Bestie Trip NYC - Day 5 - cont

Dream House - New York, NY

There's the glow of the pink light illuminating the way upstairs. 

Slip off your shoes and slowly enter the pulsating space where photos are forbidden. 

The first room has flashing lights and a floor with a mirror. We settle into the second room, letting the loud, rhythmic sound waves and scent of burning incense engulf our senses. 

And for the first time in a very long time, my mind stops scattering, and my neverending internal monologue goes still. Amongst the booming noises, I sense only silence. 

We stay still, switching between sitting and laying down, propped on white plush pillows, staring at the ceiling, contemplating the magenta pink, simply listening to the sine waves without really hearing the sound. 

For 45 minutes I lasted, I, who cannot stop for five, stopped for 45 whole minutes in a meditation I didn't know I needed. 

I love this idea, this genius way to drown out the noise of the city that cannot keep still. The loudness of life is inescapable...unless you are louder than life. The vision is clear, though my only critique is that the execution feels cheap. The windows are covered in cellophane, the ceiling has a few hanging strips, and the floor is mostly bare. That said, this experience for a mere $10 in a city where even millionaires must make more is worth every cent you spent and every cent they didn't. 

Banksy Museum - New York, NY

This time I'm the one meandering, making my way through the muraled walls.  

Multiple artists took many days to replicate all of Banksy's work, and since most of it is no longer available, it's quite special to see it all here. 

I hadn't realized just how current his themes are and just how much they speak to the dumpster fire that is Gen X and Y.

I identify with his tribute to rats, who exist and survive and sometimes thrive without permission. 

Turning classic painting into a cry against consumerism feels particularly poignant, and I am just in awe of all that this person(s) managed to accomplish. 

We still have a little time to kill, and Union Square is on our way up to Atomix so we slip into the Strand Bookstore and walk through Union Square on our back up to dinner.