when what you expect doesn't even come close to what it truly is

It could have been my childhood. That little girl from the Philippines who enjoyed watching Home
Alone 2 and seeing Macaulay Culkin get lost in this big, chic, and modern winter wonderland
where everything was white and cold –the exact opposite of her hometown's climate.

I could also put the blame on all those romantic movies that I have indulged in during my teenage
years. Watching the main characters profess their love for each other under that pale, warm glow
illuminated by the pretty lamp posts in Central Park; or by the historical Brooklyn Bridge; or, more
commonly, on top of the Empire State Building.

No matter how hard I try to think about it, I still couldn't put my finger into the exact reasons why
and how I fell in love with the Big Apple. I just knew that one day, I would definitely come and
visit. I could, however, tell you exactly how I felt when it finally happened.

Anyone could have easily spotted me when I arrived at the JFK airport. I was that very giddy Asian
by the luggage carousel waiting for her bags; the smiley one who was sitting at the edge of her seat
while the airport shuttle was dropping off tired and jet-lagged passengers. My eyes were wandering
from left to right, still couldn't digest the fact that I was already there. It was the peak of winter, but
the Polar Vortex had nothing on me as I prepare to discover more of what I have been admiring on
pictures and films.

New York was a place that offered me more than what I thought it could. As the movies show the
gorgeous vision of white during winter, the film doesn't capture how the ice actually glistens at
night and how the pavement looks like it's been sprinkled with thousands of translucent glitters.
Though Hollywood was able to portray New York as a buzzing city, it wasn't able to convey the
interesting stories which actually make this megacity buzz. Subway has been more interesting than
any other dramas I've watched as I saw actual people deal with real and difficult problems. Ex-convicts
starting anew, a pregnant woman who finally had the courage to leave her abusive partner,
a mother asking strangers for food that she could take home to her children; these are the people
that I never thought I'd meet in this underground train.

NYC is so much different from the stoic, jaded persona that it is famously known for. In reality, the
world's biggest melting pot is composed of not only different people but more than that, they are
people with stories worth knowing and sharing.