New York

Viewed across the water, this “city that never sleeps” seems so quiet and peaceful. 

Up close, the activity and diversity are nearly mind-boggling.  I was seventeen years old, before I made my first visit on a senior class trip.  It was a bit of an afterthought, a hectic few hours following a three-day tour of Washington D.C.  We arrived in the late afternoon on a beautiful June day, but remained in the bus, viewing everything from the Statue of Liberty to the United Nations headquarters through the windows of our bus, which moved slowly, but never stopped until after the sun set.  Finally, we were allowed to exit the bus for dinner and a visit to Radio City Music Hall.  Before we knew it, the Rockettes had left the stages and we were being herded back onto the bus for the all-night trip back home.

Although the trip was short, it was probably a good idea to add New York to our itinerary.    I had never even heard of Radio City Music Hall before that trip.   I was much more aware of the United Nations, after seeing it on the news and becoming intrigued by the work of the translators.  In subsequent years, I would be quite envious of a cousin, who had a lucrative career as a freelance legal translator.  If the bus had stopped at the U.N. instead of Radio City, would it have changed my career path?  Perhaps not, but the odds were better than the ones for a career as a Rockette!