The first morning I rode to work, the temperature was a crisp 20 degrees. Preparing myself as if I was about to climb Mount Everest, I packed a water bottle, an extra sweater, and a can-do attitude. When I noticed a green path branded with a bike symbol — a part of the road I had never paid attention to as a pedestrian — it was as though I had discovered some sort of spiritual oasis free from harm. In general, as my crush predicted, the whole biking thing turned out to not be so bad. Aside from the fact that it was refreshing to spend the morning above ground — zipping through traffic with the wind in my face — I learned to appreciate the expansiveness and beauty of NYC in ways I never thought about before. Also, any opportunity to avoid being crammed into a subway car with my face shoved into someone’s armpit is a welcomed one.