Coming to New York – Student Reflection by Paris Cain

If I had not attended the Southwest Airlines NYC College Tour I wouldn’t have experienced my first flight at sixteen years old and been able to actually be in New York, getting the feel of what it was like to be in another state all for the first time. I always wanted to travel on a plane and know what it was like to be in the air for hours looking over cities. I feel like this tour will have a great impact on me because this trip is a great way to learn how to travel and inherit another environment’s lifestyle that I’m not used to.

Knowing how to travel is very important and what really taught me how was this trip. I’ve never been on a plane before so I wasn’t familiar with the baggage claim, security check and finding the terminal. It was very important to know where to go because it was possible to miss our flight or get on the wrong one. With having three students who have never travelled before we all got a chance to lead. It wasn’t easy rushing through an unfamiliar airport looking for signs that lead us in the right direction but when we got to the right terminal it was exciting. One of the students felt excitement before even getting on the plane because he was only was used to dropping off loved ones at the airport. I wasn’t nervous but I was ready to get on the plane and know what it felt like to have butterflies in my stomach as the plane lifted off of the ground. Through the first five minutes of the ride I felt a little nauseas but having the support around me I felt better.

I knew coming to New York would be a great opportunity and a lifetime experience because I was going to a whole new environment that was very different from Oakland, Ca. As soon as we arrived in New York I instantly got to feel what it was like to be driving in rush hour with all the cars honking at each other. It took so long just to get from the airport to the hotel. After we got settled in our hotel we walked to Times Square. As we were walking down the streets, I noticed how busy it was…a little too busy. I knew New York to be live and filled with buildings but it was more than I expected. As we walked around Times Square I enjoyed all the bright lights and big screens everywhere. The Toys R Us store was like an amusement park. One thing I thought I would enjoy was riding the subway for the first time. I expected it to be like Bart in the Bay Area but it was totally different. It wasn’t as clean or simple to use.

In conclusion, I learned the basics of catching flights and getting familiar to New York’s lifestyle. My first experience traveling will help me in the future along with adapting to New York’s lifestyle. This trip will have a huge impact on my life in many ways because I now know the basics of traveling and I know whether or not if I could see New York in my future. I’m more than thankful for this great opportunity that I will reflect on.

-Paris