Visiting New York has always been a dream of mine; I’d go as far to say on the top of my bucket list. When the opportunity arose to visit with my boyfriend and his family it was an offer I couldn’t possibly pass up.
I would say that heights are possibly my biggest fear, meaning I was slightly unsure if I would really enjoy going to the top of the Empire State Building. When visiting The Big Apple it’s a must do – but that would mean battling a fear too.
Having a free evening meant we needed to plan something to do, wanting to make the most of the 5 days we were blessed to be in such a great city. Can you guess what was suggested? Visiting the Empire State Building of course! At $30 per person, once booked, it wasn’t an activity I could back out of. Eyes closed, I pressed book now on the website, confirming there was no going back.
All day I felt sick, trying to psyche myself up for what was to come. In a sense, it was almost frustrating! This is something I should look forward to, not be dreading. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! How could I not be excited to experience this?
To get the best views, it is recommended on tourist websites that the best time to visit the Empire State Building is at sunset, so that’s when we went. The experience going up in the lift was unreal, my ears actually popped at the pressure as we gained height. A whole 102 floors later, it was finally time to face my fears and see the spectacular view.
Being up at such a height meant that I was now above all the skyscrapers I had looked up at from the ground. I was petrified! I kept telling myself I had to be brave, I just had to be brave.
Suffering from anxiety, and not being good with crowds, this situation at first felt like a nightmare. There was a massive crowd, which would usually make me leave a situation instantly, but the sheer beauty of the view I was taking in made all my problems go away. I surprisingly felt so relaxed and at peace.
All I could see was beauty. It’s a struggle to describe how I felt; it was massively overwhelming and almost as though I was in a dream. It all felt so surreal, the bright yellow sun fading into the sunset, projecting vibrant oranges and yellows. This was something I’d always dreamed of doing but also thought I’d never have the opportunity, or the courage, to do.
Never in a situation like this, doing something I should be hating, have I felt so relieved and grateful that I had found the courage and passion to partake in such an activity. Honestly, I would say that going up the Empire State Building has been a life changing experience for me, allowing me to change my perspective on insignificant worries that shouldn’t affect me from seeing true beauty.
