“Experience is the best teacher” is a common saying but if you talk about a personal experience like surviving a FIRST subway train in NEW YORK CITY it is a life changing experience. More so when it is your FIRST VISIT to NEW YORK CITY and you just turned 68 years old then this blog is worth writing about.
New York Subway Trains are ordinary transport systems or so it seems. But to someone who just came to this great city it is a huge task to navigate its routes. My own experience can vouch for this and I made it!
How did I make it on my own as a 68 year old retiree, a first timer in New York?
- Have a good mentor who will booster your adrenaline level to try it. This means you are sold to the idea of doing it on your own.
- While your mentor shared with you ORAL INSTRUCTIONS how to go about your main objective to be on your own, WRITE it down on a piece of paper. Without meaning anything fellow elderly, our memory is not as sharp as it used to be so a piece of paper where your own map is kept intact is very helpful. As an aside, a MAP is given for FREE in the train station but the huge paper will just add to your anxiety so keep it simple-just this task of taking your route on your own.
- Make sure you have your METRO CARD and is loaded with enough amount. I suggest load your card worth at least one week unlimited at $32 to give you comfort, not that you will use all the load. Keep it in a purse all by itself.
- Dress appropriately. I came November so the cold winds and chilly days are true to its description. Walk with confidence. Don”t look scared (even if you are in your own mind and heart). This will carry you through the experience. If you feel jittery or unsure about where you are going and you want a little confirmation, ask a reliable face, New Yorkers are really very helpful!
- Have your gadgets ready: a cell phone or tab with unlimited call access; fully charged cell phone.
- Make sure you know what train number you will board in. In my case it is M. As you enter, stay across or the place where the train routes are clearly enumerated: where you at the moment and where it is going.
- Precisely because you are new in this challenge of traveling on your own, avoid using your headphone or playing the Candy Saga. Your senses must be focused only on one thing: follow the written directions to the letter. This is not the proper time to take photos especially a selfie. The target is clear: Stay the course.
- Remember your guide posts like a favorite restaurant or the ever present Star Bucks or McDonald or Essen.
- When you finally make it, write your emotional success in your journal or come up with a blog like this one! Most of all pat your shoulder for a good mission done!
At a time when one has to keep pace with one’s surroundings, a first trip using the subway train ALONE is one exciting, exhilarating, emotional, fantastic, accomplishment. That is why I came up with this blog for you and others who have to overcome a dilemma: How to survive a FIRST SUBWAY TRAIN RIDE IN NEW YORK CITY ON YOUR OWN!