We left Orlando early Thursday morning, which means that we hadn't slept much and so dropping off our car at airport parking, checking in, and waiting to board were no fun; however, our flights were on time and we arrived early for our layover and our final destination. There was no turbulence and we both slept a little, even if it wasn't comfortable. Once we arrived, we were greeted by my smiling nieces, older sister, and stepdad. I was impressed by how green upstate New York is as a result of all the rain, and the weather was perfect. I was so glad to be home!
Our first day was spent in the company of my parents and two sisters and two nieces. We caught up, had lunch, ran to the bank to open up an account with HSBC since this bank has branches in Brasilia, and then we finally took a 3.5 hour nap after not really sleeping since the night before. That night we met up with friends. I love the first night of sleeping in my parents' house.
While in upstate New York we took a day trip to a state park in a small, quaint town located on Seneca Lake called Watkins Glen. With my young nieces in tow, we walked a 1.5-mile long Gorge Trail. And then we walked back down after reaching the top and resting. The stairs winded up along the cliff, behind waterfalls, and into the shade of gorgeously green trees. We hiked, took pictures, and enjoyed our time talking and walking together. Once we had made it down the "mountain" we hiked over to a local Italian restaurant for pizza.
That evening, exhausted and with aching legs, E and I went to my best friend's house for a get together with some of my closest friends from high school and college - those that were in town. We chatted it up, drank some wine, and remembered "the good ol' times". Oh, and I laughed like I hadn't in years. E had to drag me home eventually because we had reservations on a bus to take us to New York City the next morning.
Up and at 'em the next day we were. We had breakfast and grabbed the muffins my mom had made so we had something to snack on during the bus ride if we wanted to. We had a fun filled day in Manhattan, packed with sightseeing and walking; the weather was ideal and the company couldn't have been better. E and I went to NYC with our friends Stephanie & O. We started off the day with a trip to Madame Tussaud's wax museum, went to Katz's Deli for lunch, spent some time downtown - shopping, eating, and pushing through the crowds. We also went sightseeing at The Met, the NY Public Library, Chinatown, Times Square, and ended our night at an outside restaurant in Bryant Park. Again, it was amazing how everything was so perfect.
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| Salvador Dali |
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| Janis Joplin |
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| Pele |
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| Lenny Kravitz |
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| At Katz's Deli |
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| The Metropolitan Museum |
Our final days in New York were spent with family. We BBQ'd and spent valuable time with each other....catching up, taking pictures, eating my parents' delicious lunches, and watching the boys play soccer. That Sunday night my older sister camped out with her daughters in their tent (her husband had to go back home because he had to work the next day) while my youngest sister and I slept in her tent. Camping was fun despite the concerns I had. Yesterday we rode the carousel since my oldest niece kept asking to see the "horsies". Too cute. We also went shopping; can't forget the final items of clothing and small souvenirs.
Overall my extended weekend was unforgettable and I'm grateful to my parents and family and friends for making it all happen. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. We love you.
and E
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