DEAR DIARY: WALL ST, 9/11 MEMORIAL, & THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT.

Dear Diary,

Yesterday I took the subway downtown to explore the Financial District - Trinity Church, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial and every food truck lined street in between. I love to walk around - it's a backpacker budget friendly way to see wherever you are - and I love walking around New York City. Each neighbourhood is different and it amazes me every time I wander from one to another - I feel like I'm in a completely different place.

The 9/11 Memorial was a bit chaotic - lines, more lines, and lots of people who don't like waiting in lines, - but was worth the wait. It's a big, open, green space, and the reflection pools create a sense of calm in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a big city. Halfway around the world in Australia, in a city as small as Adelaide, I found it hard to imagine the impact the attacks had on the city, but seeing the memorial - the reflection pools in the footprint of where the twin towers once stood, the freedom tower casting a shadow on the surrounding buildings, and the amount of construction that it still happening on the World Trade Centre site - opened my eyes.

I had no plans for the rest of the afternoon and decided to walk uptown, rather than catch the subway. I walked through the colourful and busy neighbourhood of Tribeca, realised I was in China Town after a while, passed through the quirky artist hub Soho, found myself on the NYU campus in Greenwich Village, and walked the tree lined streets of Chelsea, before I had to hop onto the subway home.

I've been crossing things off my list-of-things-I-want-to-do-in-NYC list, but I've also added a few more things too. There is always something to do, see, or eat in NYC, and I hope that I can experience as much as I can before I leave.

Rebecca.