Being in NY this week has brought back so many great memories and has given me the nostalgic feeling that I longed for when planning this trip. When asked where home is, often I don't have a response. I've lived in many places around the U.S. and they were all home at some point in my life. But my true home, the place I feel safe and happy, is definitely New York. I don't have "adult"memories with my parents... only childhood and teenage memories...so when I'm back here, I feel a sense of peace that is hard to explain.
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| My senior prom.... with mom and dad |
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| This picture shows my dad's personality perfectly |
I also love the hustle and bustle and the fast paced living. I love my girls, some of which I have been friends with since I was six years old. I love the smells and familiarity of the sites. I love walking around the city and remembering my days as a kid with my mom, dad and sisters. When asked if I would ever move back, well, not sure I can answer that. I'm afraid I would want life to be just as I remember it... and as we all know, that wouldn't be. So, for now, I will enjoy my journeys around the world, hold NY and it's wonderfulness close to my heart, and wait to see where our next "home" will be.
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| Time Square with my boys |
Our trip started on Sunday as we took Arlanda Express to the airport, and who is sitting in the airport ready to board our plane but Jake's teacher, Mrs. Evers. We chatted for a bit and then went our separate ways. Thirty or so minutes later, we boarded and settled into our seats for the first leg of our long journey back to the states. We all looked up to see Mrs. Evers taking her seat next to Jake. What are the chances of not only her being on our flight, but also choosing the seat next to her student? Luckily for her, we were to separate in Amsterdam, and she only had to tolerate the Payne's for a few hours. It actually was fun for Jake, and she seemed to enjoy it too (probably because Jake wore his headphones the whole time).
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| Steve and Mrs. Evers chatting it up |
We arrived in the city close to 10pm and everyone was exhausted. After checking into our hotel, Steve went out to get us food. We all stayed awake long enough to eat, except Smith. He passed out the minute his head hit the pillow. The next morning came very early, thanks to Chase, who woke me up at 3:00am. The worst part of traveling back to the states are the early wake-ups. After trying to convince him, and then trying to bribe him to go back to sleep, I gave in, and put the iPad in his hands. It was the only way I was going to catch a few more zzzzz's before the other two woke up.
Jake and Smith did a bit of research before we left, and they were each allowed to choose one place in the city they wanted to see, and I would make it happen. Jake was set on Times Square, so that was our first stop. I'm not sure it was all he thought it would be, but he did like all the lights and advertisements flashing everywhere.
From Times Square we walked to Rockefeller Center, where their was ice skating, but it wasn't yet the season for the Christmas tree. They thought it was pretty cool to see where mommy used to come as a little girl to skate. Even though it wasn't cold, and the chestnuts were not roasting on the street carts, I could still smell and feel Christmas, from all those years ago.
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| ice skating behind us |
My niece Kaitlyn is going to school in NY so we were able to spend the day with her on Monday. I am so proud of whom she has become.... her independence, confidence, and sweetness. She was cruising around the city like she's lived here her whole life. Despite some obstacles that she's facing, she is strong, and determined to accomplish her goals. I know she's going to do great things one day!! I still can't believe that she was the flower girl in my wedding. Time really does fly by.
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| Kaitlyn and I in front of Dylan's candy store |
She met us at Bloomingdales, we ate lunch, and our next stop was Dylan's candy store. Three floors of candy... what a way to introduce the city to my boys. They were in awe of all the sweets, and had a bit of difficulty making a decision on what to buy.
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| heading to the bottom floor |
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| Katy made her choice |
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| three floors of candy and Chase chose gum |
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| We all know what daddy chose |
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| remember these? |
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| Chase wanted to eat this bunny |
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| cousin love |
Chase's NYC bucket list item was FAO Schwartz, or what Chase calls it, "the biggest toy store in the world". It's funny how as a kid, I actually thought it was that big. Walking in as an adult, it seemed to have shrunk. Either way, it's a fun place to be. The boys were in heaven and Chase literally pointed to a toy in every section asking if I would buy it for him. Since he has a birthday coming in November, and finding toys in Stockholm is not this easy, we let him choose four things to buy. He chose Legos (they are MUCH cheaper in NY than Stockholm).
