New York City

New York City is the first place I’ve ever felt at home. It’s odd—I was a Midwestern girl through and through, who had never lived away from Central Ohio until I was 21. Yet I had never really felt “in place” in Ohio. Eager to find “my” city, I started traveling frequently to new locales, including Paris, Athens, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. My senior year in college, I applied to a fine arts program so that I could intern at BOMB, an art and literary magazine in SoHo—and live in New York City. To my delight, I was accepted. As my cab sped me across the bridge toward the city from the La Guardia International Airport, towering buildings partially shrouded by a thick haze appeared. I was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense excitement that was tempered by a soothing inner peace. In that instant I knew I was finally home.

In my first few weeks there, I delighted over things that native New Yorkers take for granted. Broadway shows. The subway. New York bagels. Tiffany’s. Hot dog stands. Ritzy galas. Art gallery openings. Sidewalk cafes. And soon my delight turned into an intense love for all that the city has to offer. Love is still a word I use frequently when talking about New York City. I love the surprise—my chance encounter with Gwyneth Paltrow while sipping a martini at a SoHo bar, the unexpected free tickets that I received from a friend for Broadway shows, and the offer to model for a big-name photographer’s new book. I love the opportunity—the freelance gig that enabled me to help create a book about the Holocaust and the BOMB internship that taught me about the publishing world at a national level and introduced me to famous writers and artists. I love the chaos—honking horns, madly congested streets, crowded subways, and jam-packed clubs. I love the sophistication—glamorous models, posh lounges, designer clothes. But most of all, I love that surge of excitement I feel every time I return to my personal place of a lifetime.

—Heather Morgan

Heather Morgan is a Traveler associate researcher and the online editor.