It is challenging to be a tourist in the Big Apple. The challenge is bigger if you are from a small country in the Balkans. I’ve never felt so trivial, but I’ve never felt so free too. When you come from a country with smaller population then the whole New York; everything can look quite complicated and confusing at first. You’ll need time to figure out where should you go and by what. I really think that New York has a great transportation system but that doesn’t matter when you are there for the first time.
One of the things that I love about myself is my orientation. Sometimes I joke that I have compass built-in my body and I can never get lost. But obviously I forgot that I am with a friend that can get lost anyway.
Earlier that day we went at the Central Park and spent some great time there. That touch of the nature in the very center of this metropolis gives a fantastic impression. Inspired by this phenomenal contrast of the relaxing, natural silence in the park ant the noisy, vivid atmosphere just a few blocks away, I made an unusual photo session. I like when I try to catch the spirit of the cities where I go just by taking photos. I was content and my friend was happy too. We loved New York.

When the day was over we felt extremely tired and went to take our metro. We had already done that few times before, so we didn’t have problems while buying the tickets. I’ve just entered in when I turned my back to say something funny, and I saw that my friend was stuck in the line because she couldn’t slide the ticket rightly. She was scared to death when she noticed that the doors were closing. I showed with my hand that I’ll wait for her on the next station.
I came out and I waited for the next metro witch arrived in two minutes, but she was not in there. I felt discomfort but I was convincing myself that she was coming with the next one, but she didn't appear. I didn’t want to panic. I thought: “Come on, it is New York. There are lots of people in the metros. Maybe I didn’t notice her, maybe she was in the previous one and she is on her way to the hotel now.”- I felt better with this idea, so I took a metro to the hotel. But no matter how much I deceived myself, I was not calm at all.

As I was approaching the reception desk I felt tension in my body. “Can I get my key or my roommate is already there?”- I asked and I prayed that she had arrived before me. But no, she was not in the hotel. I needed same water. I thought about New York as for a dangerous place for the first time, and I didn’t want to develop this idea. I sat in the lobby but I was too nervous to stay at one place, so I went out but I came back again. Time was passing so slow, she was not coming.

I cursed when I saw that all the maps from the city were with me. Great, she was traveling alone for the first time in her life, and now she is lost somewhere without a map. I said that to a guy sitting next to me in the lobby and he tried to be funny and said “New York has her now” I freaked out. I didn’t want to panic but I was alone without anybody to speak with and all I was doing was imaging her arriving there.

Finally it happened. She appeared with an angry face and asked where I was. “I told you, I’ll wait for you on the next station.” – I answered. “I know but when I came there I didn’t see you.” “But you were not in the next metro, were you?” - I was confused. “What? I walked to the next station, as you showed me.”

O my God. I didn’t show her to walk. How can she think that she can be faster than a metro? She walked from one station to the other in order to catch the NEXT metro. This is not possible even in my country, and trust me the public buses are very, very slow.

However, she was fine, just too tired to go party. On the other side, I was too exhausted from waiting and making scenarios of this lonely friend of mine and New York. We slept like babies in the hotel room witch was small but big enough to held our dreams.