Lately I’ve been itching to visit New York City, so yesterday decided to make it happen. Since it was a weekday, all my usual travel buddies were otherwise employed. But I had a free day and the weather was perfect, so I opted to make the trip solo. The idea of going to NYC alone initially seemed a little daunting, but when I broke it down none of the parts seemed scary at all: Driving to Staten Island. Riding the ferry. Walking around. Going to shops. Eating. Taking photos. All things I’ve done before (and I’m sure I’ll do again). And to be honest, I’ve wanted to take a solo trip, so this seemed like a perfect starting place. And it was lovely. I don’t mind driving or walking or listening, and that’s exactly what my day was filled with. Driving 3 hours to the ferry terminal and 3 hours home. Walking 18,500 steps over 7.6 miles. Listening to strangers conversing on the sidewalk and musicians in Washington Square Park. I got a street view of Casey Neistat’s 368 space, rode an elevator up to the penthouse Glossier showroom, and wandered through a Blick Art store to find the micron pens I’ve been meaning to replace. I walked through a sea of NYU students during class change and down through crowds by the World Trade Center. Overall it was a refreshing trip and I’m glad I went. I may have traveled there by myself, but with the thousands of people I saw yesterday, I can’t say I was ever really alone.