I Went to New York and Felt Small

And It Was Perfect In So Many Ways

I took another spontaneous trip this past week and I felt very small. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you through some of the high points. (A lot of you seemed to enjoy my last one - thank you!)

It’s good to feel small, like you haven’t seen it all, or even heard about it all. To feel as if your perspective is only one out a million, or a billion, perhaps. It’s humbling. And who couldn’t go for a least a small dose of humility?

My good friend Marcia was doing a concert with 80’s pop star Christopher Cross (“If you get caught between the moon and New York City…”) in, of all places, New York City and I thought that would be the perfect excuse to take another trip… spend a few days, explore the sights, see some Broadway shows, and connect with some other friends in the area. Traveling is hard, you guys. That’s why it’s super important to find good ice cream when you reach your destination.

It was truly a planes, trains, and automobiles type of adventure. And while it was all in my native language, figuring our public transit in a monolithic city like NYC can be challenging. I only got on one train going the wrong way, so that’s good to report.

So much good food, in particular, pizza. I’ve never eaten so much pizza. It’s really good. And the bakeries…wowza. The chocolate-covered chocolate croissant on the left was superb. The $5 hot dog on the right, not so much.

Some days it can feel like life is simply about taking the same roads to the same places, talking to the same people and doing the same things. Please hear me: there’s nothing wrong with that at all. But there’s so much amazingly beautiful life to experience that is outside of those familiar paths. I find that being a person of hope means being open to new adventures, and finding new ways to get home. It’s a hands-held-open curiosity.

I absolutely love going to the theater—and there is nothing like seeing a show on Broadway. And I’m so thankful for the hundreds (thousands?) of hours I’ve spent performing on stages all over the world. And to be honest, I was more than a bit inspired by watching the incredible performers this weekend. Perhaps there are more stages in my future!

Broadway Recap: I saw “A Strange Loop” (This year’s Tony winner for Best Musical), a revival of “Into the Woods,” “Six” a rock-concert type show about King Henry VIII’s six wives, and my favorite, “Kimberly Akimbo”—you’ll be hearing about this show come next Tony’s, I bet.

It was awesome being with my friend Marcia, but I also had the great joy of coffee and conversation with the inimitable John Fugelsang. He’s a brilliant comedian, actor, writer, and host of his own show on SiriusXM. He was also the most popular guest on my recent podcast - check it out here! or watch it on YouTube here!

I love architecture and great views. I stumbled upon a cool rooftop bar with a great view looking out on Central Park…and watched the sun go down. Amazing…

It’s easy to feel like your way of doing life is the best way. Or at least the best way for you. We can start to think our perspective is the only, right one to have. It turns us into people who are quick to judge and build up walls between us and those who we think aren’t doing life the right way.

I want to keep expanding my perspective into one that is more loving, more inclusive, and more open to learning how to think differently.

My most favorite part of traveling is meeting new people. That happened all throughout my stay—including a great hang at a super cool “Speakeasy” bar with Nick from Montreal that turned into late night pizza, of course. On my last night, I sat in a piano bar and sang along full-voice, with plenty of harmonies, all the tunes that were being performed by the staff, quickly becoming friends with an awesome couple visiting from Slovakia. I also loved seeing additional Nashville friends (but now Staten Islanders) Ben and Karen.

I went to New York and I felt small. And it was awesome. Small in the way of: my perspective on the world is only one tiny perspective in a sea of a million. My way of looking at myself is a tiny perspective … and there are so many other ways I could choose. And so many amazing people to meet, and amazing things to experience.

When I travel I see a whole new world of possibilities. Oh…and did i mention the bakeries?