Day 4: New York City

Our last day in NYC so going to make the most of our time before heading to New Jersey.  The kiddo has a real problem getting up early . . . seriously he could sleep half the day if I allowed it.  I went back and forth on visiting the 9/11 Museum.  I wondered if Colin would be okay with the subject or would it bring up memories of Sean and the war.  I really do worry about his emotional well being but decided it was something we should experience.  Maybe deep down I am really worried about me, and how I will react and if I can keep my emotions in check?  Either way we were going to visit and if I thought it was too much; we would just exit.  To this day I remember exactly where I was when I first heard of the planes hitting the towers.  I was living in Germany and was at the CMR (community mail room) picking up my mail after work . . . one of my fellow teachers, Paige, was there and said, "hey did you hear that a plane crashed into the Twin Towers?"  I had not and sort of brushed it off as a terrible accident but headed home to turn on AFN (military TV channels . . . all 4 of them).  Sean was away somewhere playing Army, and Colin wasn't born yet so I sat at home all alone in pure disbelief.  I sat in front of the television for hours . . . watching family members pleading for information about their missing loved ones . . . I cried for hours!  I also knew that at that point our lives would never, ever be the same.  I knew that there would probably be some sort on invasion and that Sean would have to go there.  While I was teaching at a DOD school on the military base, I was living in a small German community in the middle of local Germans.  I never ever felt unsafe or worried . . . I loved our small village and neighbors too.  As a precaution our threat level went to the highest level and our school was closed for the rest of the week.  It was just awful and so much uncertainty.  I did have to go into school to take care of an issue with our Paris field trip that was scheduled in the spring . . . it took a very long time with security measures to actually enter Rose Barracks but life went on as normal as possible.  While it was so many years ago it all seems so fresh in my mind.  So the visit to the memorial and museum were a bit emotional for me.  Before we went to the museum, we stopped at the 9/11 Memorial.

I saw a lady carrying around a camera and a bucket of white roses.  She would gently place the rose and snap a photo.  I finally stopped and asked her about the white rose.  She was very kind and told me that it was that person's birthday.  How sweet and sad too . . .

Our scheduled time slot was upon us so we got in line and entered.  I wasn't sure it was right to take photos but did snap a couple . . .

. . . and then we entered the main part of the museum where no photos were allowed . . . and that is where it all got real.  I watched Colin and he was very in to all the video clips.  It was very crowded but so quiet too.  We stopped at the area about flight 93 that went down in Stanksville, Pennsylvania.  It was a video and audio of the actual recordings between the plane and air traffic controller and also had audio of the passengers that called their loved ones and left just heartbreaking messages.  It got me and tears just flowed.  I can not imagine.  Those recordings the families received just had to be the most bittersweet messages . . . I know that to this day I still long to have something written or recorded from Sean in case of a what if.  At the end was an exhibit about the Global War on Terrorism.  I had planned to zip right past it, but Colin insisted we stop.  We watched all the video clips and he read some of the exhibits.  I so wanted to ask him what he thought or if he had any questions but decided some things were probably best left private for him.  I know in due time he will ask me, and hopefully I am able to step up and provide him answers.  We exited and needed to clear our heads.  It was a great museum but really heavy too.  Just a heavy heart and a jumbled mind too.  I am glad we went but think once is enough for me.  It was really hot outside, and I had planned to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge . . . total poor planning but we grabbed a couple bottles of water and headed out!

About the closest we got to the Statue of Liberty this trip . . .

So we made it a lot faster across the bridge than expected.  I thought it would take a lot longer maybe because we walked so fast due to the heat.  However, I missed the pedestrian exit, and we had to walk a lot farther than we really needed to get to the subway stop.  Just so happens the subway stop did go right past a previous favorite earlier in the week and since I messed up and had poor Colin walk a lot farther than need; we stopped.  Oh yes we did . . .

10Below Ice Cream is so awesome!  Colin was happy and so was I!  Actually we had extra money on our MetroCard so figured why not make the stop?  I swear this is my new favorite ice cream!  Apparently, I got turned around and went the wrong way . . . thankfully I can read a map!  The other unexpected was we walked right in front of  Economy Candy so had to stop.  I did a map check, got reoriented, and hopped right back on the subway to go grab our bags at the hotel.  I decided we should eat before leaving NYC so headed to Tony's Di Napoli.  I thought they would have pizza for Colin and pasta for me.  No pizza served here so Colin had to settle for steak.  Nothing but steak!  A matter of fact now when he orders a steak he ask that the sides be put on another plate and his steak on a separate plate . . .

. . . not wasting any stomach space on sides!  I had a really yummy pasta ala vodka with mushrooms . . .

Now this is where the real fun started.  We needed to get to Newark airport today.  It was Friday at 4:30pm . . . I know not the best timing.  I was too cheap to pay the over $100 taxi or car service so instead we took the Newark Airport Express Bus.  It left from Bryant Park which was just a block from our hotel so it was perfect.  Colin wasn't so sure but the thought of free wifi on the bus sealed the deal.  The cost of only $28 for both of us sealed the deal for me.  So I finally find the pick up point and the bus arrives . . . they could only take five people and we were sixth.  So the next bus we should be able to get on.  Thank goodness it comes every 15 minutes.  The next bus comes and it was empty so we had our pick of seats.  The bus was clean and very cool!  We had to make one more stop before heading to EWR and the bus was packed!  The drive was super slow but comfortable.  Again, it was fine and the price was amazing!  Once we arrived at the airport we then had to transfer to the hotel shuttle pick up area which was easy . . . thankfully we only have one bag each so easy to maneuver.  It took us exactly 1 hour 39 minutes 46 seconds from our Times Square hotel to our Newark airport hotel which is only 13.4 miles.  We made it and tomorrow bring another fun adventure!