Blurb: Eyes Open

She couldn't believe it, she was finally here. For months now she'd been dreaming of those two sainted words: The Village. The people, the creativity, the music; Greenwich Village, the place to be. As she climbed the stairs of the subway exit, she breathed deep; she thought she could smell history in the making. Hoisting her duffel bag higher on her shoulder she paused at the top of the stairs, flipping her long braid behind her and shaking her bangs out of her eyes.
All around her there was colour; vibrant shades dancing past her. From every direction there was noise. Although hardly a surprising occurance in New York City, this noise was of a different timbre. There was laughter all around, chanting to the right, music down the street. Somehow it all culminated in a harmonious babel that was all at once exotic and inclusive.
From her post she could see at least five different cafes spilling out into the streets, and she knew that inside people were gathered in peace, in poetry, in music. All around the buildings were cheerfully plastered with colourful posters and everywhere she looked she saw at least five people smiling.
She spun around once with her arms spread out wide and face turned to the sky and thought: Yup, I'm going to love it here, this is where I belong!