When I Craved Green in New York

New York is exhilarating. It is also overwhelming when your everyday life is shaped by birdsong, country lanes and the quiet presence of trees. I live in the countryside, and once a year I travel to New York for work. Each visit reminds me how much I love experiencing other places—and how deeply I now need green space.

I normally stay around Broadway, so the contrast is immediate: from not hearing a squeak at home to the lights, noises and smells of the city. On my first day, I felt an instant urge to leave the hotel and go for a walk, but everywhere seemed full of people. Peace was difficult to find.

A city that never switches off

Luckily, I had asked for a room on an upper floor. In previous years, I had stayed almost at street level, where the Broadway noise felt impossible to escape—the lights, people coming and going, ambulances and police cars, all continuing through the night.

The next morning, jet lag woke me early. I thought it was daylight, but when I opened the curtains I realised the brightness came from the neon signs opposite my room. Before beginning a full day of meetings, I knew I needed something to help me feel grounded.

Finding green in Central Park

I left the hotel, grabbed a coffee and headed straight to Central Park. The moment I arrived, my mood changed completely. I walked for a while, looking at the trees, the dogs playing and the people exercising. Somehow, I felt at home.

I began noticing the contrast between the UK and the US. The trees were still wonderfully green, while back home they were already beginning to turn into autumn colours. These small differences caught my attention, and noticing them helped me calm down.

Eventually, I found a bench in the sunshine and sat with my coffee opposite the area where all the dogs play. One dog looked exactly like mine, and I missed him terribly. I walk with my dog every morning, so seeing New York's dogs enjoying the outdoors was lovely—and a little bittersweet.

The green I carried home

Then it was time to face the day, so I headed to the office. The next three days passed in a blur of meetings, more meetings, work dinners and the familiar rhythm of being busy, busy, busy.

When I returned to the UK, I was exhausted. Still, I decided to take a long walk to collect my dog, who had been staying with a sitter. That walk along country lanes and footpaths was the perfect antidote to the craziness of New York.

The following day, I was still craving green. I set off on another long country walk, climbing a hill, soaking up the greenery and allowing myself to relax. I lived in London for many years and grew up as a city person, but since moving to the countryside I have realised how deeply I need to feel connected to nature. My whole body feels out of balance when I am away from it.

I am incredibly grateful to travel for work—to experience different cultures and countries, and to spend time with colleagues. Travel helps me. But it also makes me grateful to live in the countryside, with nature around me every day. I used to think of myself as a city person. Now, I cannot imagine living there anymore.

Perhaps that is what New York gave me this time: not a rejection of the city, but a clearer understanding of what home means. Sometimes you have to leave the green behind to realise just how much it has become part of you.