Lilacs

I had a pretty severe moment of homesickness for New York this past week. I mean, they come and go, really...so this isn't abnormal. But it can be strange, the things that trigger them.

In this case, it was a picture of lilacs. Not really any lilacs in particular in any special place, just a vase filled with lilacs. Lilacs used to always make me think of my original home in Parma, Ohio, where we had several lilac bushes in the backyard. My friend Megan (a fellow lilac-lover) and I would sit back in the lilacs and dream of someday-weddings dripping with purple. Lilacs very quickly became my most favorite flower.

In New York, lilac season is brief but beautiful. There is a Lilac Walk in Central Park that is just divine when it's all in bloom, but even if you never make it into the park, you can't miss lilac season because they take over all the flower stands outside the bodegas on the street corners. You smell them as you pass by, a welcome floral fragrance on an otherwise typically smelly street. Their happy, perfect little purple blooms just signal the coming of summer and for me, always put a smile on my face. When I would see the first lilac bunches on those flower stands I would get so happy, and Eric would bring some home for me regularly as long as they were available. Our apartment smelled heavenly.

We don't have lilacs in Florida. We have gardenias, which are also intoxicatingly fragrant and my second-favorite flower, but no lilacs. And I miss them. I forgot how much I missed them until I saw that photo, and then I just couldn't get the image of them in street-side flower stands out of my mind: those happy little purple flowers, a little taste of my childhood, right there in the middle of the noisy, crowded, smelly city that I adored. I love that image.

I realize I haven't updated you much on how things are going with our transition lately. I promise to get a post in that regard up in the coming weeks, after we return from our trip. We're about to really kick-start the Teach For America chapter of our adventure and it's all very exciting; it's what we've been waiting and working for. I will definitely share more soon.

In the meantime, however, we leave today to kick off our midwestern road trip. I will put New York out of my mind as I explore new (to me) parts of the country with my most favorite people. There will be time for homesickness later.

I do have a few posts scheduled to go up during our absence - just a few more things I've been meaning to share with you but haven't quite gotten to yet. (So it won't even feel like we're gone, aren't you excited?!) And when we get back I'll have lots to share about our trip and the next phase of our journey.

So, onward. New adventures in travel and in life.

But I do miss those lilacs.

Lilacs in our New York City apartment, 2009

Ellie's First Thanksgiving

See how I wanted to title this post, "Our Last NYC Thanksgiving," but I decided instead that "Ellie's First Thanksgiving" was more positive? Progress!

We had a really wonderful Thanksgiving. We started our festivities the day before, actually. I had a massage gift card I had to use up before we left town (oh shucks, oh darn), so on Wednesday afternoon I took advantage of a little pampering. When I was finished, Ellie and Eric met me on Fifth Avenue and we walked up to Central Park for a bit of a lovely fall stroll.

On the Mall in Central Park

Strawberry Fields

Hanging out in the park with a pretty girl

Those pictures of Ellie and me were taken under the same tree where Eric took my picture almost exactly a year ago, when I was sporting a bit of a baby bump, just after we had found out that our baby would be a girl. What a change in our lives in just one year!

I'm thankful for that baby belly, and even more so for the little sweetheart taking its place this year!

From there we walked north to the Natural History Museum, where they inflate the balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We went to this our first Thanksgiving in New York, although much later in the evening when the crowds were much worse. This time, it was crowded, but not terrible. We were able to get up close to the balloons for pictures when we wanted, and I was surprised how much they had already been inflated. We only checked out half the balloons, because a certain somebody was sleepy, but it was still a lot of fun and something I'm glad we made it a point to do one more time before we left the city.

Eric and Ellie ready to see some parade balloons

Line of balloons being inflated

Eric, Ellie and Uncle Sam

Kermit face plant

Happy Thanksgiving?

At the end (for us) of the balloons

On Thanksgiving proper, we started the day by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV. That was the only bummer of the whole holiday, actually. The parade changed its route this year, and marched down Sixth Avenue...right past Eric's office. In fact, if you watched the CBS coverage of the parade, they were actually broadcasting from right in front of Eric's building (he worked in the CBS building, so this makes sense). We had planned to go into the city to watch the parade from his office, for a great view from above. Unfortunately, as I mentioned yesterday, the trains are still a mess after Hurricane Sandy and the ferries weren't running on Thanksgiving, so we really had no feasible way to get into the city. So, no live parade for us. 

We did enjoy watching it on TV though, and it was a nice, leisurely morning also filled with pie-making, Skyping with family, and napping (for the wee one, of course).

Look, guys! SANTA!

Enjoying our Thanksgiving morning!

(Ellie is SO EXCITED OMG that Achilles is that close to her!)

That afternoon, we went over to the home of our friends Jess, Eric and Ada for dinner. They ended up staying in town unexpectedly, so we all got together and ordered a pre-cooked dinner, which we supplemented with our own side dishes and dessert. It gave us plenty of time to visit with each other, for the girls to play, and for us to enjoy a delicious meal.

Ellie and Ada, clearly shocked about something.

Oh, hi there, girls.

