A Summer in NYC
Once, on my walk home through the crowded sidewalk of Fifth Ave, a woman eagerly approached me, clearly hoping to sell me her product. The first thing she said to me upon her approach was, “Are you a New Yorker or a tourist?”
I opened my mouth to respond to her simple question but found myself lacking an adequate reply. I wasn’t a New Yorker by any means. I had only lived in the city for less than two months and my time here was quickly dwindling. But at the same time, I couldn’t call myself a tourist. I lived and worked in this city, no matter how temporary. So what did that make me?
Noticing my hesitant demeanor, she laughed and made her next guess, “Summer intern?”
I nodded my head and she sadly stated that her discount was for New Yorkers only and while I looked the part, interns were not technically New Yorkers. That was fine, I wasn’t interested in what she was selling anyhow, but it got me thinking about my place in this bustling city.
New York isn’t my home, but I’m also not just visiting. I’m floating somewhere in between the two, getting to experience the exhilarating lifestyle of NYC on a much deeper level than any tourist could manage, but still below the level of a real New Yorker. I’m in a category all my own.
I spend my days working with books (my favorite things) and my evenings trying to soak up every bit of culture and life this city has to offer before the summer ends. Being an intern this summer has allowed me to travel across the country and immerse myself in a new lifestyle. It’s a unique and incredible way to experience this concrete jungle where dreams are made, and I’ve found that no matter what adventure I’m on that day, I always find another person sharing in my exceptional summer journey.
The longer I’m in New York and the more interns and summer residents I meet, the more I realize that no, we aren’t New Yorkers, and no, we aren’t tourists, but we have our own special place in this eclectic city. We see the city in a light that no New Yorker or tourist does during our time here, and that has made this summer truly incredible.
Well that, and the fact that the shakes here are the best things I’ve ever eaten.
(The internship is pretty cool too).
*This is a joint post between Spencer Hill Press and Beaufort Books
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