Family trip to the Big Apple

We hit New York City with our running shoes on. There was just so much to squeeze in to 3 days so we were on the go from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. We (Clint and Rebecca) had been to NYC in the past and absolutely loved the city. We were excited to introduce the fast paced atmosphere to the kids.

The first day we arrived in the city, we took the kids to Times Square. Walking around during the day didn’t bring much wonder or excitement to the kids. Yes, Toys R Us was amazing and there were cabs honking everywhere, but no one quite understood just what it was that we wanted them to experience. We took the kids to Radio City Music Hall, past the studios for NBC and ABC news and where David Letterman had filmed. The M&M store was cool and the Nestle building filled the air with sweet smells of chocolate. No big deal….yet.

After a quick stop for some appetizers and a much needed and very expensive (gasp) glass of wine, the sun began to set quickly and the city started to come alive.

The sights. The sounds. The smells. It was like sensory overload.

We walked down the street pointing at the amazing 250 foot big screens that lined each building. Everywhere we looked, ads and bright images flashed in our faces. The kids walked with their heads looking up, unaware of the passing strangers and crowds of people that were everywhere. On every street corner were vendors selling candied pecans, cashews and peanuts. There were too many hot dog vendors to count and countless other food trucks to remember. The smells of the city filled the air, some were the sweet aromas of the candies, other, the sour stench that only comes with the big cities. Though we looked for the naked cowboy (yes, he was there 11 years ago when we last were in the city), we didn’t see him this time. What we did run into was multiple statue of liberties, fat spidermen, a man dressed as a baby and several other characters that we had been warned to not speak to or take pictures with. By the time we arrived back at our hotel room, everyone’s tummies were filled with hot dogs (you can’t go to NYC and not get a dog from a corner vendor) and candied almonds. I must admit, that when I went to sleep that night, images and flashing lights were still dancing in my mind.

We woke up early the next morning for a day full of museums and fun. After a quick train ride to World Trade Center 1, we were privileged enough to be one of the 1st visitors to ride the elevator up to the 102nd floor where the observation deck overlooks the entire city. Looking out over the city from this deck, the statue of liberty looked like a miniature toy presiding over microscopic boats in the water. We were amazed at the sights you could see from this level. We probably could have stayed here much longer, but a scheduled entrance to the 9/11 Museum brought this activity to a close.

I can’t say much about the 9/11 Museum without tears coming to my eyes. We were brought up in a world where respect to 1st responders is a given. Our kids see us shaking hands with policeman, firemen and military on a daily basis. We are thankful for them and we pray for their safety nightly.

I remember where I was on 9/11 like it was yesterday. Do you? We were living in a small rent house in Bryan, Texas. Kendall had just turned 2 and Nathan was a couple weeks away from being born. I remember Kendall being dressed in a blue striped outfit and us sitting on our old, ugly denim couch watching the purple dinosaur Barney that so many other kids loved at that time. It was 8:30ish in the morning and Clint calls me on the phone telling me to put on the news. NYC was under attack. I sat there exasperated as the events unfolded before my eyes. Clint was working for Texas A&M University at the time and unable to leave his office. I called him every few minutes with updates. My mother, who was still teaching at the time, had kids in her room. I told her that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. She couldn’t turn on her TV. I remember calling her several times that day to let her know about the 2nd building being attacked, about the buildings collapsing and the images I was seeing. I remember the people jumping out of the buildings before the collapse because they just couldn’t take the heat from the fire. I remember the images of people running for safety and a cloud of soot overtaking them. I remember seeing fireman running towards the chaos to help others when so many others were running away. The day went in slow motion for me. I cried. A lot.

The museum was a very emotionally draining experience. It’s difficult to find words to describe the emotions that wash over you in this place. From the audio recordings of victims saying their last goodbyes to loved ones, to the eulogies recorded by survivors about their lost family members, to the goosebumps you feel as you stand next to the actual pieces of twisted steal, the crushed fire engine, and the pieces of equipment that represented so many thousands of peoples’ lives…and you are there in the place, at a moment frozen in time, where such horror occurred. To listen to people from foreign countries try to recount to their children what happened that awful day, but their good intent and attempts at capturing what it means to Americans still falls short of capturing how that horrific day has been burned into the hearts of all of us who lived through it…even if we were many states away.

We wrapped up the day with a fun ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It’s funny. The statue of liberty is big. Really big. But you can’t imagine how big until you are standing under her or next to the mold that was used to make her foot. She wears a size 879 shoe! Wow, somebody’s compensating for something?