new york, in a few words

J & I just got back from a lovely, celebratory, and quick weekend in Seattle. We were barely in town for 48 hours, but it was enough time to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside because (even though it wasn't Oregon) there's something about the Pacific Northwest that just makes you feel damn good. 

I'm happy to report that despite being a complete wedding amateur, I a) officially know what a reception is, b) didn't blackout and accidentally wear white to the ceremony, and c) took all of your advice and brought a change of shoes (and thank god for that).

In between handshakes and cramming as many bacon-wrapped sweet potatoes into my mouth as possible, I managed to find a fellow New Yorker in the crowd who summed up this city so perfectly that I had to resist the urge to ditch the wedding altogether and tell you about it immediately. She said,

"NEW YORK HAS THE VERY BEST OF EVERYTHING, AND THE VERY WORST OF EVERYTHING." 

I just stood there blinking like a starstruck baby deer, my brain short-circuiting. The…Words…I've...Always…Been…Trying..To…Say…!  It was a great moment, mostly because it's so perfectly true, and also because now I finally know what to say when 

New York has the best pizza. The best views. The best Saturday nights. The best blueberry cheesecake. The best skyline. The best seasons. It has the best smells. It has the worst smells. The worst price tags. The worst traffic. It has the worst people and it has the best people. New York has the best music. The worst train delays. The best 50-cent coffee. The worst rent. It's home to your worst fears and the best opportunities. 

In other words, it's irresistable.