One foggy and wet afternoon, I looked up and my presence in Italy vanished. The only thing I saw were colossal skyscrapers that were piercing the clouds. They showed that the sky wasn’t the limit, but just the beginning. The sharp pain in my neck, as I curiously glared upwards, was the only thing that kept me on my feet. Streets never slept (tires screeched, brakes squealed, sirens and engines roared) and people were more lively and vivid as ever. Then I realised, I was in the “Concrete Jungle” together with my classmates!
Regardless of the weather, sunny, rainy, foggy, the fact that we were in New York City electrified us. During our trip, we walked circa 20 exhausting km per day so we could see everything and experience it at its full. We went to Central Park, Times Square, The Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Ground Zero, the United Nations Headquarters, we saw The Statue of Liberty from a ferry and used the crazy NYC subway!
I loved all of these but my absolute favourites, which evoked many emotions, were Times Square and Ground Zero. As my friends and I were approaching Times Square we were already enraptured in a mosaic of light and colour. When I got there, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was left speechless by the dominant skyscrapers reaching the Sun and the giant flashing billboards and screens that illuminated the pitch-black night. The chaos from vehicles and people dancing, laughing, playing music and having a great time was loud, but brought peace and happiness. I could feel excitement tingling my skin and accelerating my pulse.
Moreover, Ground Zero (The 9/11 Memorial) was indeed a rollercoaster of emotions too. We saw videos with calls from the poor innocent people in the plane which crashed in the Twin Towers, fireman’s coats, documentaries showing unbearable moments and much more. This experience made me think about how unfair it was taking the lives of thousands of sons and daughters. Furthermore, it made me realise how precious life is and that we should live every day appreciating every moment
Besides visiting NYC, taking part in the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) was a blast too! My classmates and I represented Albania and, in pairs, we were put in different committees. We had already experienced conferences of this type in the past but this year’s was more serious and grown up. Some of us found it intimidating at the start, due to participants much older than us, but eventually got the hang of it.
We all enjoyed sharing our ideas, debating and working together to write a resolution. On the last day, after our resolutions were voted upon and we had finished our job, we assisted the Delegate Dance. We all danced, sang and, overall, had a great time
In conclusion, being in NYC was a fascinating and super exciting experience. I feel so grateful I got to spend this inspiring time with my classmates. I learned lots of new things, had fun and lived unforgettable moments. I definitely recommend this trip to the upcoming eighth graders because, in my opinion, you’ll have an amazing time and will cherish it in your hearts for the rest of your lives.
