The Sex and the City movie comes out May 30^th. My girlfriends and I have already picked out which shoes we’re wearing to the film and have planned where we’ll go for sushi beforehand and martinis after. We don’t care so much if Carrie and Big get married or if Charlotte really does get pregnant. What wetuned in for religiously all through University were the impressive lives the characters led. We wanted to be rich and successful with many attractive boyfriends. We wanted the clothes, the jobs, the hair and, most importantly, the romantic and wonderful New York City lifestyle.

When I was little I dreamed everyday of moving to New York City. Even before I had ever visited, I had perfect visions of my life; skipping down the street, spending New Years Eve in Times Square and picnicking in Central Park. I wanted to spend Sunday afternoons seeing Broadway shows and my evenings in my tiny five-floor walkup with a hotplate and leaky shower. To me, this was the epitome of romance.

I grew older and went through phases, all of which included daydreaming of my life in The Big Apple. I was obsessed with the musical Rent in 8^th grade and decided I wanted to be an impoverished artist and ride the subway while breaking into song. In high school I wanted to sip coffee at the Central Perk and have hair just like Jennifer Anniston and while in University I thought it would be really fun to wear giant flowers on my shirt and write my own sex column while downing martinis with my three best girlfriends.

My last visit was with my Mother. We stayed right in Times Square where, yes, it can be incredibly overpriced, but if you've never been and are visiting on an off season, you can get a nice hotel at a reasonable price. It's loud and busy and crazy and is, in a sense, the perfect introduction to New York. I took my Mother to the theatre; she had never seen a Broadway show. We saw Les Miserables; I bawled at the end and my Mother was convinced that she kept seeing Johnny Depp in the crowd. We saw Wicked; I bought loads of souvenirs and forced my Mother to take pictures of me in the lobby. On our last night we hit up Legally Blonde the musical. We got last minute seats, showed up wearing bright pink and spent the entire time dancing in our seats. We spent the evenings in overpriced bars drinking anything that came with a little umbrella and the days taking bus tours, shopping and indulging in tourist traps.

It doesn’t matter what you do in New York City. Bring someone fun and be ready to fly by the seat of your pants. I no longer want to live in the city, being able to visit it once or twice a year makes it all that more special. It’s a place to escape and to dream. It’s a place where anything can happen. You can wear wicked shoes and outfits and not feel silly or you can walk around with a camera around your neck wearing Statue of Liberty foam hat and embrace the joys of being a typical tourist.

So, maybe Samantha will decide to settle down and Miranda and Steve will live happily every after. Their futures are entirely uncertain, but what we do know is that they will be living the dream and life that I longed for as a young girl. They will continue to be independent and funny characters making their way in New York City because, in a city like that, anything is truly possible.

Check out Dave's blog for more on the city