Journeys interweaving

by Kristina Drago (Bulgaria)

A leap into the unknown USA

The unknown could pull your heart and break it. It could disappoint you easily. It definitely requires you to have the liberty of some courage. When I made my first leap into the unknown regarding traveling I had some disposable courage since I was in my early twenties. It’s a time in life when one is more affluent in such qualities, it seems to me. Still, there is more to it. A good example is quite invaluable, especially at the right time. It was the person I choose to spend my life who showed me courage – he crossed the ocean for the first time. So there are a couple of journeys interweaving and coinciding in one huge leap into the unknown. A kind of leap, that is sort of interplanetary in its significance, happened. Thus a girl from a very small town, in still fairly obscure part of Europe in the large scheme of things, crossed the ocean and arrived in the New World for the first time. New York, to be precise. It was a spellbinding kind of change. Considering everything, it does qualify for my leap into the unknown. It was right about at Christmas time. The houses in the neighborhoods were lit incandescently and in merry-like anticipation. When you drive by you are swung into that fairy tale that it seems to be daring you to take part in. Yet, at the time it seems there weren’t enough lights to illuminate the different world I just crossed into. I think, the first time it does take you back. At least it did to me. One of the things that appeared so different to my inexperienced self was the distance traveled on a daily basis. It is still a reality that is quite compelling to me. It has a great impact on one’s life. The hectic lifestyle is another. It is like inventing the alphabet of competition every day. Straightforward and fast-paced. Plenty of similarities there are as well. Another truth one understands while traveling is that human beings are more alike in their essence than they differ. One of the most gratifying things in traveling is that so precious connection we make with people when we do the leap into the unknown. We discover the people we enjoy being with. It was one of my greatest surprises – the kind people I met. There were a lot of them. It wasn’t something I necessarily expect. The greetings were everywhere, the hospitality was a treasure. It is one of the things that make this leap into the unknown worth it. People used to tell me about the city that it might be somewhat overwhelming, especially the first time. Yet, I didn’t really get it. It caught me off guard. Somehow it does manage to take your breath away. The first visit to Manhattan felt blinding with the multitudes of life pouring around you. It makes you dizzy. Stretch your imagination to the full and you’ll get maybe close to that slicing through vigor and buzz of New York City. The combination of sounds, colors, flavors and the skyscraper-style vista sort of multiply the gravity effect and makes you look and feel really small. At the same time, there is that riveting elevating sassy you-can-imagine-it-you-can-do-it sense. The stream captivates you and soon you are plugged in. The exhibited power in the Big Apple which combined with its own spirit of there are no limitations to what you can achieve provide for that unique feel of it. It might be still unknown, but alluringly so. As if you are in a sort of play you don’t mind hag out for awhile. The spell is tremendous. When you walk through the streets it is as if you are in a movie, whose screenwriters are multiplying with each pace. You can’t but envision stories and mini-scenarios, the feed is there it has expectations of its own. One of the places exhibiting the greatest hunger for life that I’ve seen ever. Another great surprise was the sheer power of the ocean when facing it. It was one of the rare and most exhilarating experiences. Every new place you visit enlightens and enriches you.