April showers bring May flowers they say so I am happily sitting at my computer while the skys contemplate the forecasted rain lost in my own contemplation of whether or not I will take the dog to the park. No place is the perfect place, and I am sure if Bella had her way, she would have chosen to live in a house with a nice grassy yard rather than on the 13th floor of a NYC apartment building. But instead, most days, she rests at my feet daydreaming about the old days of roaming her own territory of 3.4 acres amidst Crested Butte's native wild flowers and sage brush. Her days were filled with obsessively stalking just about anything that moved while waiting for me to walk out of the front door. Fearful of being left at home by chance that I might be heading out for a hike or trail run, she would sprint to the horse pen, bark at Cisco's feet, and run to the back of my Chevy Tahoe waiting for the tailgate to lift. Ah, the memories of those days are near, but the reality of that lifestyle is completely far away from how we live now. So, a walk to the Hudson River Park with a first-rate view of the Statue of Liberty will just have to do for her.
As each day turns for us here in the city, we don't forget the days are turning for our friends in Crested Butte as well. Our old house sits on the highway as it always has, and I am assured by friends that we are thought of each time it is passed. We chose a good place. It will take many years of passing trips to forget the family that once lived there. Hannah and Samuel constantly ask about friends and frequently Skype or chat on the phone with a few of them. In the meantime, both kids seem to have really grown up over the past four months. You can see Hannah below just a block from her school. The flower markets on the corners of the streets make me smile. The constant of having anything I could possibly need (or not need) at my own fingertips has moved from an anomaly to a common way of life. We had just run an errand after getting off of the subway returning from a mother-daughter day at the American Girl Store on 5th Ave. and 49th Street. We have learned out way around and getting to and from has become a breeze. The city used to confuse me on my visits to my mother-in-law's apartment, but living it daily is like learning another language. It just becomes part of you with a little practice.
Speaking of my Chevy Tahoe, I don't miss my car or driving for that matter at all. I never even think about it, actually. How did I go from relying on a car since I was 16 years old to forgetting its former use as a necessity in just 4 months? I pretty much handed over the keys and eagerly walked into a new chapter. I mostly walk where I need to go which has lessened my gym time considerably. Each day I am sure I regress a bit from my ability to hike a mountain peak, but for now I am learning to throw a good punch in kickboxing, and I have even adopted more and more pieces of black into my wardrobe. I am telling you, anyone can play the part of living in another place! Even a family from the mountains of Colorado can take to the high-rises of NYC. We are more maleable than we oftentimes think, and change will always spark a growth spurt if you give it the opportunity.
Whether or not you have visited New York City, most recognize it's iconic skyline and buildings. And most know that there are endless amounts of things to do in this city! You can see Hannah, Samuel, and Corbin hanging out in an old NYC bus at the Transit Museum in Brooklyn. We went there last weekend for fun and walked over to the Promenade on the east side of the East River to look back at Manhattan. We visited the Empire State building (which is also near our apartment!) back in February, and the birds eye view of Manhattan from 102 floors above the streets is quite daunting. It is nothing but a sea of roof tops directly below you. Central Park breaks the pattern of development and seems like nothing but long blocks of forest. In reality, the park is full of streets, paths, mini parks, and lakes buzzing with commuters, runners, and gapers. The rooftops are only the uppermost level of buildings that are lined with streets full of grocery stores, residences, schools, restaurants, shopping, and life. Chirping children flying high in park swings, taxis blaring horns in unison creating an orchestra of sound that is proclaiming the hurried way of city life, homeless young mothers holding babies and asking for money, and serious businessmen and women navigating common subway routes are all normal ways of life below these rooftops. But for a few minutes, across the river on the promenade or on the 102 floor of the Empire State Building, it is quiet. We are taking our opportunity here with pride, and we have vowed to experience it with full gusto. Our move to NYC is a bookend on the first 10 years of Corbin and my marriage. In most ways, our goals are not dissimilar to how we began a decade ago. And now, we have the memories of 10 years together in Crested Butte, 2 children, and a lot of stuff to carry along with us wherever we go. We are overjoyed we landed here.
