A few months ago, Matthew got a "promotion" at work which really didn't mean a bump in pay so much as double the work. Instead of two plants to manage both government/client relations and contracts, he now has four. For the month of February and March, we saw him on weekends and approximately two of the remaining weeks. It was hard on everybody. Matthew doesn't travel well, the kids missed their father and I missed my sweetheart.
At some point early in the spring, I told Matthew to carve out some time for a trip with me. Because of all his trips we had the airline and the hotel covered, and my parents were happy with taking care of our babes back here in Oregon. It felt destined to happen.
Bonus, we still have our best friends back in Pennsylvania who were willing to make the trek into the city to spend the afternoon and evening with us. Matthew and I agree they were THE HIGHLIGHT of our trip but, just for completion sake, here is what we did with the rest of our time:
Thursday - We left Oregon early and made it to NYC while it was still light outside but just barely. So after finding something to eat we made it an early night.
Friday - We walked passed the Empire State Building but since it was enclosed in clouds we didn't think going up to the observation deck would be worthwhile so we moved on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They had a special exhibit that was made up of decades of rock and roll guitars and other memorabilia that Matthew got giddy just thinking about. This picture spoke to me. I could have stood hours in front of her.
Sadly, Matthew left all of his eye meds at the hotel (only a few days out of surgery then) and we needed to get back to the hotel to take care of his peepers. Plus, even with just the art museum we had already walked many miles and both Matthew and I were tired. So that night back at the hotel we watched Avengers: Infinity Wars
Saturday: Which meant that first thing in the morning we found a theater with a 9am showing for Avengers: End Game we could see before meeting up with our beloved Brintons.
With the Brintons, we walked the Highline (an elevated train track converted into a garden walkway) to this really cool set of stairs that we couldn't walk up because their tickets were gone for the day, but was a fun photo op. (Matthew is finally able to wear sunglasses that don't cost a small fortune!!)
After that we took the train to Brooklyn where we had yummy authentic New York pizza and walked along the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan where we walked and said good-bye to our most darling of friends. We LOVE you Brintons (please move to Salem)
Sunday - We went to church and spent the rest of a VERY rainy day holed up in our hotel room.
Monday - We both got to see the Statue of Liberty for the very first time. I was surprised what an emotional experience it was for me - especially given our current state of political affairs. To know that for so long and for so many people the Statue of Liberty was their first welcome. Their first breath of relief. This poem I memorized as an elementary schooler kept running through my mind as I looked on this timeless symbol of what it means to be an American.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Oh how I wish I lived in a country that still felt this way.
After the inspiring walk around Liberty Island, we took the ferry back to Manhattan and made our way to the real tear-jerker of the day that 9/11 memorial and museum. Oh heavens, I thought my heart was going to burst as I relived my own experience with that fateful day and mixed that with the horrors of those who lived and died in New York City that day.
It was such an interesting experience for me, as I didn't live through Pearl Harbor, Vietnam, or any other national tragedy. Going to see the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii just wouldn't hold the same powerful emotions for me as seeing the 9/11 memorial. Walking through I couldn't talk for fear of crying the ENTIRE time. So glad I finally got to see both of these iconic places before we left.
After being fairly emotionally drained, but feeling the need to do just one more thing before leaving the next morning, we walked back through Central Park (thanks to the volunteer Park curator who told us where to meander) and finished by getting cookies larger than my fist to take back to Oregon with us.
What a lovely trip. I'm thankful for my parents who lovingly looked after my children so well in our absence. I am so thankful for this man and the amazing job he does to provide for his family. I'm thankful that he has gotten so much better about vacationing with me. I'm thankful for a wonderful weekend recharging and reconnecting with my dear sweetheart.
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