Some of the best things in life are things that come to you unexpectedly. They transform something ordinary into something special. Well, I recently had something like this come into my life and I felt compelled to write about it. I want to share my story with the world because I feel like the thing that brought me a little unexpected happiness can bring other people the same happiness. So without further ado, here is my story.
I’m Nicole and I’m your typical young twenty-something millennial girl who lives in New York City. I’m one of the many people who live there and don’t own a vehicle. This is not uncommon for people in this city. In fact, only about 25% of the population in NYC actually own their own vehicles. I’ve always been a walker. I just happen to live in an area of the city where most everything I need is close by. I walk to work, walk to the grocery store, I even walk to the bar and occasionally grab a drink or two with my girlfriends. For the long commutes, I usually just Uber.
But, on my 21st birthday, my mother got me an Unagi scooter. She works in advertising and when Unagi launched their latest scooter, they give sent her one to promote. She thought I would probably use it more living in NYC. My mother & I always go shopping when she visits because we share a love for all things vintage. Which is why I was expecting some kind of a gift from a thrift shop for my birthday but this time, she sure did surprise me! She has always been the type to gift me things that I never realize I want or need until I realize I do. I love my mother she always goes above and beyond when it comes to gifts!
After she left that evening, I found myself staring at what I thought was an odd gift. I spent the last two years walking around the city and it never really bothered me any. But my mom thought using a scooter might make getting around a little easier for me, plus she know that I’m a sucker for new tech gadgets. So, I took it for a little spin. I got on the scooter and made my way up and down the street a couple of times, just to get the hang of it. I still didn’t really know what to think about it though. I really liked the colors. I gave it props for looking absolutely awesome. My mom knows that I love the color blue and the various shades of navy and cerulean that covered my scooter certainly gave it a lot of appeal. But I was still on the fence about it though and I put it up for the night and went to bed.
The next day was the start of my weekend, which I was looking forward to. It had been a long week and I wanted some time to myself to unwind. I had planned on going thrift shopping at The Market NYC. It is one of my favorite places in New York to shop at. I showered, ate some breakfast, and was right on my way out the door when I suddenly thought of my new scooter. Even though I was still on the fence about how to feel about that scooter, I figured it would be a waste to simply sit there and never see the light of day again. I decided to take it out that day and give it a real go! I checked the battery, made sure everything was in working order, and off I was.
I quickly realized that last night’s attempts to scooter up and down my tiny street were nothing compared to actually getting out on the roads and cruising on this thing. I felt a little unsure at first, which is why I stayed in first gear for the first 30 minutes or so but it didn’t take long to start to fall in love with it. I loved the wind through my hair, the sunshine, and the free feeling of gliding down the streets with no effort at all. It was unexpectedly so much fun. In a way, it almost reminded me of rollerblading when I was a kid. It just felt fun and exciting.
When I arrived at The Market, I realized that I had cut my commute time almost in half. Typically it would have taken me about fifteen minutes to walk to the thrift store, but on my new scooter, it took me only seven. As I walked inside I found that folding up my scooter was also a breeze. It wasn’t too difficult or time consuming at all. It was also really lightweight and not a hassle at all to carry around. I admired some pretty summer dresses, this gorgeous blue top with yellow flowers, and then some pretty shoes I liked. All of a sudden my phone went off. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was a text from my best friend Rachel. She texted me that she was at our favorite cafe and wanted to know if I could meet up with her. I realized that I was about a twenty-minute walk away though. By the time I got there, she’d probably be done with lunch. But then I thought about my scooter and realized that I could get there much quicker. So I texted her that I could be there in about ten and was on my way.
I enjoyed another fun ride on my Unagi scooter. It was easy to unfold and get going. I really started to appreciate how much I loved this new scooter. I finally got to the cafe, plugged my scooter in to charge, and met Rachel with a big hug. We sat down and caught up a little bit and over a ham and cheese sandwich, I told her all about my new ride and how much I was enjoying it. Even Rachel though it was an awesome color. I told her all about how much time it saved me and how much fun it was to ride. We laughed and giggled and then laughed some more when I got mustard on my white shirt. All the more reason to buy that pretty blue top with the yellow flowers at the thrift store.
After bidding Rachel goodbye, I hoped on my scooter and decided to go to Grand Bazaar NYC I finished my shopping. It was about 5 miles to get there and another 3 miles to get back to my apartment. Normally I would just Uber there but I was confident in my scootering skills and since my scooter was charging during lunch so I felt confident that I can just take my Unagi, after changing out my shirt so I wouldn’t be covered in mustard! I would have gone home after that. I would have sat on my couch and watched Netflix, but instead, I realized after getting to Grand Bazaar that I still have 3 out of 5 bars left on my battery so I decided I’ll ride all around town until I run out of juice. I traveled further than I normally would have on foot. In fact, I even found a new coffee shop that I’d never tried before and it is now my favorite place to get coffee from!
Thanks mom & thanks Unagi! I think this is probably one of the best birthday gifts I ever received and it wasn’t even anywhere on my radar! It’s so much fun to ride, and it is so easy to charge and carry up the stairs to my apartment (The whole thing only weighs 26lbs!). It adds fun and simplicity into my life and before I got it, I didn’t even know what I missing. I can’t imagine not using my scooter now. Next Saturday, I plan to get up early and ride it to the middle of Manhattan Bridge to watch the sunrise. I’m excited!
