On our fifth day in New York City we had to see another one of New York City’s history landmarks, Grand Central Terminal. When I first walked in, it took me a second to realize what I was looking at because there was so much going on around me.

This place is huge so it didn’t feel crowded even though there were a lot of people, there was something going on in every corner. People were walking in and out of the station, buying tickets, huge screens marking the train destinations and time of arrival, you could hear announcements about train arrivals and there was even an Apple Store, right there on the Main Concourse.

But the most amazing thing is how beautiful it is. You have to look up to the ceiling when you walk in, be careful not to run into anyone, because it is a work of art.

After walking around a little and looking around some of the stores that made it feel almost like a mall, we headed out again to our second adventure of the day. We had tickets to go visit the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Observation Deck.

I thought I was ready for this, having visited another observation deck just a few months ago in Chicago, but as soon as we got on the elevator they turned the lights off and then started flashing . As soon as this happened I got nervous and closed my eyes as my fear of elevators kicked in again. I didn’t want to see what was going on and we were going up pretty fast.

Once the elevator stopped, we were on the 91st floor where we walked into the mirror room. That’s when I understood why we had to wear a black bag over our shoes. As you walk in the room all you see is your reflection and everyone else’s. It was a little confusing. When you look away from the mirrors, you can see the entire city right there, the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, Empire Statue Building. Everywhere you look through the windows as you walk around, you can recognize another of New York City’s landmarks.

As we kept exploring this floor, we walked into a room called Reflect, with an art installation called “Cloud” on the floor. From this calm and serene room, we walked into a continuation of the installation AIR called Affinity. In this room there were silver blobs floating through the air. They were everywhere! You could pick them up and throw them, hit or kick them as they floated towards you. I felt like a little kid again.

The mirrored rooms continued to floor 92, where there were also glass-paneled floor which you could step out to. Next was the unity exhibit, where you can take a picture in the clouds. After you’ve reached the clouds you finally go up to the 93rd floor where there is a cafe with food and drinks and you can get another look at the city from above.

Going back down 93 floors on the elevator was just as scary as when we went up. I closed my eyes again, afraid to look at the flashing lights. Once those elevator doors opened, I was calm again and ready to keep walking and exploring the city.

A few hours later I went to dinner with two of my friends from college, who I was very happy to see again. We had a great time, laughing and catching up. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to see them so it was a very nice way to end the day.

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Published by mariacristinasanfeliu

I’m an aspiring writer still looking for exactly what I want to write about, with a lot of creativity, imagination and desire to write. I studied Writing and Rhetoric at Syracuse University where I explored many different sides of writing through my classes and extracurricular activities in order to narrow my search for an identity as a writer. I have written for Citrus TV Noticias and La Voz magazine, both of which gave me the chance to explore different mediums in which to write in. Through Citrus TV Noticias I also gained experience in translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, which is also something that I would be interested in working on since I am fluent in both of these languages. I was also an intern at Syracuse University Press where I got hands on experience in what goes into actually editing and publishing a book. Through out the last four years I have faced a lot of challenges, which helped chape the person I am today. After being in a tragic car accident, being in comma, having a Traumatic Brain Injury, and being in therapy for over a year, I am a new me, willing to face challenges and knowing how to deal with them. I want to write about my accident and life after it to help others, show them it can be done and help in any way I can.

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