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| This mask was the first thing he "had to have" |
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| Lego Fun |
All in all, it was a successful trip. We now only had one child's bucket list item left to tackle.
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| Everyone's happy in a toy store |
I debated with whether to take the boys to the Statue of Liberty. Chase really seemed interested in it, but it's a big ordeal to get there and I was concerned that they would be bored after five minutes. So, you can imagine my joy when we saw this on the street. Chase thought this was the actual statue.
The rest of the afternoon we walked and walked taking in the vibe of my favorite city in the world. Thankfully we live in a city, and the boys are used to walking everywhere, because we walked from 10am-4pm and they didn't complain once. Since Barb was flying in that evening, Steve and the boys headed back to the hotel and waited for her there. Katy and I did some shopping for an hour and then met them at the hotel. Kiki was welcomed in by Chase and he immediately dragged her into building his new Lego Batman with him. That evening we went to Little Italy and ate a very yummy meal at De Genarro. Katy told us about it, apparently my sister and the kids eat there a lot when they come into the city. On the subway, on the way to the restaurant, Chase fell asleep on Steve. Since he was up since 3am, I can't believe he made it that long. We sat at a booth so he was able to sleep through dinner. We carried him through the city, on the subways, and back to the hotel. He never woke up once. We layed him in bed, and he slept until 7am the next morning.
Tuesday was a fun day as me and Barb headed out for some shopping in Soho while Steve took the boys to find Halloween costumes. We met up a few hours later for lunch. Even though I'm gluten free, I brought along my gluten pills because there was no way I was leaving NY without eating a bagel. I ordered tuna on a bagel and it was perfect!!! There is nothing like a NY bagel. I also had to have pizza while I was here, but unfortunately we chose the wrong restaurant for good pizza. So, I left without eating the real thing. Again, there is no place in the world that has better pizza than NY. After lunch we split up. I took the subway back to the hotel to change for a night out with my girlfriends on Long Island, while Barb and Steve took the boys to the Statue of Liberty. They never actually took the ferry over, but they were able to get close enough for the boys to say they saw it. Since I sent Steve, he didn't take any pictures.. but the boys did get to experience typical NY street performers.
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| This guy attracted more attention than the actual performers |
Meanwhile I went to Penn Station and jumped on the train to Babylon where Erica picked me up. Back at her house was her mom, who grew up in Sweden. We had so much to talk about as we laughed and laughed about life for me over here. She was always like a second mom to me growing up, so I loved seeing her. An hour later Staci and Dawny showed up and the four of us girls caught up on life in the last year. We went for drinks before the rest of the girls met us for dinner. We could go years without seeing each other, but we always pick up exactly where we left off. We laughed and laughed at old time stories, and also filled each other in on life as we know it now. We reminisced about our school days and people that we graduated with, and also talked about a future European trip together. Staci, you are the one who's going to make it happen... you have to get the other two over their fear of flying. Big job I'm laying on you.
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| The four of us have been friends for well over 30 years |
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We moved over to a great little restaurant in Babylon village and Meredith and Laura joined us soon after. The night was perfect, other than the fact that Jacki, Jenn, Janine, and Schwem were missing. I'm hoping to come back this summer girls, so let's plan a fun weekend together.
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| Still the best of friends |
One thing about our life in Stockholm is that we are so accustomed to not understanding what's going on around us, that we tune everything out most of the time. But when we hear english, we immediately tune in and feel at home. Here, obviously everyone spoke english around us, but Steve and I still found ourselves perking up when we heard conversations at restaurants and on the streets. It was like our brains have converted, and then got confused these past few days. It's hard to explain, but we both felt it.
I talk about this a lot in my blogs, but this past week I've really enjoyed smiling at people, having doors held for me, and generally just feeling a sense of friendliness all around. Yes, New Yorkers are known to be harsh and straight forward, but they are still courteous. I've had numbers of men and women on the subway give up their seats this week so my children could sit. I've had a number of people strike up conversation with me in elevators and subways. It has been very refreshing!
I"m also very thankful that my boys are accustomed to city living because they walked the streets of NY with no problem, they know how to take the subways, when to cross the streets, and most importantly, not to wander away and stare at weirdos as we pass them.
