If ever you’ve been to New York City, you know this is true. Well, at least it’s true for me and Kat. Whenever we’re together, something amazing happens. Truly. Kat says we’re magical, but I think New York is….or that it can be. Just wandering around the city, you can easily fall into something exciting like a carnival…

 or a pop-up circus…

…an after party for Abercrombie & Fitch models, head over to a club and get waved in by Seth Myers, or be taken through a haunted house by a group of guys celebrating their first acting shoot of NYPD Blue (or Law & Order..one of those NYC-based cop shows) and then asked to hang out with them as they drive through the city in their limo….ummm…YES PLEASE!

Like the great Don Henley sings…

In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute

I love that song…*sigh*…but what’s the point of this blog? It’s definitely not to brag about how magical Kat and I are, or how amazing New York city is and can be if you just let yourself experience the city.

I’ve been thinking recently about this idea of experiential time and how you can make the days, hours and/or minutes last forever. But I think that is also where the magic is for all of us. Magic is in experiential time. It’s in our experiences. We just have to be willing to let go of all the crap that just doesn’t matter. I mean, we really don’t have to put much effort at all to experience the magic except:

• be willing to be in the present moment
• be open to new experiences
• not be afraid to say yes

and if we’re lucky…

• have a partner who’s able to do the same
  • NOTE – by partner, I don’t exclusively mean a romantic partner, I mean anyone whom you trust to create these memories with in your life. Think about it, we don’t have just one life partner or soulmate. And if we’re fortunate, we may have a couple of soulmates in our lives simultaneously – romantic and nonromantic of course (e.g. your best friend and your spouse, etc.).

I’ve been wondering how I can recreate that magic here in Chicago. Kat is not here, I’m older with more responsibilities and while Chicago is great, it’s no New York by any means. So while I’m really just reminiscing at the moment and giving you absolutely no details at all, I am going to ask you to create your own magical “New York Minute” wherever you may live. Grab that partner of yours and go out. Be open to see where the day or night will take you and let the magic happen*.

I know for me I’m still missing that last ingredient of a great partner who’s up for anything but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop searching. I just have to be willing to find that magic on my own, solo. And that’s okay too.

*one bit of caution – if you don’t have good instincts or quick reflexes, don’t do anything dangerous or put yourself in a dangerous situation. The magic isn’t worth searching for if you never get to experience it or if you can’t live to talk about it.