The 152-Hour Layover

12 years ago, amidst a long layover at JFK, my mother and I decided to go explore the city. The people, places and things I saw during that six-hour layover have since been lost in the depths of my memory. The only memory that has stuck with me all these years is a Staten Island Ferry ride with Empire State of Mind blasting through my iPod Shuffle. At the time I wanted to be a Broadway star and couldn’t help but imagine what life in the big city could be like one day. Never did I think I’d be here, finally (kind of) knowing what I want to do with my life, and heading back to the city. The iPod Shuffle has since been replaced by an iPhone but my excitement to dive into this concrete jungle remains the same. 

Annika Minges 5.5.2019