With all the excitement of a new city, I haven’t been finding as much time to blog as I’ve been hoping to. To make up for this, I figured now would be a good time to share some highlights from my time so far here in Philadelphia. Enjoy!
Walled Out
Exploring Philadelphia is incredible for a plethora of reasons. You meet interesting people, pet some fantastic dogs, and eat plenty of delicious meals, but my favorite part by far is stumbling upon the city’s murals. Walks through the city soon become hunts for the most stunning scenes. One wall after another appears covered in bright colors and exquisite detail. Here are a few of my personal favorites so far. You can check out more miraculous murals on my pictures page!
A Festival to Remember
Last Sunday, the gap year group embarked on our first big endeavor to Made in America Music Festival. The day was packed with incredible artists, my favorites being Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, FKA Twigs, and Coldplay. AnnaBeth and I appeared to be some of the biggest Edward Sharpe fans at the whole concert, and we ended up being called on stage to sing and dance with the lead singer, Alex Ebert during one of my favorite songs—Janglin. The whole experience was surreal, and I honestly don’t remember half of it because I was in such shock and bliss. The band let us watch the rest of the show from the side of the stage, and after the performance Alex Ebert let us take some pictures and chat with him backstage. He described his favorite performances and venues for us, and shared the story of one of the band’s biggest inspirations—a fan who had survived cancer and listened to Edward Sharpe the whole way through. Obviously, that was definitely the highlight of my day, but getting caught in a crowd of jersey-wearing frat boys for Chance the Rapper, experiencing one of the most beautiful performances I’ve ever seen by Coldplay, and getting recognized by at least 40 people as “those girls on stage!” were all pretty cool too. We ended the evening in a cute little local diner, sharing stories of the day over chocolate milk and smiles. It made for an absolutely unforgettable day, but then again, each day here in Philly has been pretty unforgettable.
Channeling Our Inner Shakira
There are endless things to do here in Philadelphia. Sadly, most of them come with a cost—typically a high one. Every now and then, however, you can stumble onto an exciting free find! Last week, the other gap year girls at my internship, AnnaBeth and Eleanor, and I took off from the NSC to try out a brand new experience—belly dancing! We had no idea what to expect exactly; we were just hoping we didn’t leave the class feeling too foolish. We arrived at The Habiba Studio, surrounded by beautiful mosaics, and met our instructor. Habiba, as it turns out, is a world-renowned Middle Eastern dancer. She’s been recognized in the Hall of Fame of the American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance, voted Ethnic Dancer of the Year in 2001, and is, by far, the most talented belly dancer I have ever met (let’s not mention she’s also the only one). The class was so much fun! Luckily we weren’t alone as newcomers. Four other women came to give belly dancing a try, and I can say we all enjoyed the hip moving, body-shaking fun. So, if you ever happen to find yourself in South Philly with nothing to do, I highly recommend giving the Habiba Studio a try. It definitely makes for an experience to remember!
Finding Parking
Green space in Philadelphia is coveted. When you’re living in block after block of concrete and buildings, a park becomes something magical and well loved—a place to go to clear your head and ground yourself, literally. In these small squares of grass, trees, and—as far as I can tell—only benches in Philadelphia, you can spot anything from a beautiful bride, lifting her dress from the ants below, to a seasoned juggler, an expert at making kids (and adults) smile. As long as the days are warm, I have a feeling that my time here in Philly will be spent hopping from one park to the next, a good book in hand and few extra quarters stashed away for my favorite street performers.
A New Friend
The moment I knew that the NSC was the perfect internship for me occurred last Thursday during my 2nd day on the job. I was escorting a mother and her three children (ages 10, 7, and 5) to social security and welfare. At the beginning of the day, the three kids were pretty shy, clinging to their mother’s legs and curling up in her lap during our long waits, but that didn’t last for long. Believe it or not, kids start to get antsy after waiting in dull offices for more than 3 hours. By the end of the day, I couldn’t seem to stay away from the adorable 5-year-old little girl. When she wasn’t busy repeatedly opening and closing her pink Ariel umbrella (an act the security guard did not find as charming as I did), she and her brother were at work filling my journal with scribbles and various sketches of SpongeBob. As I walked them back to the NSC, she ran through the streets of Philadelphia, carefree and bursting with excitement as she stumbled upon city treasures. Her favorite was a small key she spotted on the sidewalk; she positively refused to put her prize down, instead opting to shove it into any small holes she found, hoping for the perfect fit. As our time together began to dwindle, she rejected any hand offered for her to hold but my own, following suit on the subway as she firmly decided she would only sit by me. It’s amazing how quickly we can become so attached. Luckily, her mom had a nice sense of humor, but I couldn’t help but feel guilt as her sweet little daughter clung to the first white American girl she encountered. Our influence is far more than we know—that’s never been clearer.
I’m sorry for my seemingly random stories, but as you can see, my time here in Philly has been much busier than I ever anticipated! I could share so much more about yoga classes, trips to the museum, or the child currently peeing on a bush in front of me at the park, but some things are maybe best left unsaid. Thanks for reading!
