New York: Forever in Our Hearts

Last summer, I had the opportunity to travel to New York City with my two best friends for a long weekend. We each live in different states, so undivided time together is a rare and beautiful thing. It was quite the spontaneous decision, but the bright lights and big city were calling our names, and for that, we HAD to go! It was a weekend filled with tourist attractions, delicious meals, and so much walking I thought my legs were going to fall off. I've been thinking about that trip lately for 2 reasons... partly because we are going on another trip soon (this time to Nashville), but also because today marks the 15th anniversary of the most tragic event on American soil in history: the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. 

During my trip to NYC, I got to see a glimpse of what it was like for the people of New York City, and others around the world, that fateful morning. We spent an afternoon at the 9/11 Museum and Ground Zero, and although it was sad and overwhelming, it was the most memorable and favorite part of the trip. Today, as I recap our weekend in the Big Apple, I want to take a moment and remember all the lives that were affected or lost during those attacks 15 years ago, and beyond.

Our cozy AirBnB apartment- "awkward family photo"

Saturday: We landed at LaGuardia after a brief 2-hour flight from Chicago, and made our way to a key cafe where the key to our AirBnB awaited. It was a nice little 2-bedroom apartment in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, about 10 minutes from Central Park, and 2 minutes from the subway to take us anywhere we wanted to go. After settling in, we went straight to the heart: Times Square. We somehow managed to end up in that area every day... Something about the hustle and bustle, the enormous amounts of people no matter what time day or night, and the bright neon lights just draws you right in! After some wandering, we stopped at Ellen's Stardust Diner for dinner, which was an awesome experience! All the wait staff are Broadway students with dreams of making it in the big leagues. While they wait for their big break, they take turns singing and dancing while serving us delicious food. It was a long wait to get in, but the energy and atmosphere of the place made it worth it! We finished the night off with a classic tourist move: a night tour on a big, double decker bus that screams "We are not from here!" but I didn't care. We went all through SOHO, Chinatown, Little Italy, and crossed over to Brooklyn to see the Manhattan skyline. It was a beautiful evening, and the perfect start to our weekend!

Ellen's Stardust Diner

The Manhattan Skyline and Brooklyn Bridge

Sunday: We hit the ground running for our first full day in NYC, starting out on a hop on, hop off bus. Our first stop: Highline Park. A park in the sky? Why yes, don't mind if I do... The green park was in full bloom, and I loved how you could still see the old railroad tracks that used to inhabit the structure. After a nice stroll, we made it down to Chelsea Market- a wonderfully eclectic mix of shops that sold close to whatever you were looking for. 




Walking down into the museum, I could immediately start seeing pieces of that day, and the memories started flooding back: Where were you when you heard the news of September 11?
I was in 5th grade, and I remember a classmate of mine coming into class late, saying there was an attack in New York. Our class was ushered to the library where there was a TV broadcasting the news, and I couldn't fathom it. What was actually happening? Why was my gym teacher there, staring at the screen, with tears in his eyes? What will this mean for New York, for the United States, for the world? Our classes never really got started that day- everyone was just shocked. Our teachers tried to explain it as best they could or knew how, and we spent a lot of time in prayer. As a 10 year old, I didn't understand it, and I think I was far enough removed from the event, that I really didn't need to right then and there. That was what it was like the morning of September 11, 2001, in a small Christian school in Oak Lawn, IL. As we walked through the space, it is hard to imagine how different it would have been for a 10 year old who lived in New York City. The chaos of people running scared, the brave heroes who ran towards danger, trying to save lives, and the worry that people must have felt not knowing where loved ones were at. I was shocked by the amount of things the museum had on display that helped paint that picture for those of us who didn't witness it first hand. Photographs, clothing, signs, phone calls, news broadcasts, pieces of buildings, vehicles, videos... you name it. We spent over 3 hours in the museum, and it felt like 30 minutes. It was one of the most humbling experiences I've had, and made me so appreciative of the live I've been able to live, and the freedoms that we have.

 
We concluded the evening with some pizza per a local's recommendation: John's Pizzeria. It was an old church that was renovated into a pizza parlor. They kept some of the architectural features, artwork, and even some church pews. After a long day of walking, it felt great to sit and grab a good meal.











Monday: We had a game plan for this day to cover A LOT of ground. A ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Wall Street, eating lunch off the food trucks like locals, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, sitting in a the Nordstrom's Rack shoe area in Brooklyn because we are so hot and tired, dinner and shopping in Little Italy, Top of the Rock (with an AMAZING view of the city), and topped off the evening with a cupcake from Carlo's bakery (After a 45 minute wait. For a cupcake. Worth it? Debatable...) WHEW! What a day! My fitbit had chalked us up for over 10 miles of walking, and it was near 90 degrees that day, so we had to give ourselves a pat on the back for such determination!

Lady Liberty herself

Chicken Kabobs from the food trucks near Wall St.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge