Christmas in New York?

Just received my weekly e-mail Newsletter from Lufthansa, and glanced through it before filing it away as is my usual routine. Nothing interesting for me, usually, but today my casual glancing caught the first sentence: "Book online now and save up to 30 % on your Christmas shopping trip to New York. Fares start at EUR 409."

Christmas shopping trip to New York. Christmas in New York. The image associations started playing: Times Square, Christmas, Sex and the City, countdown to the New Year 2008 in Manhattan, Ally McBeal (yes, despite the series being set in Seattle) walking home in the gently falling snow along the dark streets while Vonda Shepherd sing songs about loneliness and love... sounds like another first for me, another dream. Could I do it, could I really go?

The special offer is only valid till 17 July, so I've about a week to decide. Who would I go with -- would I go alone? Who would I love to go with -- Trish, Carrie? I'd really rather go with raquel, but that's an unattainable dream, at least for now. (raquel is turning into another Estella in my life.)

Financially, I'd be able to afford the ticket -- I'd have to check out accomodation prices around that time, of course, but I should be able to find something reasonable.

Watching on TV the fireworks over Hongkong on its 10th year Anniversary two weekends ago, I thought about a nice place to celebrate this year's Christmas and New Year's. London or Paris would be nice too, but I'm planning to bring my parents there in the coming few months already, and I don't want to spoil it by overstaying, over-visiting.

But Christmas in New York -- that'd be a dream indeed. And once again, I am within reach of my dream, it is so near to coming true. Will I do it? Go alone to New York to be utterly alone again for Christmas, for New Year's? Perhaps I'd meet a stranger there and fall in love. Or perhaps I'll get on the plane alone, find nobody to talk to during the long nine hour flight, touch down in New York, go to my hotel, walk the streets all alone, visit the Statue of Liberty, Boston, Empire State Building -- all alone, spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in a club or at Times Square counting down with myself, and then come back alone again... would I still go?

"utterly alone again for Christmas, but relieved and glad", I wrote on 29 November 2004 in November Rain 2004. "What's 2005 going to be like for me, I wonder. Will I find true love in a foreign land? Or will I travel the romantic sidewalk cafes of Europe alone, ever pining for that someone to share the moments with me, and ever reaching out but again finding myself utterly alone at the end of the year?" I wrote on 14 December 2004 in New Year Resolution #7.

How would this year end, I do wonder. Would it be a lonely white Christmas in New York? Would I find true love in this foreign land, or in another continent -- over in America? There's no way to know for sure, but once again, let's believe in the best. As for now, I like this dream, and I hope it'll come true...