Bikeathon at Central Park

It’s my third week here in NY. I wish there’s a way I could make time slow down a bit!

David and I have been to just a few places so far. As much as we want to spend more time outdoors during the day, he has to be at work and so do I, so we only get to date out in the evenings and over the weekends. But that’s okay, I’ll have more time to get to know New York next time.

The leaves have started falling off, the temperature has dropped close to 30F these past couple of days, everyone’s been layering up. Thank God for Black Friday, I managed to score some discounted layers at an outlet store over the weekend.

But how can I complain? New York is just as I remember it—mysterious in so many ways, and there’s always ALWAYS something to do. Staten Island, on the other hand, is everything I never expected it to be (in a good way)—a lot more laid back than Manhattan, with a commute system that’s good enough to take you wherever you need to be.

On my second Saturday here, David took me to my first ever Central Park bike ride. As for my most favorite New York moments, this one has definitely climbed the charts (sorry for the tacky Serendipity reference). What a contrast to my “ordinary” Central Park experience in 2008!

If you’re my Facebook friend I’m pretty sure you’ve come across this album already, but blogger duties, here are some of the photos from that Central Park trip. :)

We rented out these bikes at $14 per hour from CP Bike Tours and Rentals, impulsively if I may add, at West 58th street near the corner of 7th avenue.

I wasn’t sure I still knew how to bike, I can’t remember the last time I rode one of those and was a bit apprehensive at first, but I took the challenge and I’m just sooo glad I did! :)

I can’t get over these photographs David took from that day. He was actually taking these shots! With his heavy Nikon D90!! With one hand!!! From his moving bike!!! How awesome is my fiance? <3

We stopped by the Bethesda Fountain to take photos.

..and by this lake, just because I had a photo of that building in the background last time I was here and I thought it was really pretty.

And then we stopped over to take photos by the trees and the leaves.

I could swim in a sea of golden leaves all day!

We took turns taking photos.

My friends think David looks like he’s from some Korean telenovela. I concur! Lol.

We found this bench and I sighed in awe. I don’t think I’ve ever found a more romantic place than New York. <3

I’ve always wanted to do an Elizabeth Gilbert, you know, go some place where I can marvel at something. And well, here I am. I’ve been marveling at everything since I landed, and there’s always something new to look forward to each day. <3

I can never enumerate in my hands all the things God has provided us with that made this trip possible, and everything we’ve gone through to get us to this day. I’m in constant awe at how good God has been to us, a lifetime thanking Him will never be enough.

Don’t You Just Love New York in the Fall?

(I just had to use that line. Again.)

This is my version of Street View: the 5-minute walk from where I’m staying in Staten Island to the nearby public library, one of my hang out spots here. (You know me, where there’s wifi, that’s where I’ll be.) There’s just so much beauty wherever direction I point the camera to, I had to remind myself to breathe and stop acting like a giddy tourist.

Somewhere in this neighborhood is where I stay.

My current office address, LOL.

People waiting for the library to open. Hello, colleagues.

Waiting by the library steps.

David’s D90 yay! :)

Hello from Staten Island :)

Lovely, isn’t it? :) You wish Google’s Street View stills were taken on a beautiful Autumn day!

OAN, last night I had a date with the boyfie fiance. We took the ferry to the city, had dinner at Oh! Taisho somewhere downtown, took the wrong train and got lost in the subway, and walked around the business district while the rain was pouring out. It’s Day 4 of being surrounded by New Yorkers, seeing dried yellow and orange leaves, keeping a metrocard in my pocket all the time, and having to be under layers of clothing.

Most of all, I still can’t get over the fact that I get to spend real time with my boyfriend during lunch breaks and after work hours in a fabulous city such as this, after months/years of being so far away from each other. <3

Breathe, Riz, you’ll get used to it. I’m giving you another week.