We are here...actually, been we've here a month!

Sorry about such a long time in between posts...my anticipations of writing through our early transitions into the city way of life were met with boxes, friends, family, school searches, and of course, Christmas and New Years.  I wish a very happy, but belated new year to those who I have not spoken with since the holidays!

Ok, no more writing with a box of Kleenex nearby!  I will start out my post with the news of the cat.  He made it to NYC without a peep.  I found I am a confident woman when it comes to sleeping pills.  I think we could have gotten away with just one, but because I had to take him out of the bag at the security check point and our flight was ground delayed for close to an hour, I decided two pills would keep us safe. And yes, two sleeping pills tucked away in a kitty size pill pocket for a hungry cat was much more than Zeke needed for a long nap while we crossed the country.  I am serious when I say no peep and no movement from the bag.  I even caught samuel playing with the bag mid-flight, but the cat was out like a light.  And good for him, because to me, it felt like a long day.

Thank goodness for direct flights.  This is most certainly a perk I look forward to enjoying as we travel to and from the city.   A layover would have been way too much with an hour delay, 3+ hour flight, luggage roundup (note I don't say baggage because a move, I believe, might be a good chance to lighten our yokes), and an hour drive into the city.  All I could see were thousands of headlights and tail lights.  The kids were hungry and tired.  But our anticipation of what was just a few miles ahead made the drive feel like it would never end.

We made it to the apartment I had yet to see and were met by Corbin and my sister.  Our heros!  Once in the apartment, the cat swerved his way out of the bag and went right to the couch and went back to sleep!  Not only was our new home great, but the amount of unpacking and organizing that had been done was unbelievable.  So many people had put a lot of love, time, and energy into getting our new apartment ready for us.

The kids were tired, and we all were hungry so we walked around the block to find dinner.  Now, as I walk the same, familiar block numerous times each day, I remember how strange it felt to me that first night.  I remember thinking how I would eventually come to know all of these restaurants and stores, but I was tired so I let the overwhelming feelings pass and decided I would tackle that feat another day.  And slowly I have.  As I walk Bella or take the kids to school, I look into windows, grab to go menus, and make mental notes of a place I would like to see more about.  After getting most everything unpacked, I am finding more and more time to wonder farther from my apartment and see what else is around the corner.  Even after tens of trips down one street or avenue, I wonder how long it will be before I notice each and every shop or tiny restaurant squeezed in between the bigger spaces I have quickly noticed.  In a nutshell, any and every thing I could possibly need to make life happen seems to be available to me within a 5 or 10 minute walk!  A strange, but welcomed concept to adopt after 10 years of mountain, small-town living.

I really like living in NYC!  Not that I don't think of CB daily and especially of our dear friends.  The change in the daily way of life is nice.  It is a perfect time for it.  Corbin and I are young, and our kids are young, but not so young that I am still packing around a jogger or a diaper bag.  Samuel and Hannah do great with all of the walking.  Having a car and driving all over the place is overrated!  We typically walk or take the subway.  In the past month, I have only ridden in a taxi once, maybe twice.  Once we hired a rickshaw bike to take us a few blocks.  Peddling and dodging taxis and pedestrians while pulling 2 adults and 2 kids could definitely prepare a rider for the single track trails on the mountain.  Walking to school is exciting for us.  The winter has been relatively mild with a few cold days.  One thing I have not escaped is the wind.  I think our old house sits in one of the windiest places in Crested Butte!

In our relocation, I have gained a lot and lost some of the aspects of life that I love.  I have traded the nightly cries of the coyotes for the howl of sirens and blaring horns at any car or pedestrian who is a fraction of a second late at the green light or walk signal.  The leash-less, trail running days are over for now for me and our dog, Bella.  Our favorite thing to do together is run by the Hudson River.  There is a great recreational path there, and it is only a few blocks west of our apartment.  As we run south, the big buildings of New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower being built where the World Trade Center once stood loom before us.  Before I lived in Crested Butte, I lived in Charleston, SC.  I was always amazed by the water.  The city of Charleston is on a peninsula formed by the Cooper and Ashley Rivers.  In the almost 6 years I lived there, I ran many miles back and forth across the bridges that linked downtown Charleston with its neighboring islands.  I never thought I would be happy without the water until I moved to the mountains.  Both extreme landscapes draw me in.  Their beauty addicting and their power frightening.  Two elements of creation that man cannot control.  Running along the Hudson River brings back the memories of what I left 10 years ago, and my heart is happy to have it again.

I know many of our friends are anxious to know more of what life is like living in the big city.  So I have been thinking of a creative way to share our experiences.  I am compiling a list of my top ten favorite things about living in the city.  I hope to have it ready to share soon!