I'm in love

I am in the greatest city in the world, or maybe we could call it the best place in the country, or perhaps the east coast, or, uh, my exact favorite coordinates to find myself. I am on vacation in a city where I eat and walk and see art and hear really good snippets of conversations and drink and eat and rarely look up from the street. But when I do look up I still feel equally exhilarated. And oh, I also stay up late, spend lots of money, talk about literature and fantasize about how great it would be to live here. Like if I had a decent paying job--scratch that--a really well paying job, and appropriately warm yet stylish clothes (which upon arrival, I quickly realize, I never do). And it's not just the city itself. It's the people I know here. The things they like to do (when I'm in town), what great hosts they are (plying me with liquor and letting me sleep in their beds) and how they are always game fur anything (it's 2am, let's go grab some pommes frittes and watch Jon Stewart until we collapse).

I always have the best star sightings here and this one was one of the best cuz he seemed to be on a really romantic date and not afraid to show it and because I really liked this movie and he sat right next to me on the same bench throughout my entire meal. My friend The Writer claims that even the readings are better here, because let's face it this is a literary town, a town of publishers and people who read and read voraciously and read the papers and the book reviews so even if they haven't read the book, they've read the synopsis, and indeed, the one reading I attended did not disappoint during the Q & A. Because of a certain question I asked, a man with a waxy, handlebar mustache and bow tie approached me and handed me his card. He told me that if I ever wanted to talk about how best to dispose of my body after death, he could help me. His card read, Director of Anatomical Donations Program and honestly, I knew not that such a program existed.

I can't help but gush. It's just my personality. I'm sure there are other great places to be and other great things to do and other amazing things to eat. But really, for now, I'd rather be here. Even if it's just to get turned around and around on the subway system, to get knocked in the shoulder repeatedly when I am caught looking over my shoulder, to get blisters on my feet from trying to wear anything but sneakers, or to be told by a rude waitress that my choice was not the best one to make. And thankfully I am.