Dec 12

Dec 12 NYC - The First Snowfall

Today was magical.

As I've learnt (VERY quickly), New Yorkers do not get up early. This is all well and good until my Australian body decides it wants to wake up early on Saturday morning for a quick jog and a deliciously warm coffee. Much to my dismay, that coffee had to be from Starbucks, as none of the independent cafes opened until 8am. Nonetheless, this allowed for QUITE the experience.

As I talked about last week, I wanted to get up early to see the High Line before the crowds arrived. So this week I did just that, although it wasn't early in my eyes. I got down there a little after 7:45am, and it was completely deserted, except for the odd runner here and there (all of which did the runner's nod/greeting as the passed, which I loved!). It was nothing like I've ever seen before. And to top it off, it began to snow.

There I was, in one of the most iconic landmarks in New York City, in the busiest city in the world*, and I was completely alone, and experiencing the first snowfall of the season. Snowflakes floated gracefully and landed on my nose, everything was completely still around me - there was no crying children and tourists with their selfie sticks trying to capture the perfect shot - with the sound of traffic in the distance and my footsteps beneath me, and I had one of those 'I will never forget this moment' moments - it was unbelievable. I slowed to a walk, and simply took it in. I was asked later where my photos were from that experience, since it was such a rare thing to have no one around in such a beautiful location. But I didn't take any. You'll know that I've been ALL about documenting my trip through photos and videos, but in that moment, I simply wanted to be in the moment.

And it was beautiful.

Later that day (before we realised just how much it was snowing), my roommate and I decided to go to Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO via the Brooklyn Bridge. Both of us are from places where snow is not all that common, so the freshly falling snow was something that left us both in awe. We wandered through parks and streets on the way to the Bridge, taking photos and videos and soaking it all up.

And then we got to the Bridge and what a marvel that was. Below is a photo of what the Bridge looked like when we started, and then when we finally got off. It took us so long, but it was just something that I'll never ever forget - crossing the Brooklyn Bridge while the first snowfall of the season settled in.

By the time we got off the Bridge, we couldn't see the skyline, and everything was covered in a thick layer of fresh snow (including us!) and it was such a beautiful sight. There is nothing like the feeling of falling snow, and hearing it crunch under your boots as you walk.

We finally got across to Brooklyn and found refuge in a warm cafe on Washington Street. After de-thawing and gaining feeling in our extremities again, we took our iconic photos with the Manhattan Bridge in the background, and then spent the next couple of hours wandering the streets of Brooklyn Heights in awe of the architecture now covered in a blanket of fresh, untouched snow. It was a beautiful, beautiful day, and whilst I came home with a nasty cold, I also came home with some memories that I will never, never forget.