Moynihan Train Hall

I was jogging up 8th Ave by Madison Square Garden early this morning when I came upon Moynihan Train Hall, Amtrak's newest concourse that opened on Jan 1, 2021. Since this was my first time near NYC's latest architectural gem, I had to go inside and check it out!

 

Once I entered the station, I saw a TV monitor airing cool facts about the building and its design. After watching that for a few minutes, I walked about 150 yards to get to the main terminal. When I arrived, I took a moment to look around and was blown away by the vaulted glass structure and the sky-lit atrium.

Seeing this room for the first time took my breath away! I know...that's a bit dramatic. LOL!

 

After catching my breath, I was back on the move and soon bumped into a security guard with whom I struck up a socially distant conversation. She was from the Bronx and provided some great insight about the hall.

 

Jenny from the block directed me upstairs to the Metropolitan Lounge, where I grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down, and observed everything in sight.

 

I sat there embracing that kid-like feeling of seeing something so gorgeous for the very first time and then began capturing my thoughts, snapped a few pics for my journal, finished my coffee, and got on with my day.

 

How did you start your Saturday?

 

#nyc

 

Watching the Sunrise

Overflowing with optimistic thoughts about the future on the way to catch the ferry, I stopped for a moment to watch the sunrise over New York City. As I was looking around for a nice place to sit, I suddenly noticed the white light shining brightly from the boat taxi (right side of the pic) as it was cruising towards the heliport on the way to the terminal.

Recognizing that I had about six minutes to jot down what I was thinking at this moment before I needed to hurry to the dock, I calmly walked over to the bench behind the lamp post, sat down, and then proceeded to enjoy the spectacular view of the city.

As I sat there in the frigid temperature breathing out misty clouds of air, I watched in awe as the beautiful sky transitioned from darkness to daylight.

With only a minute to go before I had to get moving, I typed in my final thoughts for this post and then hustled over to the terminal!

I laughed all the way there, thinking about how much fun I had in those six minutes, and boarded the ferry with a big smile on my face. 😊

Indeed, life is precious, so embrace the present moment and all that it has to offer!

Until next time, have a relaxing Sunday.

#nyc #mindfulness

 

Relaxing by the Colgate Clock

While sleeping peacefully in the early morning hours, an unexpected loud noise of wind whistling from the bedroom window awakened me. The next thing I knew, a stream of cold air came flowing underneath the covers, causing me to jump out of bed and rush over to the window to shut it tight!

As you might imagine, all of this excitement at 5 am left me wide awake! Instead of lying in bed for another hour, I got up, walked over to the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of sparkling water, got comfortable on my easy chair, and began reading the last two chapters of this month's book club selection.

I finished reading around 6 am, then went outside to walk and crystallize my thoughts for tomorrow's virtual book club discussion.

After summarizing the key points into my journal app, I stopped near the Colgate Clock to relax. I stood there for 12 minutes listening to the soothing sounds of the foamy waves splashing against the rocks and admiring the bright lights reflecting from the skyscraper behind me, producing a pretty yellow tint floating on top of the river.

When I looked up at the clock, it was 6:54 am, and I took a final moment to appreciate the beauty of nature and then hustled over to a Yoga class a few blocks away. 😊

Share your thoughts, and have a fun weekend!

#nyc

 

The New Jersey Side of the Hudson River

Picking up where we left off yesterday, I remained seated on the pier with my eyes closed for about 20 minutes, reflecting on the past week, eventually getting lost in thought. When I came out of this relaxed state, I opened my eyes, stood up, and stretched my arms as one would do after waking up from a power nap.

Now with a clear head and feeling refreshed, my next move was to turn around, face the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, and intentionally observe and appreciate everything in sight.

The Goldman Sachs Tower and the famous Colgate Clock were two landmarks I spotted; yet, the bright light beaming from the red and yellow flag looking object was the first thing that caught my attention.

Captivated by the beauty of the moment, my creative writing juices began to flow like the river underneath my feet, and I stood on the walkway, pouring my thoughts into my iPhone in vivid detail for my latest journal entry.

Once I finished typing, I gently placed the phone in my coat pocket, put on my gloves, and then went home. LOL!

That concludes our time together on the pier. I hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me. 😊

Have a relaxing Sunday!

#nyc #inspire

 

A Foggy Evening in NYC

After completing the workweek yesterday, I felt like taking a stroll to decompress and calmly transition into the three-day weekend. Although it was cold, cloudy, and getting ready to rain outside, I was eager to go out because there's something about looking at a foggy NYC skyline from a pier on the Hudson at night that gives me a sense of inner peace.

 

As I was making my way to the dock seating area, I began to hear and appreciate the sound of a lady's footsteps lightly tapping on the steel ramp in my direction, eventually cruising by each other like two ships passing in the night.

