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MY FIRST TRIP TO NYC

So excited to finally spend some time in NYC! My husband and I celebrated our 30th anniversary this July. We had a great time staying in Times Square, eating at fabulous local restaurants, kissing at the top of the Empire State Building, and touring most of the historical sites. We ducked into the Algonquin Hotel and looked for Dorthy Parker’s ghost! No luck so we had coffee instead. And of course we enjoyed a lovely carriage ride through Central Park.

The highlight had to be seeing our first Broadway show, Hamilton!! It was amazing and I highly recommend it! Also had the pleasure of visiting the Penguin Random House offices. A special moment for me.

REMEMBERING 911 AND ALL THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES

My first trip to NYC in July 2017  and I visited the 911 Memorial. It was remarkable. So well done and thoughtfully created. The wooden floors were selected to mute footsteps and as the river of people gently moved about, our footfalls were softened to allow us to hear the 911 calls of that fateful day playing throughout. I felt as though I were walking on hallowed ground. The items chosen for display, from a mangled fire engine to a high heeled shoe, were devastatingly personal and so real. Near the end of the tour it became too much and I was overcome with grief. I left with my heart aching and my eyes blurred. I have visited several memorials (Pearl Harbor, OKC Bombing) but this one was the most powerful and most difficult.

I hope today we take time to remember all those who were lost, the first responder heroes, and those brave men and women on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.