The New York Diaries: Fourth of July Fireworks

Spent my first 4th of July in the States. And what made it extra awesome was the fact that I was in New York when it happened. 

Some of my friends who'd lived in New York for a while said they'd rather just watch the fireworks from their screens at home. "It's going to be so crowded out there," they said. "Besides, it's just fireworks."

I wasn't going to just sit home and do nothing on July 4th. Heck no! I was going to go out to the city, even if it meant standing in a crowd of a million people, just to watch the fireworks. No way was I giving up the opportunity to experience this firsthand.

So, with my bulky camera hanging around my neck, I set off to the city to meet Jason and we took the subway to some part in Manhattan (I don't remember where) for the fireworks display. 

The crowd was phenomenal. People were just pouring into the streets. Some roads were closed off, so traffic was pretty much at a standstill. Cops were whistling and hollering at everyone and gesturing people to move forward. I followed the stream of people until there wasn't anywhere else to move. Jason and I were standing in the middle of the road along with several thousand others.

It was hot.

Everyone was perspiring. Shirts were clinging onto our backs, hair was matted onto our foreheads, beads of sweat were continuously trickling down our faces. The smell of sweat and hot dogs hung in the air. Very unpleasant combination. The sky was darkening. Because it was summer, the sky didn't grow dark until like after 7pm. I don't recall what time the fireworks begun, but it was sometime after 8.30pm. Or, it could've been 9. Gee.

But finally, after what seemed like thirty long, uncomfortable minutes, the first blaze of fireworks erupted into the night sky. I was glad I'd fixed my 55-250mm lens onto my camera, which allowed me to zoom into the sky and capture the eruption. 

The colors were beautiful. Throughout the next 15 minutes, the black sky was transformed into a canvas of sharp neon colors. Blazes of yellow, red, green and blue shattered the darkness. I’d never seen a more beautiful explosion in my life.

That night, thousands of people gathered on the long stretch of road, chins lifted to the sky as showers of colorful rain emblazoned the night. Americans and non-Americans alike were united for that special occasion. In the dark, their awestruck faces were illuminated by the flash of the fireworks, soaking up the splendor unfolding before their eyes.