New York, New York

And another trip to New York City is in the books.

My sister and I have made it into an annual thing and this was our third time visiting. I wondered if we'd enjoy it all as much, now that things are familiar. Happy to report, though, that we enjoyed it just as much as usual. I regret not spending more time in Brooklyn, but that only means we'll have to go back again next year. 

We stayed here, enjoyed a phenomenal meal here, and of course, ate our weight in cookies at this iconic establishment. We walked a lot, too. Tip for your next trip to a big city: bring Tylenol and sneakers. 

But more than the food, it was those experiences of walking the streets that I enjoyed the most. Don't get me wrong: I love and appreciate a well-curated meal and New York plays home to many of those kinds of things, but it's also home to so many experiences and sights. Being immersed in the city's liveliness nourishes my soul in an almost unexpected way. 

While walking on the Brooklyn Bridge, I jotted down this thought on my iPhone sometimes we're fortunate enough to bump up against the bigness of life. That's what New York City is like for me. I feel like I'm brushing up against the cosmic nature of this life. There are so many people in such a small space and it's like its a microcosm of the entire world. There are so many things happening on this little planet of ours.

New York City - more than Chicago or Seattle - reminds me that I'm not alone and that in some small sense, in the big, giant world, we're all in this together.