The continuing adventures of our intern, Marie Ebenezer…
Marie Ebenezer spent last weekend in NYC and describes her blizzard experience.
Last weekend, I went to New York City to meet up with two of my friends from Freiburg — the city I call home in Germany. We had planned this little trip a while back, and I was blindsided by the meteorological treat that was coming our way. I hadn’t read the paper the morning of my departure, and I was unaware that a big storm was approaching the east coast. On the plane, however, it was all people talked about: Flights were being cancelled and trips rescheduled. Nemo was on everyone’s mind. Lucky for me, my flight was uninterrupted.
When I landed, I was greeted by a 40 degree change in temperature, a crippling cold wind and a general pre-blizzard frenzy. After catching up with my friends, we went to buy provisions for the weekend. Much to my surprise, people were taking this imminent storm quite seriously: There was no more water in the supermarkets; we were told to load up on pasta and canned goods; and we were ready to lock ourselves inside for days, if necessary. The mood was almost apocalyptic.
On Friday, it snowed — but not excessively. We decided to go to Manhattan and explore the city before the big storm was scheduled to hit New York. A lot of the snow melted right away, and our feet were soaked. The weather was very unpleasant – but perfect for indoor activities – and we ended up going to the Museum of Modern Art. I had never been there, and I was truly impressed. I lived in Paris for three years, so I’ve seen my fair share of museums, but the MoMA offered a selection of art that was both diverse and coherent. Some of my favorite artists’ creations were displayed there – Rothko, Matisse, Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Rodin etc. – as well as contemporary pieces. I discovered Wolfgang Tillmanns’ work, for instance, who is a German fine arts photographer. Finally, the museum shop was really the cherry on top (what a great stationary shop!), and I could have spent a whole day there. (I really pulled myself together and only got a few postcards and small souvenirs.)
Central Park was covered in snow last Saturday.
By Friday night we had heard so much about the potentially devastating Nemo that on Saturday, when we got up, we were ready to shovel our way out of the house. But when we looked out the window, we couldn’t believe what we saw. The sky was blue and everything was covered in about 11 inches of sparkling white snow; the stores were opened; the roads were cleared; and people were going about their usual weekend business. The city looked liked it had been covered with icing, and it was absolutely breathtaking.
Sometimes NYC has a kind of magical vibe, and this was one of those days. We went to Central Park, which had overnight turned into a winter wonderland, and walked around for hours, taking in as much of the scenery as we could. Children were building snowmen, sleighing down hills and having snowball fights. One very kind girl even let me borrow her sled. Sliding down a slope in Central Park made me feel like a child again for just a few minutes; I giggled like a little girl.
All in all, my time in New York was amazing, and I feel very fortunate to have seen the city on this special weekend. I had wonderful company, excitement and great weather. And none of my flights were cancelled; in fact, I enjoyed a fantastic view of NYC from the cloudless sky. This was my third time in New York, and I will certainly be back soon!
On the plane ride back, I had a great view of NYC.
