tourism

I haven't lived in New York very long. I still have trouble finding everything I need at the store, haven't quite mastered the art of buying just enough groceries to get by, and when it comes to navigating the non-gridded urban labyrinths outside of downtown Manhattan, well, forget about it. I have been here long enough to have out-of-town guests, and I think that simple fact is starting to transform the towering buildings and yellow-traffic-chocked streets into something familiar.

Until I had guests, the hustle and bustle of graduate life kept me hopping around the city, never familiarizing myself with what made New York New York. But as friends and family began visiting, I became a tour guide. And in becoming this de factor teacher, I became a student of the big apple as well. I had to describe what made this street special or that monument interesting, tempering my own impressions with those from my guest. I suppose I became a tourist of sorts, but not just any tourist. Someone much wiser than me said that teaching makes you a better student. So there it is. Sweet.