greenery and the water, something new and beautiful rather than the sight of the Santa Monica pier every morning. I’m getting bored of seeing the beach. I like seeing the trees instead.
In less than an hour, I’m already on my way back to the apartment, safe and alive. The heat doesn’t help the fact that I’m sweating from the run, and by the time I reach the apartment I’m dying for a cold shower. However, it doesn’t stop me from taking the stairs, just to finish off. I jog up all twelve flights of them and I’m most definitely out of breath when I knock rapidly on the door to Tyler’s apartment.
Unfortunately, Emily opens it, her eyes running over my panting body. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say. I might look like I’m dying, but I’m not. I’ve just worked hard and I love the feeling of satisfaction that comes from that, even if it does involve the pain of having my chest contract and my legs stiffen.
“We’re leaving in an hour,” Emily tells me as I walk past her into the apartment, my hands on my hips as I bring my breathing under control. I shoot her a sideways glance as she shuts the door. “We’re going to walk south to Union Square and back, so I hope you’re not too worn out.”
“How far is that?”
She shrugs and walks further into the room. “Maybe three miles? Just guessing.”
“It’s over fifty blocks,” Tyler says from behind me, and when I spin around he’s walking over to us while adjusting his flannel shirt, rolling the sleeves up to just below his elbows. “We’ll head straight down Fifth Avenue.”
When he talked earlier about heading out today, I hadn’t assumed our plans would include Emily and most likely Snake, too. I was thinking more along the lines of hanging out just the two of us again, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case at all. But perhaps the four of us spending the day together won’t be that bad, so I smile and say, “Sounds cool. I’m gonna shower.”
By just after 10AM all four of us are dressed and ready to go. Snake’s not that enthusiastic about the three-mile walk, but he comes along anyway. We head four blocks west onto Fifth Avenue with the sun beating down on us and I think it might be the hottest day since I’ve been here. Admittedly, I haven’t visited Fifth Avenue that much with Tyler. It’s fascinating to walk down, but there’s no way I’d ever step foot in the stores. The price tags are way too high. It reminds me of Santa Monica Place but ten times bigger and more luxurious, with stores like Gucci and Cartier and Rolex and Versace and Louis Vuitton and Prada all on one street. It’s obvious why it’s one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
It’s not all flashy stores, though. We pass the New York Public Library and the Saturday Night Live exhibition and then, finally, the Empire State Building, which I haven’t seen until now. It’s absolutely huge, towering over every other surrounding building, and it looks beautiful even from the outside. Tyler, Snake and Emily don’t complain when I spend a few minutes admiring the iconic landmark, snapping pictures next to all the other tourists before finally I’m whisked away. We come to Madison Square Park next and cross over, passing by the Flatiron Building. The architecture is amazing, and it looks so odd and incredible and, again, so iconic that I stop. I know Tyler, Snake and Emily have seen all of this before, but for me, it’s another reminder that I’m here in New York City. I snap some photos here, too, before we head back on our way. We continue down Broadway until, finally, an hour and a half after leaving the apartment, we reach Union Square.
It’s a gorgeous park, full of both locals and tourists. There’s a farmers’ market selling fresh organic produce and there are a couple of street performers, but mostly it just feels peaceful, like a breath of fresh air compared to how crazy the rest of the city is. We manage to find ourselves a free bench along one of the pathways and I immediately drop down onto it, my legs aching. By the time we get back to the apartment, I’ll have covered over ten miles between this and my run. My legs feel like they’re burning.
“Starbucks is on the corner,” Tyler says. “We’ll be back in a sec. Eden, latte?”