A sticky, sour candy wrapper latches onto the white sole of my tennis shoe as I quickly shuffle my way to the nearest subway entrance, buried two escalator rides and two flights of stairs below ground.
I lose the wrapper on the last step down into the murky cave before heading toward the intimidating metal gates guarding my next destination.
My $35 Metro Express subway card is denied. Three times. I glance around sheepishly, praying the New York locals are in too big of a hurry to notice my inability to swipe some flimsy, yellow card — as if I don’t have experience swiping my own credit card.
As I impatiently wait on the chilled subway platform — swarming with businessmen and women, wannabe musicians, tourist families and a handful of homeless people begging for change — my claustrophobia only increases as I seek out the faint scream of the nearest train in the distance.
Allison Spain | Argonaut
I dread soon having to share a hand rail with surrounding strangers. Gross.
After a stop-and-go bumpy 10 minutes, I strain to hear the woman through the static intercom announce “53rd and 7th,” bracing myself for the abrupt halt and reminding myself to scurry out of the train car as fast as I can (the subway won’t wait on you, I learned quickly).
Once I am above ground again, the fresh air hits my face — hard. According to the Weather Channel, New York is in the top 10 windiest cities in the U.S., with gusts upward of 40 mph when I was there.
The rest of the day is demanding (and cold) — sightseeing, people watching and eating lots of delicious food such as plate-size slices of thin crust pizza. Some of my favorite experiences included the panoramic view from the 102nd floor of the One World Trade Center, the Ground Zero 9/11 memorial, and of course, Central Park.
While the sightseeing made my dreams come true, the overall goal of the trip was to attend the National Model United Nations Conference through the University of Idaho International Studies program.
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization created to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international co-operation and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. It is composed of 193 member states (countries) with UI students representing Ecuador, the Philippines and Tanzania this year.
Business casual is not the norm for 50 college students. My wardrobe was a stark contrast to my daily sweatshirt and leggings, but all of us looked good — really good.
The conference lasted March 24 through March 27, with a few hours of free time in between. The trip was accompanied by Bill Smith, director of the Martin Institute and chair of the International Studies Program, and program advisor Alyssa Peterson.
The experience was exhausting, but a great opportunity to meet new people and build relationships around the world, put months of rigorous hard work to use and polish collaboration and teamwork skills. It is a hard-to-pass-up opportunity that college students from all across the U.S. are privileged to have at their fingertips.
Abigail Blair, a first-year student and public relations and international studies major, said she was excited to explore New York, the biggest city she has ever visited.
“Whether or not you like big cities or lots of people, traveling is definitely an experience everyone should embrace and pursue, as it helps you understand the world and cultures around you,” Blair said.
She said her favorite parts of the city were the people and the environment that surrounded her as she explored. Being able to have any food she desired just a short walk away was a treat.
Blair’s favorite part of the conference was meeting people from around the world and making lifelong connections, such as German students from Berlin she plans on visiting during her trip to Belgium next summer. She realized she was more capable and knew more about communicating than she previously thought.
“I believe it is incredibly important for all students (especially International Studies students) to understand different cultures and environments in order to become better and well-rounded citizens,” Blair said. “Not only does this allow for better understanding of classes, but also how the world works outside of the Pacific Northwest. I never realized the amazing opportunities UI provides for its students.”
Second-year student Marisa Lloyd, also a public relations and international studies major, said fun opportunities like this are important to build resumes and provide practical experience.
“In the future, when I go to work in politics, it will be so beneficial to say I was literally in a UN meeting,” Lloyd said. “I learned a lot about my work ethic at the conference, often times attending with three to four hours of sleep, but still working harder than I ever had before because I was doing something I truly loved.”
Lloyd said her favorite part of New York was touring the U.N. headquarters, because she had goosebumps sitting in such an important room.
“My favorite part about the conference was the working groups — my partner and I were one of the only ones from the U.S. in our group, so it was cool to get a cultural perspective of everyone else’s backgrounds,” Lloyd said. “(The conference) may have been hard work, but it was completely worth it.”
While there may be plenty of candy wrappers littering the sidewalks and locals shoving through crowds in a hurry, I already desperately want to go back to the “city that never sleeps.” Who knew even a Boise native could enjoy the hustle and bustle of such a magnificent place?
Allison Spain can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @allisonpain1