I was doing calculations the other day and realized that I've lived in DC longer than I've lived anyplace else my entire life. It's kind of crazy. For 4 of those years, Taylor's brother has lived on Long Island while he's going to school at Hofstra University. Taylor's been up to visit twice but we've never wanted to pay for hotels and I've never wanted to stay in the frat house. So this summer when he bought an apartment in Brooklyn, we started making plans to visit. Mack and Sam were so gracious to let us crash with them even though the boys wake up at 6am and they chased their 2 dogs around the apartment the whole time.
Mack didn't have class on Friday so he toured us around the city. We saw the World Trade Center site, walked around battery park, the financial district, Times Square, FAO Schwartz, and the Mac Store. The only real bummer was that the big piano and legos were closed at FAO Schwartz because someone had rented them out for a birthday party (how much would that cost?).
We also took the ferry out around the Statue of Liberty. We didn't get off because you can only go into the pedastal and not up to the crown or the flame.
I thought DC was a big city, until I visited New York. It's monstrous! I can't believe anyone lives there with all the traffic and masses of humanity, but to each his own.
We did go visit Ellis Island which was amazing. Taylor's grandmother actually came through there in 1948 so it was interesting to see the actual rooms she walked through and learn about what experiences she had there. This is the main hall where judges would sit behind the desk and all the immigrants had to file off the boat, up the stairs, and then into lines to wait their turn. It made me wonder how long she stood there staring out these windows. Was she scared, lonely? She was by herself but we hope someone on the boat befriended her. She must also have been scared and afraid of being persecuted for being a jew because on the official record, she changed her middle name from Rebekah (sounded too Jewish) to Renee.
Sadly, she passed away last year so no one can ask her those questions now. It was her first step into America though, a country that offered her a new life with new opportunities for education and occupation, and a new family to fill a long, happy, full life. I'm grateful for places that remind me of what an amazing country we live in and how blessed we are to have the freedoms we do.
Mack didn't have class on Friday so he toured us around the city. We saw the World Trade Center site, walked around battery park, the financial district, Times Square, FAO Schwartz, and the Mac Store. The only real bummer was that the big piano and legos were closed at FAO Schwartz because someone had rented them out for a birthday party (how much would that cost?).
We also took the ferry out around the Statue of Liberty. We didn't get off because you can only go into the pedastal and not up to the crown or the flame.
I thought DC was a big city, until I visited New York. It's monstrous! I can't believe anyone lives there with all the traffic and masses of humanity, but to each his own. 
We did go visit Ellis Island which was amazing. Taylor's grandmother actually came through there in 1948 so it was interesting to see the actual rooms she walked through and learn about what experiences she had there. This is the main hall where judges would sit behind the desk and all the immigrants had to file off the boat, up the stairs, and then into lines to wait their turn. It made me wonder how long she stood there staring out these windows. Was she scared, lonely? She was by herself but we hope someone on the boat befriended her. She must also have been scared and afraid of being persecuted for being a jew because on the official record, she changed her middle name from Rebekah (sounded too Jewish) to Renee. 
Sadly, she passed away last year so no one can ask her those questions now. It was her first step into America though, a country that offered her a new life with new opportunities for education and occupation, and a new family to fill a long, happy, full life. I'm grateful for places that remind me of what an amazing country we live in and how blessed we are to have the freedoms we do.
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