Ellie was really working on her "pulling up" skill

Time to eat!

Our wonderful hosts

Ready for our Thanksgiving meal!

I even made Ellie her own pureed Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time: roasted chicken, sweet potatoes and peas. She also had pumpkin with a little cinnamon in place of pumpkin pie. Fancy!

Her first Thanksgiving dinner!

We stayed and hung out a while until the little ones really started to grow weary, and then we called it a day. Back at home, Achilles got a little Thanksgiving treat, too, then Eric and I relaxed with some wine, cheese and crackers to finish out the evening. All in all, it was a perfect last Thanksgiving in New York.

Thanksgiving skyline

Favorite NY Memories #2: Central Park Snow Day

Given my very consistent whining about winter weather every year, it may be a little surprising that the #2 spot on this list goes to a snow day. In the 2010-2011 winter season, we were blessed (?) with two very large snowstorms, much bigger than any we had seen since leaving Florida. On this particular day, the day that nearly tops my Favorite NY Memories Countdown, we woke up to another 15-19 inches of freshly-fallen snow. Eric had to go in to work, but I decided to walk with him to take some pictures. I figured I would walk east to Rockefeller Center then up for a brief jaunt through Central Park before heading home. I had work to do from home that day, so I planned to make things quick.

Needless to say, I ended up spending over two hours walking through the park. The wind was still so the snow clung to the tree branches, the sky was a divine shade of blue, and the sun was shining. It was a weekday, so the park was not very crowded. It was quiet and peaceful and beautiful, an actual real-life winter wonderland. I may have planned to only make a quick pass through the park, but I got so caught up in the beauty of it all that my feet just kept going and going and going.

The Bridge

Snowy walkway

Gorgeous trees

Winter wonderland

The Mall

I was just so in awe of it all. I just remember thinking in the moment what a special experience this was - to have this wonderland right there in the middle of Manhattan, the result of exactly the right conditions, and I was able to spend my morning there taking it all in. It was so serene and was just unlike anything I had ever seen.

For that morning, all my usual griping about snow seemed nonsensical. What could there be to complain about, when it is so very beautiful?

And then I exited the park, the sun disappeared and the sky clouded over, the wind picked up, and a huge truck sprayed icy slush all over me as I waited to cross the street at an intersection. Then, both my snow boots sprung leaks, leaving my socks cold and wet for nearly my entire walk home. So, yeah. That winter love was short-lived. Don't be fooled, my friends. Winter sucks.

Although, this one magical winter day also brings a couple other things to mind. One is another New York snow day that was actually pretty fun. This was the first major snowfall of the same winter season, in December 2010. We got 19 inches of snow, including thundersnow, which is a real thing. The day after the storm, Eric and I went out about town to check things out and spent our afternoon climbing on gigantic snowdrifts like all adults do. We also scored rather cheap tickets to see Billy Elliot on Broadway thanks to a Snow Day Special. Once again, snow was making a pretty good case for itself. But don't be fooled!

Left: Enjoying the snowy afternoon on Sixth Avenue

Right: Me atop a snow drift on Sixth Avenue; me atop a snow drift in Times Square

As a side note, this was the same snowstorm during which Eric took the following photo of a man skiing down our street:

Just skiing on past our grocery store

I posted that picture to Twitter and ended up being nominated for a Shorty Award for it! Oh, New York. Sometimes I really can't do anything but sit back and shake my head at some of the crazy things that have happened to us here!

Anyway, the Central Park Snow Day also brings to mind other seasons in the park. Eric and I made it a point to try to take in each season in Central Park, including spring:

Spring in Central Park

Summer:

Top: Summer at the Bridge

Bottom: Playing checkers in the Park; Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater; checking out the sea lions at the Central Park Zoo

And of course, fall:

Fall in Central Park

The fall day pictured at top left above was one of my other favorite seasonal days in the park. It was November 2012, the leaves were at their most beautiful, and Eric and I took advantage of the day (knowing our days as only a couple were limited, before Ellie would be joining us in a few months) by renting boats from the Boathouse and enjoying the fall foliage that way. It was fun and relaxing and gorgeous. Overall, a perfect afternoon, and one we often think back on fondly.

Even with all these lovely seasonal days in Central Park, that snow day in January 2011 takes the cake for me. It was just such a lovely, peaceful day and I won't soon forget how lucky and awestruck I felt as I admired the beautiful scenery. I've never seen anything like it and now, certainly won't again for a very long time.

To read all about that Central Park Snow Day, click here. Also, click here to read about the December 2010 snowstorm, here for that fall afternoon spent boating in the Park, or here for more posts about Central Park.

Favorite NY Memories #10: "Top Gun" on the Intrepid

And so begins our New York Memories Countdown!

In June 2009, we had one of those perfect New York nights. We were nearing the end of an unseasonably cool and exceptionally rainy June, coming off our first New York winter. We were ready for summer and all it would bring - warm temperatures, sunshine, and fun events. By chance, we stumbled upon a lovely weather evening for our very first Movie Night on the Intrepid.

