Subway smiles and adventures

It's hard to catch a smile on the subway.  If you do meet some one's eyes it's usually in passing or in angst.  Whether it be attraction to what meets the eye, or in shock.  Either way whichever way you slice it, subway rides are always unique  For the first two weeks here I did not bring any reading material to busy my <20 minute commute because I had all the viewing pleasure I needed on the 2, 3, F, B, D, 6, Q trains that I experimented taking during the first few days.  In fact, I'm rounding up my third business week here in the city and I've still yet to feel solid about my chosen route. Some days - mostly those after work - I find myself so distracted, mentally exhausted (physically more so during the first week after moving in), that I just hop on to whatever train comes to the platform, without even confirming that it's the right train!  I would just emerge into the rush hour crowd and sometimes not catch my mistake until I heard either an unfamiliar stop or any stop after what should have meant my stop should have already happened.  It's happened a few times.  But I always compensate somehow.  Whether' it's catching the 2 at Atlantic or going for a walk after being dropped off at an unfamiliar stop  (which I have learned the hard way can take up to 12 minutes of waiting depending), mistakes on the Subway are usually reparable unless you get off at a one-way station and you have to pay fare again.  Every day is an adventure on the subway.

Just today there was a fella who was shuffling through the car asking for money and then I am almost certain he walked in between the cars to get to the next, but paused for a smoke on the connector platform while the train was moving!!  There are also these subway car 'street performers'.  They dance a choreographed routing in between the hand poles and in an acrobatic moment they're done swinging from the ceiling and they're out the door at the next stop, to head where, who knows?  What do they spend their money on?  Do they have day jobs?  Where did they learn to dance like pole dancing ninjas while the subway is in motion?!  

Some days when I'm supposed to be somewhere at a specific time and I'm running a bit late, I'll take a taxi instead.  I usually get into the city  (lower Manhattan, midtown) in 15-20 vs. 30-35.  Good to have options though.  Options where all I need to do is to locate one and/or hop on, and get from A to B.  I don't miss driving really.  It's quite nice not to have to think during the commute, not to have to fill up the tank, pay for insurance, worry about servicing, replace the tires, get it cleaned/clean it, park it, register it annually with the DMV.  I pay $112/month for unlimited and automatically renewing metro fare.  Versus the $50+ I spend ad hoc I'd say it's a much more scalable fare.

Just today I was headed to church, supposed to be in Manhattan by 11:45 at Irving Plaza (a concert venue hall by night, Church by Sunday, near Union Square), and because I was running behind, I walked down to a busier part of the neighborhood down Vanderbilt to catch a taxi.  They are not easy to hail in our immediate hood! After attending service I feel renewed and my soul refilled.  Armed to take on the world!

Saturday we went up to Harriman State Park for a 6+ mile, 5.5 hour hike.  What a great workout, for the mind and body.  What an adventure the whole day was!  We met at Penn Station at 10:15 to catch the 10:54 NJ Transit to Secaucus where we would transfer to Sloatsburg, in upstate NY.  From the cute little train platform, we walked into the park (estimated to be about 1.5-2) miles and actually walked past the original planned trail, Dater Mountain, than what we were anticipating.  It worked out well though because right after Kelly voiced her concern that we had long-since passed the visitor center (why does she always doubt me?), we approached the visitor center where a nice [looking] younger man helped to mark a route for us for a suitable trail for our wants.  I hope to see him again.  He sure reminded me of a long-since former boyfriend/best friend.  If there are two ideal places that I would like to meet my mate: hiking and/or church.  =)

The view at the top of the boulders was epic.  Who knew there was so much green in NY?!  A therapeutic dose of 57,000 acres of nature!  Splendid beauty!  The NYC skyline was even visible, but barely so to our eyes and would not make a picture.  I felt like my body sooo needed that hike.  Consider me hike-hydrated, although I do feel I will need to get out there a few more times before the winter.   

Kel was a champ!  At the end she confessed that it had been her hardest hike to date (that'll happen when you hike with me.)  For we may be slow, but we sure are blessed with endurance.  Kel was keeping up like a seasoned hiker!  I remember the days when she would not have been able to join in on hikes and I longed for the day when we would be able to enjoy working out in the glory of the outdoors. Hiking never feels like such a workout because of the beautiful views and scenery.  The satisfaction of an eagle's view is always so rewarding.  I swear we gained more than 500 ft. elevation (made it to just above 1,100 ft. above sea level), but that's what the maps say.  And we believe everything we're told, don't we?  

I had a soul-nourishing, mind and heart refilling week and I intend to continue my rhythm until it becomes a habitual pattern.  Yoga, hiking/nature, church/singing praise, baking-therapy, my sister/best friend, writing/journaling, NYC/exploring/discovering new places = just a few of my favorite things.