Cherry blossoms are blooming in Central Park. The pretty pink flowers signal the beginning of spring and summer time in New York City, adding color to the brown landscape. As the weather warms up, the happiness gets carried into the gloomy subways- a welcome change noticed by daily commuters that have dealt with the cumulative misery of millions of faces during the winter.
The best place to see the cherry blossoms in Manhattan, New York is on the
Who I am Today Posted on 4 May 14:03 , 0 comments
I am not who I was ten years ago, a year ago, or yesterday. None of us are. Before you make assumptions about my statement, read the explanation below.
The human existence is much more complex than one single factor... Imagine placing a flower on a white canvas. The flower is the entire picture. You then place a sheer piece of organza over the flower. You can still see the flower, but the organza captures the light and the thin layer is between your eye and the flower. The flower is no longer the entire picture. You keep adding layers of materials to the canvas, distorting the image of the flower. What you see is no longer a flower, but the result of everything you have added on top of it. The flower will be there no matter how many layers you add onto the canvas, but you wouldn't point to your canvas and say that the entire picture is defined by flower. At this point, the organza is as relevant as the flower is.
When you are born, you are like the flower. Everything you learn and experience is like having another piece of material layered on top, changed you and shaping you. We have the incredible human capability to learn from experience and example, allowing us to speak, learn new information and walk. People we have met, places we have visited, and things we have done throughout our lifetime have made us into the people we are today. Good or bad, every moment adds another layer to our existence.
I am more complex than the color of my skin, where I am from, my religious or personal beliefs, job title or any other factor that is easy to point out. We all are. Single factors like where we are from are all very important, but focusing on only one of the many factors of a human existence only limits us to an incomplete picture. Seeing other people for who they are today is the same, since they too change as time goes on. Even if there is no effort to change in an individual, it happens to everyone. No one has control over time.
Who we are today is everything we have been, but who we were is not everything we are today. The present is the only place in time where we have all the layers that are our existence. The person you were ten years ago is still there, but it's been transformed every single day since then by new experiences. Running from past experiences is not what I am suggesting, since it helped create who we are today. But being able to move past what was, and focus on what is right now allows us to embrace the present situation. It's up to us what the layers of our present and future will look like.
XO- Kate Stoltz
Fashion Designer Kate Stoltz photographed by Lena Shkoda in New York City
What is there to do in New York City? The many museums in Manhattan are a great place to start.. I've been visiting museums every day for the last couple of weeks for an art class. Yesterday, we visited the Frick Collection, which quickly became my favorite museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a close second, but the Frick collection offers a more private experience. It's definitely worth seeing. 
Indoor Courtyard at the Frick Collection
Just a little background: Henry Frick was a wealthy merchant that built an elaborate mansion on 5th Avenue in the late 1800's. He built the mansion to live in, but intended it to eventually become a museum. Frick loved art, especially pieces of beautiful sceneries and women. The walls are lined with incredible works from the likes of Claude Monet, Vermeer, Van Dyke and many other masters. The Frick Collection doesn't allow photos to be taken inside the museum, only in the courtyard. Photos don't do the Frick Collection justice though. You really need to go yourself to enjoy the mansion, the valuable art and the courtyards 
Frick Collection outdoor courtyard
Established in 2011, Governors Ball has quickly become the best festival in New York City, and one of the top music events in the United States. It is an annual summer concert that had over 60 acts in 3 days. The action packed event happens a short ferry ride off of Manhattan on Governors Island. The Governor’s Ball 2016 lineup included Kanye West, The Killers, Haim, Of Monsters and Men, The Strokes, Mac Miller and many others.
