The Big Apple

This week I ventured up north for my very first visit to NYC. Alison, my recital partner, has just moved there, so I had a place to stay, as well as a friend to take me around the city. 

We got up early the first morning and took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. It was a glorious sunny day, and we had an incredible view of the skyline, across the water.   And it was amazing to walk around Liberty Island, taking it all in.

I marveled as I thought of the millions of immigrants that sailed through this harbor. 100 years ago, this statue would have been the tallest structure around; I can't imagine the beacon of hope this must have been for the immigrants, seeing it for the first time, after days, weeks, months on a ship.

It was so wonderful to be out on the water, and take a whiff of the saltwater. (Although Baltimore has a harbor, the water doesn't smell the greatest...).  Being on the ferry reminded me of the hundreds of thousands of trips I took to my grandparents' home on Bainbridge Island. Needless to say, I felt right at home!

We got back on the ferry and headed over to Ellis Island. It was incredibly moving to be there, knowing that I have relatives on both sides who walked through this hall. I was really thankful for the opportunity to be there and retrace their steps.

One of the highlights of my trip was getting to see James and Jillian (my sister-in-law's sister...although, I just usually call her my sister!) - and be the first to congratulate them on their engagement. James had surprised Jillian with tickets to "The Lion King" on Broadway - so she called me on Monday to tell me that she would be in NYC.  And it happened to coincide with my trip there! James proposed the night before I got into the city, so I was so excited to be the FIRST to see the hardware, as opposed to the LAST when I'm home at Christmas time.

It rained a little...OK, a lot....so we didn't get to do much, but we enjoyed drinking coffee, and then trouncing through the puddles a bit.

The next day, Alison and I wandered past Lincoln Center and saw the Metropolitan Opera building as well as the buildings which house Julliard.

Then we found some coffee and sat down in Central Park to watch a softball game. I loved seeing all the people out enjoying the park, and probably could have spent 2 weeks there. It blew my mind - the sheer size of it - as well as all the different parts of it.

We sat for a few hours, watching the games, and then wandered past fountains and lakes...and there were times that I totally forgot I was in the middle of the city.

And, it was wonderful to spend time with this dear friend. I will miss her, now that she is graduated and making a go of it in NYC, but it was great to have this "last hurrah" together before I start school in a couple of weeks. 

I won't lie; it wasn't easy to come back to Baltimore. There was an energy about NYC that Baltimore just doesn't have. I felt safe there, at all hours of the day - which I don't feel in Baltimore, sometimes, even in the middle of the day.  And overall, I sensed a spirit of community in the people of New York - they are proud to call that city home, no matter where they hail from. In fact, I don't think I ever walked two blocks without hearing another language being spoken. It was incredible.  Baltimore doesn't share the same kind of multi-cultural community, and its residents certainly don't boast the same kind of pride or care for their city. 

So I'm glad for the experience...glad I finally got to experience "the city."  I can't wait to go back...I'd love to go see a show on Broadway or at the Met. I'd love to explore the multitude of museums and historical sites.  Or maybe I'll just go for the weekend and spend three days getting lost in the park....