Take my breath away

~ Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, 

but by the moments that take our breath away ~

I began my day with Yoga and the instructor said this session would be about 'courage'. As we sat with our eyes closed, she read out a quote about cowards and it resonated with me greatly. I dived deeper into my downward dogs and widened my warriors. After an hour and a half of intense twisting and turning I felt invigorated. Where have you been all my life yoga? I can tell we are going to have a long-lasting relationship; one that will end with 'happy babies'.

It was a perfect Fall day in New York City and all I wanted to do was be outside! What better place to bask in this balminess than Central Park? I grabbed a fresh juice from the local Health Food Store and made my way to the closest subway.

Caught up in Manhattan's momentum, I picked up the pace and decided to skip the subway station - thinking perhaps I'll get the train from Grand Central instead. But at 42nd Street Michael Jackson interrupted my Ipod and I couldn't stop 'til I got enough' so I kept walking...and walking...until before I knew it I had covered 48 blocks and reached the southern end of Central Park.

I entered the park and gasped. I felt like I had stepped into a postcard. The trees around me exuded every shade of red and orange. Their leaves fell gracefully, some landed at my feet. There were kids to my left giggling contagiously as they threw them at each other. Up ahead an old man played the saxophone; injecting even more colour into the park as he sang the blues.

The Bethesda Fountain was looking exceptionally pretty. 

Nearby, there was a man creating giant bubbles. Kids ran up to him and popped the rainbows.

By the stairs of the fountain were a bride and groom. They were lost in a kiss and unbeknownst to them, their photographer was capturing the moment for them to look back on in years to come.

I headed towards the lake, where happy families were wading in cute, little rowboats and feeding the ducks. 

There were so many beautiful scenes all unfolding in the one place. I did a full circle and tried to take it all in, wishing desperately I could bottle this bliss. 

I headed towards the foot-tunnel. It's famous for movies such as Home Alone 2 and Stuart Little. I could hear amazing music coming from there...

I squeezed past the crowds and was surprised to find only a family of four standing there. An older boy and three young children were singing harmoniously and clapping to their own beat. I couldn't believe how professional their performance sounded. There were no instruments - just their angelic voices, amplified by the acoustics of the tunnel.  I was so moved. Despite my fast-disappearing finances, I felt compelled to contribute to their donations box.

I walked to the main lawn of the park - and passed roller-bladers, (champion) Frisbee players and the world's best looking dogs on my way. I sprawled out on the green. To one side of me was the Manhattan city skyline, to the other, Autumn in it's most artistic form. Out of nowhere, I started crying. But my tears were far from salty. I was just so happy; so happy that I was literally overflowing.

I ran through the park and exited uptown at Columbus Circle. There was a big crowd and lots of camera equipment. I couldn't see much but I could sense the excitement! Just when I thought my day couldn't get any better - it did. Here was a movie in the making!

I found a nearby street lamp and stepped up onto its base. There was Ben Stiller! He was running down the street in a business suit. The celebrity stopped nearby for a drink of water, while make-up artists fixed his hair. The back of the director chairs read "Tower Heist". I made a mental note. I can't wait to watch this movie in months to come and be taken back to this moment.

The series of exhilarating events called for celebration. I wanted chocolate! I headed towards the Time Warner Center for the great, golden Godiva Chocolatier. This stuff is heaven by-the-bite. There were so many specialty truffles to choose from and at $2.50 a piece, it was the hardest decision I had to make all day. Finally, I settled on three: carrot cake, roasted almond and acia berry.

The lady behind the counter said "Our new line of dessert chocolates have just arrived, I'll throw some samples in for free." I nearly hugged her.

She could have given me one or 100 chocolates; as far as I was concerned, this day couldn't have got any sweeter.