When I was younger I was terrified of New York – not because it’s a big city, or because of crime, or any of the “typical” reasons people are scared to go to New York City. I was terrified that I would fall in love with New York and never leave – and I knew, somehow deep in my bones, that my future wasn’t in New York. That it was here – in the small towns and unremarkable landscapes of the middle west. As I got older, the opportunity to go to the city never presented itself – and I never really gave it much thought. “I’m sure I’ll go there someday,” I’d say flippantly when asked if I’d ever been. But then…and don’t laugh at me…I started watching Gossip Girl. And as much as I fell in love with that series and it’s characters and the story, I also fell in love with the city.

I couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer.

When my friend Tahni moved to NYC I knew it was the perfect opportunity to finally see NYC – to finally explore Brooklyn – and to visit some really good friends (and a great chance to make some really amazing new ones). So on a chilly weekend in December, I flew to New York for the briefest encounter.

It was lovely and loud and overwhelming and perfect and nothing and everything I expected it to be. By Sunday I was ready to come home, but by the time the plane departed JFK I couldn’t wait to get back. We walked the streets of Brooklyn, walked fifth avenue in Manhattan, ate and drank and met awesome people in the East Village, bummed around SoHo, I met an amazing fashion designer and Etsy artisan-turned-internet-friend in her atelier, and I had some of the most amazing food. It really was the best and most wonderful and fleeting and perfect experience.

Here is what it looked like – briefly.

These images are from my D700, F100, and my iPhone and are in no particular order.