Worlds apart

I want to finish the New York city blog post series, so I can have a complete "record" of the weekend. Yesterday was so completely different than Monday. Monday I had all the time of the world. I didn't have anything on the agenda, so I could just stroll here and there. I was trying to find places to see, and time to waste. Yesterday, I went to see the Statue of liberty and Ellis Island. Then I had to rush back to the upper east side to get my luggage, and head to the airport.

I set my alarm. Then braved rush hour again.

Since I would be flying at 5.30pm, I had to make a very strict schedule. The ferry got me to the Statue at 9.45am. I would only have 45 minutes before the next ferry came to take me to Ellis Island. The security for the statue is ridiculous. Before you even get on the ferry, you have to go through airport style security. Then, in the statue, they make you stand in a little box and puff some air onto you (anyone know what that does?) Then you go through the regular metal detector. I probably spent 25 of that 45 minutes in security. When I finally came out, I practically ran up the strairs to the top of the pedestal; good exercise I guess. I shot some pictures, and ran back down. I had a little more time at Ellis Island, and enjoyed learning about the procedures immigrants had to go through. I personally don't have any family who came through there, but of course I am an immigrant myself. I just kept thinking about how different it was for those people. There was much more uncertainty for them after an aweful journey. However, their actual immigration process only lasted a day. Mine took 7 years.

Keeping up with my schedule, I hopped back on the ferry to New York. I had an extra 30 minutes. I really wanted to have lunch again at the Halal cart from Saturday, so I booked it over there. The line was long! I wasn't about to get food somewhere else, so I patiently waited the 15 minutes. Then I hopped back on the subway, and booked it to Mary's house to get my suitcase. I tried to really soak in the New York sites, as I won't be back there any time soon. All the cabs. The people who stand in the middle of the road, waiting to cross. The interesting people in the subway. The performers in subways stations. Small bakeries and bagel shops. Steep stairs. And the occcasional social traveler. Most just sit, and do their own thing. Then, once in a while, there's a person who will strike up a coversation with any and everybody. I love it.

The plane transported me back home. Back to real life. Back to my wonderful husband and kids (did I mention that Joe did a bunch of home renovations while I was out partying????!!) Back to the cows. Back to sleeping where it's quiet. It's great to be home.