As children, and indeed as adults, we find a magic in places we have never been to. We find magic in places we have been to as well, but that is not the topic of this post. For me, these places are few. There’s the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, the wondrous world of Narnia, and the bright lights of New York. And while it is nice to whisk ourselves to these places in dreams, it is even nicer to experience the reality of them.
I haven’t yet found an enchanted wardrobe, but I have found myself in New York.
As I write this, I am not surrounded by the bright lights of Broadway or the bustle of the city’s business district. Quite the opposite. I am in a house in a quiet community, ready to get some sleep after a long day of travelling. This certainly isn’t the New York I dreamt about, but it is pleasing.
I am in America with my family; my brother Andrew, my mother, and my father. Ahead of us lies 9 days of visiting New York, seeing the sights, and (for Andrew’s sake) popping into a few fire stations. What we do while we’re here is of secondary importance however to the fact that we are spending time together as a family.
No matter what New York was like in my dreams and the photos that I’ve seen, this week will be spent seeing the real New York and meeting real New Yorkers.
This is the start of my New York adventure.
Oh, and if any of you know where I might find an enchanted wardrobe to take me to Narnia, please do let me know.
Peter Marcus 