Hi, my name is Meghan, and I am depressed. BUT, when life hands me lemons, I like to make lemonade! And when life sends me on work errands to Red Hook, I get to take a cruise.
Yep, a cruise. That’s the way the IKEA express ferry describes it.
But in order to get there, I had to take the L, to the G, to Smith/9th Streets, which is an above-ground subway station! I adore above-ground subway stations. Back when I was interning at BUST, I took the subway to an above-ground station every day (to transfer) and I never got sick of the sunsets & skylines on my commute home.
The bus was a nightmare — late, overcrowded, you know — so I got to my errand late and had to literally RUN down a snowy, unplowed cobblestone street to make my cruise, but I made it!
Have I ever told you about the time I rode the IKEA ferry and the staff gave me a toy boat? YEP. It was back in November, and I was crying on the boat (guess why), and this pretty girl on the ferry staff asked me if I would like a boat. I was trying to be cool so I said “yes,” and it actually made me feel better??? (I re-gifted the boat to the only toddler friend I have, he liked it).
YES, it’s January. YES, it’s cold. But if you’re on a boat, and you have the chance, how could you not run up to the upper level to feel the wind in your hair (sidebar: anyone recommend a good detangling spray that doesn’t smell like sticky candy?) and take awesome photos of the river? You can see the Statue of Liberty from this boat ride!
Now, back in November I was doing a lot of work in Red Hook, and I had the opportunity to commute into Manhattan via the IKEA Ferry quite a bit, and I’m amazed that both then AND now, I’ve always managed to time my trip with the sunset. We departed the IKEA dock at dusk, and watched the lights come on in Lower Manhattan from the water, then docked at Wall Street, Pier 11 in darkness. They call New York the City That Never Sleeps, and I like to think that watching the lights go on when the sun goes down is watching the city “wake up for the night-time.”
Youse guys, this boat ride was so good. So good. I had the upper deck to myself for a little bit, then I was joined by a trio of young folks who also sought the coveted IKEA cruise selfie and sunset pics. The ride got rocky as we cut across another boat’s wake, and I remembered how much I enjoyed little boat rides, learning to sail, learning to drive a boat. I actually took this photo kneeling at the front of the boat, because it was too choppy to stand up.
Now, this took place a little over a week ago, but pals, this boat ride was so incredible, I told my therapist about it. I don’t want to detract from my awesome Boat Post by getting too personal on you here, but this is totally where I was, emotionally, last week. I was having such a run of Good Fortune. And, as I told my therapist, I feel like I’m starting to be able to appreciate little things again. Riding a boat for no reason. Getting free cookies from a kindly Trader Joe’s employee. I’ve felt really uninspired for a long time, like, the things I used to enjoy no longer bring me joy? Which worried me because, you know, that’s like, one of the top number one signs of depression (which I’m aware of, I have a therapist, I failed the intake survey at the GP, YAH I’M DEPRESSED NOW TELL ME SOMETHING HELPFUL). It’s been an absolute struggle to find a reason to get out of bed, or to feel like I even have the ability to experience happiness. So when I do, it’s major. And I had a great time on this boat.
Okay, /end super-deep-personal-bit. I rode a boat. I had a great time. I felt joy again. The End!
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