Today I slept walked through the city. I strolled down M street and Wisconsin Avenue, passed a dozen shops, tried on 300 dollar dresses that I knew I couldn’t afford, drank bubble tea and a smoothie, and sat by the Potomac River, watching the sun set. I say slept walked because when you’re alone and you have the power to do absolutely anything, you feel like you’re dreaming but you know you are awake. There’s so little time in the day that I feel like I have total control over what happens. In reality, at home, at school, at work, things are arranged to a certain degree. Plans are made, appointments are arranged; there is some sort of order to everything. But when I found myself alone and unaccompanied in a little city where people move about within every second and life happens so quickly, I was free. I was a free bird, breaking rules as I wished, crossing any street I chose to cross, picking any road I wanted, timing myself as I wished. The world was mine and that’s when I felt like I had it all. I’m trying to avoid clichés, exaggerations and corny phrases, but that’s how I literally felt. Like I could do anything, be the woman I am, be gorgeous and single and feel the breeze and the wind going through my hair. Six years passed and I never once did what I did today. I never had the courage to ride the bus alone, put my own money in, and not feel awkward. I am glad that today I finally found the courage to do what I always wanted to do, to walk alone and spend a day with myself. I gave my heart to the city and believe it or not I can give it to New York some day. Life is good. All you have to do is ride a bus full of strangers and be a traveler.
I could have written this like a story. I could have added a little color to the dresses. I could have picked names for the streets I crossed and the stores I window shopped from. I could have made you feel like you’re walking in my shoes, feeling the wind, hearing the cars passing and the music I listened to. I could have written this a thousand different ways and it probably could have been better. But, I didn’t. I chose to write it without the details. I wrote it for me and for once I want you, the reader, to just experiment this on your own. Besides, one style of writing would be boring, wouldn’t it?