But it wasn't just about what I didn't do, it's about all the stuff I did do.
And who I did all that cool stuff with.
Shopping, eating out, sight seeing, people watching...everything you would want to accomplish when your children are thousands of miles away.
Real NY pizza! A soda and a slice for $2. Hard to beat that. And why would you want to?
I must say, we met people that changed our life while using public transportation. If ever our relationship seems low on laughter and inside jokes we have decided to clear our afternoon and buy a metro ticket. I wish we didn't derive humor from staring at other people but, we can't help ourselves. May we never forget Dirty girl and Bobble Head.
This is the graveyard of St. Paul's Chapel, across from our hotel and Ground Zero. The church is from the 1700's and served as a gathering point for relief workers after 9/11. A very emotional and sobering place to visit.
When it was time to re-do the church after workers had been using it for months, it was decided that they would leave the benches as they were, full of scratches and scrapes from the boots and walkie talkies of the firemen who would come to nap for a few hours in between shifts.
This is the view from our hotel. Our second hotel, that is. Our first hotel was in Queens, and although we felt enriched by the diverse culture we were exposed to, I wanted to go home to my children at the end of the week. This is ground zero; the huge holes are what they have turned the twin towers into- memorial fountains.
Once we discovered this place we went back and ate there every chance we got. We bought a bag there to remind us of their pizza. And their sandwiches. And salads. And quesadillas. Dang, that place rocked my socks.
Braden waiting for the "choo choo" as he called it. I was trying my best not to look like a tourist but it made it hard when he kept calling it that and studying maps everywhere we went.
A few years ago Braden read in a magazine about an old railroad in NYC being turned into a park. I remember him telling me about the article. So when we were there he remembered wanting to see it and we committed a morning to it.
It's called The High Line.
It's a 1-mile section of the former elevated freight railroad spur, which runs along the lower west side of Manhattan; it has been redesigned and planted as an aerial park.
You get to see the iconic metropolitan world meld together with tranquility and nature. Very cool to experience both simultaneously.
They turned the support beams into a hip little bar and we snagged some awesome little tacos there.
This is what it looked like before. Well, this is the end of where they have re-built. And now look at it. I love that they left all the railroads in place.
The purpose of this picture is so Braden could build me my own loungers. I put it on his list.
I really would loved to have had a book and some sunshine and I could have spent the whole day there.
Phantom
Yes, those are our heads against the back wall of the Majestic Theatre. Because we had back row seats. Which cost $80 somethin bucks each. And might I say, it was totally worth it. I almost cried at the end just because it was over.
I have told Braden for years that my dream date was to get all fancy and go to our Brazilian restaurant and get Mousse de Mararcuja and then go see Les Mis on broadway. It wasn't exactly that, but we came pretty close. And I was happy. We had a great time.
The Statue of Liberty
For those of us who have always wondered if our heads would fit into Lady Liberty's nostril...
A bronze replica inside the museum, just to give some perspective of size. The base of the statue is a museum which was really interesting. They had some hand written letters people had sent describing how it felt to immigrate here and finally see the statue and know that they had made it, and the hope it represented. It was touching.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
We were really glad we took the time to go see it. So were all the Brazilians Braden kept meeting as he became the official Portuguese (or if Anabelle were there "pork-you-cheese") photographer.
I love NY. Looking forward to a return trip. If Les Mis ever goes back on broadway I will be there, no questions asked. Who's with me?