The Intrepid was docked not too far from our old apartment, and our favorite NYC barbecue place (Daisy May's) happened to be on the way. Our friend Jeff was in town for the weekend, so we picked up some 'cue and found a spot on the deck of the ship, right in front of the inflatable screen where they would be showing Top Gun. 

These movies on the Intrepid were such a fun summer activity. There was always a nice cool breeze on the deck. The views were spectacular with the sun setting over New Jersey to your right and the New York City skyline lighting up to your left. The movies were always well-chosen (Top Gun was the regular season opener, and others included Apollo 13, and Ghostbusters). The crowd would get into the movie as only a crowd at an outdoor movie can. And if you add in our favorite pulled pork for dinner plus the very unique backdrop of an old aircraft carrier, it was an experience unlike any other.

Crowds gathering for Top Gun

Sun setting over the deck of the aircraft carrier

On the deck of the Intrepid with the midtown skyline behind us

 We attended Intrepid Movie Night several times over our four years here, but nothing quite matched the "this is awesome" feeling of the first time. I just felt so in love with this city.

Really, though, summer entertainment in New York cannot be beat. Other incredible things that come to mind in that arena are a showing of The Wizard of Oz in Central Park, movies in Bryant Park, and, most of all, Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. All were free, although Shakespeare required hard-to-come-by tickets. If you were lucky enough to score some, though, you were in for a delightful summer evening of Shakespeare and whatever wine and snacks you brought with you. Eric and I both loved those plays so very much.

Inside the Delacorte Theater

Red wine, raspberry dark chocolate, and Shakespeare. Divine.

There's just nothing like a beautiful summer night in the city with more outstanding entertainment at your disposal than you could ever take advantage of. It's pure summer perfection.

Click here to read the full recount of our first movie night on the deck of the Intrepid!

Discovering Columbus

When I was in the city with my friend Jess for the J.K. Rowling event a couple of weeks ago, we passed through Columbus Circle on our way back to the subway. Columbus Circle is right in my old neighborhood, and it's another one of my favorite spots in NYC (especially at Christmas). I noticed that the Christopher Columbus statue in the center of the circle was covered in scaffolding, and assumed it was being repaired or cleaned or some such thing. How sad, I thought, that I would probably not get an unobstructed view of it again before we leave.

Some of my favorite pictures we have of the statue in Columbus Circle, taken in December 2010

But wait! Not so fast!

Yes, Columbus is currently covered in scaffolding, but not for renovations. Rather, it is an art exhibition  by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi. As described on the Public Art Fund website:

Tatzu Nishi (b. 1960, Nagoya, Japan) is known internationally for his temporary works of art that transform our experience of monuments, statues and architectural details. His installations give the public intimate access to aspects of our urban environment and at the same time radically alter our perceptions. For his first public project in the United States, Nishi has chosen to focus on the historic statue of Christopher Columbus. 

The marble statue, which rises to more than 75 feet atop a granite column, was designed by the Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo. It was unveiled in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. Despite its prominent public location, the statue itself is little known, visible only as a silhouette against the sky or at a distance from surrounding buildings. 

Nishi's project re-imagines the colossal 13-foot-tall statue of Columbus standing in a fully furnished, modern living room. Featuring tables, chairs, couch, rug and flat-screen television, the decor reflects the artist's interpretation of contemporary New York style. He even designed wallpaper inspired by memories of American popular culture, having watched Hollywood movies and television as a child in Japan. Discovering Columbus offers both a unique perspective on a historical monument and a surreal experience of the sculpture in a new context. Allowing us to take a journey up six flights of stairs to a fictional living room, Tatzu Nishi invites us to discover for ourselves where the imagination might lead.

Well, I read that and was all, WE HAVE TO GO. How cool, right? Admission to the exhibition is free, but you do have to have a timed ticket, so we made our reservation for 1:30 on Thursday afternoon and off we went.

Eric and Ellie ready to head to the top of the statue

We didn't have to wait long before we were allowed in to begin our climb to the top. I have a sad history with sketchy staircases (like when I couldn't make it to the top of St. Rule's Tower in Scotland), and I'm not really stoked about heights either, so I just tried to focus on the coolness of the situation and tune out Eric's repeated statements of "man, that landing sure is shaky!"

Up we go!

Passing the base

Up above Central Park!

The climb may have been a little nerve-wracking, but it sure afforded some nice views when we made it to the top.

Looking north up Broadway and Central Park West

Southwest corner of Central Park

When we first walked into the "living room," I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the scene. I mean, how does one really find oneself in a living room 75 feet in the air with a giant statue in the middle of it? Oh, New York. You never disappoint.

My first view of the exhibition

We got right to work examining Christopher Columbus from all angles, as well as enjoying the other features of the room.

Hello there, Chris!

Hanging out on the furniture

Eric and Ellie enjoying the views

Enormous feet

Books on the shelves

On the left, a sampling of the American Pop Culture wallpaper, and on the right, Eric and Ellie catching up on the news.

Family shot with Christopher Columbus, thanks to the mirror on the wall!

It sure was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Columbus. Thank you for having us over!