Scenes From My Life

Growing up, my extended family was spread across the southern United States. Every summer, my parents would load my brothers and me in the car to visit these far-flung relatives. We would be gone for weeks at a time, driving hundreds of miles across the American south. At times, it seemed like I had been in the car for an interminable amount of time. However, on the drive back to Atlanta, there was always one clear clue that announced that I was nearly home: the Atlanta skyline. Full of office buildings, hotels and sports facilities, the Atlanta skyline is a study in change. The skyline has grown as the city has expanded. Few of its earliest markers, symbols of the city’s future as a metropolitan center, still stand. Those that have remained are now dwarfed by newer, more modern edifices. Whether returning from a weeks-long vacation or a mere day trip, spotting the Atlanta skyline meant that I was nearly home. Over the years, skylines have he...

We had been walking for about forty-five minutes, making our way from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport to the Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. When we were within fifteen blocks of our destination, some of my companions decided that we should complete our journey by cab. Despite my attempts to convince them to keep walking, they were insistent. The trip that ensued was a true New York experience. After a few minutes of trying, one of my companions was able to hail a cab. However, we wanted to go north. The cab that stopped was going south. It did not seem to matter, though, as my companions still got in the cab. One person sat in the front while I slipped into the backseat, between the other two. Hardly before the doors could close, the driver had fought his way into Manhattan traffic. Without warning, he took a sharp right turn onto a side street and began to head north, steadily increasing his speed. Within seconds, the cab was weaving a...

We were in search of theater tickets. That is why my friend and I had wandered from our midtown hotel to the South Street Seaport, at the southern tip of Manhattan. Considering that New York’s Theater District is in midtown, our being at the opposite end of the city may seem odd. But, we had gone to the Seaport to buy tickets. TKTS, a discount ticket retailer, had a reputation for having very long lines at its Times Square location. In my pre-travel planning, I had read that there was a second booth at the Seaport with considerably longer lines. And, so, hoping for a faster experience, my friend and I were in search of the Seaport TKTS booth. My friend had grown up in a town just outside of New York and was quite familiar with Manhattan. She was not especially familiar with the Seaport TKTS booth, but knew its general location. We had wandered down Broadway, through the financial district, and were nearing the waterfront. We looked around the area for the famili...

In my travels, guidebooks have been of tremendous assistance. Guidebooks have lead to great restaurants, must-see attractions, and more than a few nice hotels. However, there have been some pieces of information that even the most complete guidebooks have not revealed. Though they may initially seem to be a negative, these omissions can add to the traveling experience. In some cases, it is not what you know, but what you discover that makes traveling a true adventure. In even the largest of cities, there are still tiny, out of the way places to be found. Places that, without a keen or, perhaps, curious eye, one might otherwise miss. It is these places that often prove to be among the more memorable moments of any journey. For me, a great example of this is Manhattan’s Trinity Church. My first encounter with this Church came about entirely by accident. Wandering the crowded alleyways of the financial district, near the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway,...