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| Kiki and the boys on the subway |
Wednesday morning we woke up and headed downtown to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. It was incredible, and very overwhelming. We all know exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the dreadful news of 9/11... but to see first hand the people's lives that were directly affected, and then to see how the city pulled together to rebuild the devastation, was very emotional. The boys were moved by it all as well. Of course they weren't alive when it happened, so we spent a good amount of time explaining the details.
There were a few firetrucks displayed...Ladder 3 were the first responders. My dad was a NYC firefighter for 20+ years so to read about these men and women that died, putting their lives second to saving the lives of those inside, was very emotional for me.
Throughout the museum, there were beams of steal that were part of the original structure of the Twin Towers. They survived the fire, and the museum was built around them.
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| an entire wall remained |
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| destroyed |
There were so many remnants found during the clean-up process. They were displayed in cases throughout the museum. Shoes of those women that were running for their lives, papers and notes from the numerous desks and offices in the towers, eyeglasses, shirts and clothing, firefighter's equipment, and much more. This was a the original sign below the towers, displayed since the they were built. It was read by so many tourists over the years. They found it in pieces after 9/11, and it was refurbished, and now displayed in the museum. It was incredible to read that the cost to build the towers was over one billion (1970's) dollars.
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The North Tower had an antenna on the top. The antenna dropped along with the rest of the building, but they were able to salvage a piece and place it in the museum.
The stairwell that so many survivors used to exit the towers after the planes hit, was also still standing, and a very moving and emotional part of the museum.
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| survivors' stairwell |
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Sign explaining the stairwell... the terror these people must have felt as they ran for their lives
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This wall represents the 3,000+ victims of this horrible day. The artist claims that this was the color of the sky that day. The quote on the wall says, "No Day Shall Erase You From The Memory Of Time".
We spent three hours inside the museum and then stepped outside to the beautiful fountain structure that was built in the place of the towers. Written on the walls of the fountain, were the names of victims that lost their lives that day, including all of the first responders.
Wednesday was a busy day for us... that evening Barb, the boys and I had tickets to see Aladdin. I was nervous because the show started at 8:00, and jet lag was preventing us all from staying awake each evening. It turned out to be amazing though.
I've seen a few shows in my day, but this one of my favorites. The set was awesome, the actors were extremely talented, the script was funny, and the music was great. The theatre was so beautiful as well.
We all loved it. Chase did fall asleep in the last 20 minutes causing me to carry him through the city streets back to our hotel. We kept trying to hail a cab, but there weren't any available. Let's just say I got my workout in for the day carrying him home, asleep on my shoulder.
Thursday morning Barb took the train to D.C where she spent time with her friends. Steve and I took the boys on a train to Pennsylvania to spend time with Aunt Jen, Uncle Rob and Belle. It was a quick visit, but a great one. We spent time around the fire pit in the backyard laughing and reminiscing about the old days. It blows my mind how quickly my nieces are growing up. Belle is a beautiful girl with a love for softball. Too bad Aunt Andrea isn't around more to play and coach you Belle. You could have been the softball "daughter" that I never had.
Unfortunately, we kept forgetting to snap pictures while we were there. Jen did manage to take one of Belle and Smith before she left for school, and I snapped a few of the kids playing with the animals.
Being in America for Halloween was so exciting for the kids. I personally have never been a huge fan of Halloween, but now that we live in Sweden, where it's not celebrated, I too loved that we were home for the holiday. There was something about the crisp air, decorated houses, handing out chocolate next to the fire pit, and drinking hot cider, that put the love of Halloween back in my bones. Darth Vader, Freddy Kreuger, and Scary Clown had a great time walking the streets with dad, filling their bags with American candy.
We love that we had the opportunity to stay at Dean and Tracy's house and spend time with them. We love that Sandi and John were able to spend this time with us as well. We never spent Halloween all together.
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| Sandi and her three grandson |
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| Dean handing out candy as we sit around the pit |
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| Freddy Kreuger running through smoke |
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| Jake taking a break and eating candy |
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| selfie with my big guy |
Saturday morning we headed into Old Town and checked into our hotel. Steve really wanted to go to the Fish Market, his favorite place for clam chowder. We all enjoyed delicious soup before showering and preparing for the reason we all came to D.C., to celebrate John Payne's life.
