I’ve lived in New York City all but one of my 63 years, so when I go out on occasion to truly dark skies, I’m overwhelmed and can barely find the Big Dipper among the thousands of visible stars. Seriously.
“overwhelmed” is a good word... but even that word falls short to describe it. I know exactly what you mean.
It is staggering to see it. Even in my suburban yard, it’s dark enough to see a hint of it.
Truly makes you feel tiny in the universe...
Growing up in India, in summer time we had beds moved to the open terrace on 3rd floor to escape heat, and I can still recall (after 60+ years) how filled the sky was with countless shiny objects. Days were very hot reaching 110 deg on occasion but at night, it was breezy and nice on the open terrace.