 

With 20 yards to go before reaching the sitting area, I felt the waterfront walkway swaying side to side, which was a bit unsettling, but since I knew the rain was still an hour away, I stayed the course.

 

Once I made it to the end of the pier and sat down, it was time to relax and reflect on the past five days. To get in the desired state, I closed my eyes and started to concentrate on the wind gently blowing on my face, marveling at the unique smell of the mist in the air while feeling the energy pulsating through my body.

And with that, I was lost in the moment!

 

I will pause here because I've reached the 1,300 character limit and post my remaining thoughts from the pier tomorrow. 😊

#nyc

 

Ballet

I was on the move just after nine o'clock this morning looking for a bench in the park to sit down and read through a printed newspaper (yes, they still exist) when I came upon a woman stretching in an open field overlooking the city. Nothing out of the ordinary, so as you might expect, I sat down on a bench and started reading the Sunday paper.

After flipping through the business section and finding something I wanted to read, I folded the newspaper in half to make it easier to see the article. While doing so, I looked up for a moment, and to my surprise, the woman I saw stretching a few minutes ago was now doing ballet. What?

As a classical ballet fan, watching her practice became more interesting than reading an article. Hoping she didn't think I was stalking her, I sat on the bench in awe as if I was sitting close to the center aisle in the theatre observing a show.

About four minutes into the performance, she looked in my direction, and I immediately stood up and gave her a standing ovation! She smiled, waved, and then finished her routine. Love it!

Inspired by what I witnessed, I opened my journal app and began capturing my thoughts. Then, I read the article and got on with my day.

What a great way to start a Sunday! 😊

Have a fantastic week ahead. Let's go!

#nyc

 

A Sunny Day in the Big Apple

Ready to end my 5-day hiatus from LinkedIn, I woke up this morning thirsty to consume some quality posts and reconnect with you. So before heading outside, I logged into my account, responded to emails, and then scrolled through my newsfeed looking for content that piqued my interest!

After quenching my thirst for new information, it was time to go outside for a walk and then to the gym for a workout. Before leaving, I asked Alexa for the current weather, and she responded, “26 degrees, but it feels like 17 degrees.” For a split second, I thought about ditching the outside walk!

Now walking around the neighborhood with base layer gear underneath my clothes reflecting on the week, I began to recall an insightful discussion with a mastermind group on Zoom. A member shared an experience of overcoming a difficult situation and the lesson she learned.

The gist of what she shared was not a new concept to me; however, at that moment, I connected it to a heartbreaking experience in my journey that ironically activated my love for writing that was lying dormant. Thinking about it today, I am so grateful for that breakup!

If you are going through a challenging stretch, try to find the lesson during the storm because it will serve you well in the future.

Enjoy the sunshine! 😊

#nyc

 

Shopping Center Parking Lot

While getting my weekend grocery shopping in early this morning, I was looking for a bag of apples on aisle-19, when out of the blue, highlights of my social distancing vacation flashed in my head. Since the store was relatively empty, this was an excellent time to shop and journal at the same time!

 

Besides the precious time spent with family, I’ve had a great time engaging with you on this platform and virtually meeting many of you from all over the world. Moreover, I’ve learned so much and grown with you through our exchanges in the comments section as we took lovely virtual strolls around New York City.

 

Okay, I need to pause it here to scan my groceries in the self-checkout line, so hang tight for a few minutes. …

 

With that done, I am now outside pushing the cart to my car, and as luck would have it, the perfect image to tie together with this post appears right on time! I push the shopping cart faster to get near the big red dot to take this picture!

 

And with that, my run of 10 posts in 11-days has come to an end. In total, it took an average of six minutes to write each post, so time well spent!

 

Until next Saturday, have a great first week of 2021! 😊

 

BTW – The clock you see in the pic is the Lackawanna Terminal Clock Tower at the Hoboken Train Terminal.

 

#nyc

 

Crossing the Street

 

Standing on a street corner just 10 hours removed from watching the ball drop at Times Square on TV as we ushered in 2021, a guy riding a bike decided to stop right in front of me as I was getting ready to cross the street! Are you kidding me?

As you can see in the photo, this joker blocked the pedestrian walkway, somewhat impeding my ability to cross the street. 🤷‍♂️

All kidding aside, I was fascinated by this and began to appreciate the beauty of what just transpired! Instinctively, I held up my iPhone, snapped a pic to reflect on this moment once I finished a short run that I was about to take.

After jogging 17 city blocks, I stopped at a food truck to grab a protein bar and then wrote this post as I was walking home. LOL!

To end, whether you are working on a list of new goals to pursue or continuing to execute on a personal growth plan you already have in place, I hope the experiences on your journey this year are memorable, and you achieve your desired results.

Share your thoughts, live in the present moment, and have a fabulous New Year!

BTW - Did you notice the student in the poster holding a book in her left arm with a sky blue mask on?

#nyc #mindfulness