New York, The City that Never Sleeps

Here's Glennellen's essay:

Suspended above me was a sky of bright white, cloudless and blank. Though in some ways it should be somewhat blinding, it was just fine to my eyesight. Cars and taxis zoomed past me, some honking as they raced down the busy highway. People flooded the streets of the crowded city; talking, hailing a cab, chatting on their cell phones… Almost everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Some on their way to work, some on their way to lunch, to a meeting, or just errands. It was all pure chaos. I could smell the gas fumes and pollution of NYC that filled the air. It made my head spin. I could also smell freshly popped popcorn, coffee and lattes from the Starbucks across the street, food, perfume from boutiques…all sorts of smells that filled my senses.
Hustle and bustle filled the cramped and industrious sidewalks, a sort of exhilarating turmoil. The rush of the city amazed me!
Nowhere was there a sense of peace or tranquillity. Everywhere I turned, sound filled my ears and made my eardrums rattle.
I walked past designer shops, boutiques, fancy restaurants, apartment buildings, a movie theater, bookstores, and all other sorts of fascinating places that caught my eye. I later found myself nearing one of the fantastic Broadway theaters. Towering above me were animated posters of famous shows, like “Wicked” and “Mama Mia!”. I could only imagine how amazing and magical the theatricals were when they came to life onstage… I walked into the magnificent theater, feeling as if I were home, as the two big doors closed behind me; eliminating all the craziness and noise of the outside world. I was finally in my own world again- the place where the outside world cannot touch me. Where I am lost in the beauty and the magic of the moment.

Who knew one place could hold such sweetness and fulfillment in my heart?

A Quiet Place

Here's Amy's description:
I look around in the early morning, watching the sun rise over the steep hills in the distance. Dark rocks sitting in the still, blue waters reflect the sun above. The smell of the clean breeze moving by me, waves through the tall, old oak trees that rest by the bay, a peaceful presence in the air.

My Essay Thing ....

The Brightness of the lights , all most blinded me , as I got out of the small , cramped taxi . You couldn't even see the stars , in the dark, black sky . So many buildings towered over me like giants starring down at me . As I was searching for a place to eat , I smelled all of the food , which made me hungrier then I was before . The busy people almost knocked me over , trying to get to the shops and the restaurants . The sounds of cars beeping and people chattering , filled my ears. Finally , I got into a restaurant , out of the busy city , and finally got to eat .

~Meghan

Describing setting..

Here's Anna's essay:
Adobe Homes in Italy
As I remember it, it was very calm. Only a little noise from the few fisherman departing on their boats or returning from their venture, and the sound of their wives hanging the laundry over the railings and chatting with their neighbors. It smelled of the sea, but even more so of fish. A pleasant smell it was, yet revolting at the same time. You could literally taste the salt in your mouth, without even tasting any of the water from the sea.
It was late morning, the sky a clear blue. In fact, it matched the top tier of the fishing boats. The sun glimmered high above the few breaths of clouds, almost as if the clouds had left on some adventure and forgotten to bring their shadows also.
The village was beautiful, all the adobe homes on top of each other. Their foundation was a cliff... Though this frightened me at first, I eventually got used to it. The homes closer to the sky were blander than those closer to the sea. The homes near the sky were in creams and beiges, and a few grey from the wear and tear of the sea weather. Those closer to the sea I loved the most. They dazzled me in sunny yellows and pinks that should belong to a bubblegum making factory. All these homes were two stories or more (in fact most were three stories!), many with stairs leading to the front doors, which were on the second floor (usually). Most of the homes windows and doors were open, because everyone loved the breeze from the sea during those hot summer days. Even nearer to the sea were the fishing boats and their nets, most of the nets thrown askew on the concrete. The boats were of wood and had three different colors, red, white, and blue. It was strange to see these colors in Italy, they reminded me of my American heritage. The fishing nets glowed in shades of red and pink, with ropes resting on top of some of them. Further out was the sea, shallow and crystal clear with the sun shining down on it. So inviting it was on such a hot summer day that I longed to dive into it head first. However, my logic told me that I would probably not be seeing a lot of this beautiful village if I tried such a thing!