New York, I Love You
Oh, New York, you dirty old beauty queen.
I couldn't possibly leave this place, New York, home of my heart, without a physical, corporeal souvenir to go along with the tattoos I already have which represent the other places I've planted myself - Arizona, Italy, France.
But I wouldn't do it without having the absolute perfect illustration, so I waited months - almost, in fact, until the last minute - until the correct inspiration struck. I wanted it to represent not just New York, but what NYC means to me. One night on the PS roof someone mentioned getting something as simple as a line, and when I heard that all I saw in my mind was one line illustrating the New York skyline, and that felt right. It seemed beautiful, and as the idea percolated in my mind I thought about everything the skyline meant to me.
When I first moved to New York 7+ years ago, I was very nervous, even afraid. But when my plane into the city made a dramatic dip and turn and the window beside me gave luminescence to the morning skyline, I distinctly felt something powerful - the feeling of being home. In one moment I thought, This is right, it's going to be okay. And after that, every time I've ever come home to New York, every skyline I've seen out a plane window, every taxi view on the way into the city, every skyline from a Hoboken park or from the Brooklyn Brewery or from the Staten Island Ferry I've ever seen - each time I see the skyline, it looks like home to me, and everything feels okay for at least a moment. So when I found an illustration of a single, simple line of the NYC skyline, I knew it was right.
My last full day in New York, a Sunday, Mitch accompanied me after a fabulous Lower East Side brunch to a parlor recommended to me by Evann called Thicker Than Water to get my newest ink. The guys there were funny, nice, and serious about their jobs (like every other tattoo artist I've ever met).
Luckily, they make their tattoos with electricity.
(Oh, I gave Mitch the greatest Christmas gift ever - John Travolta's 1984 book "Staying Fit," which was an amazing find since we both adore the 1985 aerobics movie classic "Perfect.")
It hurt, it hurt BAD, and I made stiff-upper-lip Mitch hold my hand despite her eye rolls and protestations. Then I made her photographer.
It took us four tries to get the stenciling just right.
Luckily, my tattoo artist Rich was funny and nice and gave me some sass along the way.
We left Thicker Than Water ecstatic, thrilled, and freezing cold (it was 30 degrees that afternoon). Our only recourse was a martini (for Mitch) and, naturally, for me, a Manhattan.
Great stuff. The best way you could imagine your last day in New York. Ned came over that night to witness the unveiling, and luckily I was still quite enamored of my new tattoo - I find it elegant and significant to my heart, if a little wobbly on my wrist.
The next day, as the Monday world pulsed on, I packed the last of my bags, gave away the last of my giveaways, and hopped into a cab to JFK airport. On the way I couldn't help getting misty-eyed at the skyline beside me, and soon behind me, and forever upon me.
This isn't the end, New York. I'm not done with you yet. Just keep yourself pretty until I come home.
love,
forever,
forever,
*jenna*
I couldn't possibly leave this place, New York, home of my heart, without a physical, corporeal souvenir to go along with the tattoos I already have which represent the other places I've planted myself - Arizona, Italy, France.
But I wouldn't do it without having the absolute perfect illustration, so I waited months - almost, in fact, until the last minute - until the correct inspiration struck. I wanted it to represent not just New York, but what NYC means to me. One night on the PS roof someone mentioned getting something as simple as a line, and when I heard that all I saw in my mind was one line illustrating the New York skyline, and that felt right. It seemed beautiful, and as the idea percolated in my mind I thought about everything the skyline meant to me.
When I first moved to New York 7+ years ago, I was very nervous, even afraid. But when my plane into the city made a dramatic dip and turn and the window beside me gave luminescence to the morning skyline, I distinctly felt something powerful - the feeling of being home. In one moment I thought, This is right, it's going to be okay. And after that, every time I've ever come home to New York, every skyline I've seen out a plane window, every taxi view on the way into the city, every skyline from a Hoboken park or from the Brooklyn Brewery or from the Staten Island Ferry I've ever seen - each time I see the skyline, it looks like home to me, and everything feels okay for at least a moment. So when I found an illustration of a single, simple line of the NYC skyline, I knew it was right.
My last full day in New York, a Sunday, Mitch accompanied me after a fabulous Lower East Side brunch to a parlor recommended to me by Evann called Thicker Than Water to get my newest ink. The guys there were funny, nice, and serious about their jobs (like every other tattoo artist I've ever met).
Luckily, they make their tattoos with electricity.
(Oh, I gave Mitch the greatest Christmas gift ever - John Travolta's 1984 book "Staying Fit," which was an amazing find since we both adore the 1985 aerobics movie classic "Perfect.")
It hurt, it hurt BAD, and I made stiff-upper-lip Mitch hold my hand despite her eye rolls and protestations. Then I made her photographer.
It took us four tries to get the stenciling just right.
Luckily, my tattoo artist Rich was funny and nice and gave me some sass along the way.
We left Thicker Than Water ecstatic, thrilled, and freezing cold (it was 30 degrees that afternoon). Our only recourse was a martini (for Mitch) and, naturally, for me, a Manhattan.
Great stuff. The best way you could imagine your last day in New York. Ned came over that night to witness the unveiling, and luckily I was still quite enamored of my new tattoo - I find it elegant and significant to my heart, if a little wobbly on my wrist.
The next day, as the Monday world pulsed on, I packed the last of my bags, gave away the last of my giveaways, and hopped into a cab to JFK airport. On the way I couldn't help getting misty-eyed at the skyline beside me, and soon behind me, and forever upon me.
This isn't the end, New York. I'm not done with you yet. Just keep yourself pretty until I come home.
love,
forever,
forever,
*jenna*
posted by jenna at 11:59 PM
2 Comments:
As long as people like yourself take the time to realize it......NYC will always be a magical place.
New York IS amazing! I'm actually visiting soon!
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