We wanted to get as much as possible out of our time in this magical place so we took the first flight out of Nashville Saturday morning, our wonderful friend Nathan came over at 4:30am to take us to the airport, and we will repay him in dozens of home-cooked meals! But in spite of being sleep deprived and over packed we got to see the sunrise from 50,000 feet.
The color and details of the city consumed me. The intricate architecture. The way the gray skies cradled the shoulders of the buildings just so and tunneled the rain into this even soft scatter that played as just one more instrument in the symphony of city sounds. The welcoming face of front doors that lined the streets and accompanying windows embellished with spilling blossoms and greens...seriously.
The rumble of the trains, the beeping, the buses braking, the people, the footsteps, the white noise of voices and engines and productivity all sang the song of many people--of all different kinds...all going and doing and being. And that ever-existing promise of the big city that good things, big things, important things, inspiring things...will happen.
This city is begging to be photographed. So much color, charm and culture.
My traveling little soul. She's a very good jet-setter.
We spent Tuesday at the Central park Zoo and I couldn't help but watch as her little eyes widened and her legs kicked, and I'm pretty sure she knew where she was and that it was special.
And then just when you think holy crap, this can't get any better, you hear this clippity-clop and a white horse-drawn carriage comes strolling by. And I thought our park was cool because it has a twirly slide, but who can compete with carriages and a carousel?
My heart beats faster in this city. Everywhere you look, there is life and sights and sounds that arouse your senses. Horns beeping and buses braking, violins and trumpets on street corners and the overall collective shuffle of feet walking--people are going somewhere.
and why yes I can hail a cab-life points!
Even if there's only two hours left on your last day there before you have to get a car to the airport. And it's smoldering hot and not very going-out weather. And anyone else would say let's just chill. Nope. Not us. We strapped the baby to us. Checked our suitcase at the hotel desk and ran crazy with city enthusiasm just to get in the best we could get out of those last precious hours. And we had some of the best moments of our trip in those last hours, dollar pizza slices, bartering for a knock-off wallet, and a baby hanging her head out of a cab like a dog (no car seats in cabs.)
But then again, that's kind of hard to judge. Because there were just so many best moments.
Like when Addy and I spent the day in the upper west side children's museum.
There was the 9/11 memorial which we were SO lucky to get in to.
and just when you think you're about to loose it because of the thought that so many lost their lives here and every thing that it stands for your kid goes and reminds you to look on the brighter side, like hey I can play in this fountain!
Or when we spent half a day as a family in FAO Schwartz.
dress up central-she was hyper-we were exhausted
Grand Central
It's the weekend and I need to give my city adventures something to compete with. I may have left the bright lights of the big city, I've got a bag of NY bagels in the pantry, and my bedroom looks like guys in haz-mat suits should be checkin it out(see dad I didn't totally grow out of it), but we're back home and my heart is complete...in the smallness of our home and quite country music town.
No comments:
Post a Comment