I'll take Manhattan...

I'm dizzy. Not from the ubiquitous revolving doors in NYC but really, just the sublime existence of the city itself. So much of everything is here. It can be over-stimulating. And yet, it's also a place that oddly clarifies whatever is happening in your life, in the simple act of looking out the window at the hustle and bustle of perpetually honking cars and cabbies, or by walking down a rain-slicked Midtown avenue that houses a global composite of eateries and shops and people. A marvelous kind of kinetic, creative energy seemingly permeates every window display, street corner hot dog stand, and impromptu conversation. Lights sparkle a bit brighter than expected. People are more open and friendly than you'd imagine. It's a city draped in red velvet and asphalt, all mahogany and stained concrete, wrought iron and black rubber, steeping in an aroma of burnt coffee and freshly baked bread.

You'll have to excuse my overly romantic notions of Manhattan. There is ugly here, too, of course. And harshness, sadness, anger, corruption, decrepitude, blah blah blah. I prefer to focus on the profound beauty of this place. The tiny nooks of inspiration. I craved it for so long I forgot that it's all around me, whenever I really open my eyes and breathe...