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| John making the boys laugh |
So many family and friends attended... driving from Canada, and all over the U.S., to celebrate the life of a man that we loved so much. Steve's friends showed what true friendship is, as they each flew in to support Steve, and show what twenty plus years of friendship really means.
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| I love these guys....amazing friends that are like family |
Barb was amazing as well... she is an incredibly strong lady that is hurting from the loss of her husband, but is always so put together, and working so hard to pick up the pieces to keep moving forward. We love our Kiki so much!!!
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| Barb and John's sister, JoAnn |
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| Barb and her closest friends Jo and Carmen |
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We loved seeing family that we haven't seen in years......
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| Jon and Steph..... very special cousins |
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| Brenda Beth and Steph |
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| Family from near and far |
Steve and Scott have been friends since high school....
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| Steve, Scott, Greta and a Jake photobomb |
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| Vernon, Judy, Scott and Greta |
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| lifelong friends.....(Bo and Carol Sue) |
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My beautiful mother-in-law.....
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| I'm so blessed to have this lady in my life |
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| Beth, Tom and Baby Austin |
The boys were fabulous mingling with everyone throughout the evening.......
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| Chase and Jake |
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| Smith hangs with Smitty |
All in all... it was an amazing evening. I know John was there with us... smiling... and enjoying the family reunion.
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| Christmas Eve 2013... an amazing night together |
After a day of watching football and shopping, it was time to say goodbye. This is always the hardest part of our trips. We flew all night, landed in Amsterdam for a few hour layover, and then caught our flight home to Stockholm. While in Amsterdam, I ordered mint tea. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was so good. The Dutch do it right.
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| true mint tea |
We landed in Stockholm four hours later to a shocking discovery of lost luggage. I'm not sure if it's Sweden or KLM that continually loses our luggage, but needless to say, another bag gone. I was particularly upset because the suitcase they lost was full of new clothes that I spent all day Sunday buying. Thankfully, we received a call the next day. The luggage was found, and was being delivered the following morning.
This takes me to our week from hell. We always dread returning home from America because the jet lag is awful. We spend the entire week trying to get back on Sweden time. The boys are up at midnight trying to fall asleep. Then when the morning alarm goes off, I'm trying to drag them out of bed. Hopefully this weekend will recalculate our body clocks. We all need sleep.
Thankfully we had amazing weather in N.Y. because we came home to snow and darkness. Currently it gets dark at 4:00, and we will continue to lose daylight until Dec 21st. We were lucky last year, the temperatures didn't come close to the record lows that have been present in the past. The Swedes complained that there wasn't enough snow, and therefore it was a darker winter than they were accustomed to. I'm sure this year will be cold and scary... but I'll have to figure out a way to survive. I'm retraining my body to embrace winter. Who knows, when we go back to the U.S., I might have to live in the colder climates again.
Sunday we celebrated Swedish Father's Day. We didn't do much, mostly because I didn't realize it was Father's Day until the night before. The Swedes do not make a big deal out of this holiday the way we Americans do. The boys did make Steve very sweet cards, and thankfully, Father's Day is fairly simple in our house. The only thing Daddy wants is to lay around on the couch all day and watch football or play Xbox. Wish granted... the Payne's had a lazy day at home.
It's time to end my blog on a funny Swedish moment....
I have described Swedes as non confrontational and a bit stone faced, questioning whether they actually have emotional reactions to things at times. I was walking to the gym this morning and there was a small dog tied to a pole outside the grocery store. I'm sure the owner was running a quick errand (this is very common here). Well the dog was not happy, and was yapping and yapping quite loudly for a Swedish dog (they are usually so well behaved). To my surprise, not one, but two Swedes (at different times) stopped in front of the dog and yelled at him to shut up. Then stopped and yelled again and again. I couldn't stop staring, and then laughing. I'm not sure if they actually thought this was going to get the dog to stop barking, but they were bound and determined to speak their mind. The people here never cease to amaze me.
I'm leaving you with this beautiful picture of Barb and John because the two of them were a true example of a wonderful partnership in marriage. We will miss you John, but your spirit and wonderful personality lives on in your son and three grandsons.
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| John was my biggest supporter of this blog |
