new york city | Bea The Astronaut

As I continue my commute to the internship of my dreams (sigh), I have taken note of a couple of things:

Bring an umbrella (just in case)
Dress for the weather (seriously, you’ll regret it if you don’t!)
Know where you’re walking (unless you’re prepared to get run over by brisk New York walkers!)
New York Penn Station will always be a mad house during rush hour (you’ll be dodging many people en route to your destination and that’s okay)
Always try a different route to work (you never know what cool stores or restaurants you may discover on the way)

But most importantly…

Keep your phone in your bag while you’re walking/on the train/in a taxi (you get the point)

Traveling to New York these past couple of weeks have been amazing! I wake up on Wednesdays and Fridays with so much energy and excitement, that it surprises my mother (I’m not a morning person…and I don’t know if I ever will be)! I enjoy my 35-minute train rides, even when they’re delayed, because I know exactly where I’m headed. I take pride in my stride to the office; the people, buildings, flashing lights and fast-paced city life inspire me. But there’s one thing I’ve noticed on my commute that really bothers me: people using their cellular devices while walking.

This isn’t just happening in the city, it’s happening everywhere! I’ll admit, I am a human tailgater (and I’m sorry! But I’ve got places to be, people to see, things to learn and be inspired by!). There are so many people who are on their phones while walking to class or work…it’s extremely upsetting (and rather annoying). As a person who wants to experience everything the world has to offer me (especially while I’m walking), I find it disturbing how obsessive people have become with using their cell phones to browse the web or text all of the time. I mean I get it, we’re living in a digital world now, we’re advancing, people are wired to technology, etc. But do people really have to answer there friends/family/business partners/whomever else while walking? Are the messages that important that you simply just MUST answer while walking (and run into me in the process)? Can’t it just wait till’ you’ve made it to your destination? It’s almost as if these people are suffering from technology/social media anxiety (such things exist)!

On walks to class or work, I keep my phone in my bag and on silent. I find it highly disrespectful to the people walking behind me or in front of me if I were to just pull my phone out and text as I walk. Being aware of my surroundings is much more important to me than my phone. Not only that, I find much more inspiration by looking up than at my devices screen. There have been countless of times on my commute to the city where I’ve locked eyes with the most beautiful strangers and smiled, found a restaurant I’d add to my list to try out, discovered a store selling really neat vintage clothing and accessories (I’m not a hipster), or took in the nature of New York around me. For those of you who will argue with me and tell me that it all gets old- it doesn’t and it never will. I love my commute to my internship. I’m appreciative of every moment I am able to get up, get ready, and work with such an amazing team in an amazing city. You can feel this, too, if you’re brave enough to take some risks by following your dreams, discover what drives you and inspires you, and (as less-cheesy as this sounds) let go of your damn phone!

For the people who text while walking, here are a few tips for ya!

STOP texting while walking (seriously, just stop-it’s just a terrible habit)
Know that if you don’t discontinue this terrible habit, you’re pissing off other commuters (ahem,me-the human tailgater)
Focus on what’s around you, let go of that anxiety, you’ll never know what will inspire you or whom you’ll make eye contact with
Take time throughout your commute to class or work to appreciate your life and those in your life
Learn to connect with others around you instead of just your phone

For the people who are just addicted to their devices:

Read a book on your train/taxi ride (it’s a lot more productive)
Listen to music (it’s therapeutic)
Connect with a stranger (if they don’t look suspicious and/or crazy)
Write in a journal (also therapeutic and helps you become a much better writer)
Sketch in a sketchbook (also therapeutic and you may wind up inspiring yourself!)
Meditate (I don’t need an explanation for this!)

In highlight of this topic/post, here is a photo I was able to take on my commute back home from the city. It was a muggy, rainy night, but the lights and traffic around me seemed to dance all around me. As I took everything in, I happened to look up at New York’s iconic building- the Empire State Building. I gazed at this stunning building while waiting for my right to cross the street, amazed, inspired, and truly thankful for this moment in time. Sometimes it never hurts to look up, ya never know what will inspire you next!