DORÉ

This summer, for the first time in my life, I rode in a helicopter.

It had been one of my dreams in life, I don’t really know why – and it was when my family came to visit me in New York that I finally decided to go ahead and do it. It’s very easy to take a helicopter to fly over New York – you just have to go to the heliport… It’s a bit expensive, but a great gift if you dream of seeing the city like you’ve never seen it before.

A lot of people totally scared the hell our of me before I went (“You’re going to crash!!!” “Those things will explode against a building if there’s even the tiniest bit of wind!!!”)(let’s just say that people who are afraid of heights don’t go easy on you when it comes to convincing their friends not to risk their lives) so even though I do have a little bit of a dare devil in me, let’s say I was quietly freaking out.
But hey, it’s very organized and regulated, ok, and hoards of tourists show up to do it every day, so in terms of danger, the risk is probably close to zero. But still.

You’re going to think I’m crazy, but the thing I was most excited about was the take off. I’ve always had a thing for the propellers, the wind, the noise… And that crazy forward motion the helicopter makes when it leaves the ground. I thought being inside must be kind of like riding Space Mountain. And I LOVE Space Mountain…

But I was a little disappointed, because you actually you don’t feel anything at all. You take off from the ground like it’s some kind of magic, and a few seconds later, you’re flying over the Statue of Liberty.

And that’s when it starts to get really amazing. I won’t tell you much more about it – I’ll just share a few photos with you. It’s beautiful, it’s sublime, it’s magical. You feel so small and big at the same time, it’s like you could take the whole city in your hand. You can see the full expanse of Central park, the full height of the city, the beauty of its bridges, and the incredible romanticism of it all. It’s simply sublime.

You have to do it at least once.

If you’re not afraid of heights, of course.

Big kisses!

Translated by Andrea Perdue