I returned from the city I know well in the embryonic hours of the morning. Bud swooped me up at the airport into a giant bear hug that felt like home. Today the washing machine is swishing and my brain and heart are swirling with myriad thoughts and experiences of the last few days. I explored the Upper West Side neighborhood we lived in over a decade ago where little remains unchanged. I revisited my favorite cafe; the familiar sound of the juicer and the vibrant orange scent of freshly peeled carrots welcoming me at the door. Hours were spent strolling in Central Park, where my loyal companion and love Jazz and I explored a fair number of the the 843 acres on our daily walks. At our starting point on 97th and Central Park West I took a long breath, opened my heart as wide as I could, and flung a handful of his remains in the air like confetti, the manner I thought he'd most appreciate as the bearer of all things joyful. I visited favorite paintings by Van Gogh, Bonnard, Chagall and Frida Kahlo that perpetually color my senses at The Museum of Modern Art, enjoyed dinner and a Broadway show with a treasured friend who is like a fairy godmother, let time drift by in the lobby at The Algonquin Hotel with my journal, a cappuccino, and Matilda the lobby cat in the chair next to me. I also had the pleasure of meeting my talented friend Brooke for a day of fun and exploration that took us all over the city. She writes about a poetically enchanting subway experience she had here. You will love it.
Today is my exhale.
As for New York City, it is a place apart.
There is not its match
in any other country
in the
world.
- Pearl S. Buck