Yesterday was a warm December Saturday in NYC. The Christmas hustle and bustle has just come to an end. Everything was checked off the to-do list and my mini and I were ready to explore! I decided to take my little love to a bakery I have been wanting to try for quite some time. I know it’s not too exciting but as a culinary school graduate, I thrive on sampling new foods and experiencing new flavors. What I thought was going to be a day of culinary experimentation turned out to be a day of reminiscing and appreciation.
We hopped on the ferry from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Only 5 ferry stops and a couple of blocks until we arrived at our destination. As we rode from stop to stop, we took turns asking each other “What do you see?”. As we searched the surrounding scenery for answers, I began to realize how incredibly fortunate I am to have the ability to teach my daughter the ins and outs of this city, our city, New York City. As we approached the third stop, Pier 6/ Brooklyn Bridge Park, I began to think back to last spring when my Belle girl played soccer here. We talked about her coaches, her friends, and how Papa was able to come to soccer too. I thought about all of the beautiful pictures I took of her playing and how I felt so blessed at the time. Blessed to be surrounded by beauty and blessed to be raising my daughter around this beauty as well.
We depart for the next ferry stop and the NYC skyline grows closer and closer. There she is – The Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty stands tall right before our eyes and my little girl is pressed to the window to get the best look she possibly can. If only she could comprehend the symbolic meaning of what she has her eyes locked on – Freedom, Liberty, the symbol of the United States itself. Wow.
This is it. Last stop and everybody off! We walk the few blocks and we arrive at the bakery I have been anxiously waiting to try. “We are all out.” I here as I order the cake I have had my eye on for almost a year. My first reaction could have been one of regret for coming all of this way. I could have seen it as a waste of time but any time spent with my girl, in my city, is time well spent. We grabbed a treat to share and a treat to bring home to Papa, who was working while we were adventuring.
We make our way back to the piers and began to walk towards the South Street Seaport. We walk past droves of tourists waiting in line to board sightseeing boats. How lucky are we to live in a city that some people only dream about visiting. As a child, my father brought us here to watch the Fourth of July fireworks and to tour the ships. Now, over 25 years later, I am here with my daughter. How incredible.
The time is flying by and our ferry to Brooklyn will be departing soon. We reach the pier with some time to spare. As we sit on a bench waiting for the ferry, mesmerized by the helicopters landing on and taking off of the adjacent pier, I think back on my first date with my husband over 7 years ago. I tell her how Papa surprised me with a helicopter ride from that pier. She enthusiastically exclaims that she wants to go on a helicopter ride with Papa too. This does not surprise me one bit. She is the epitome of a daddy’s girl. I may be bias but he is pretty spectacular. Knowing him the way that I do now, I can not believe he took me on that ride! He is not a fan of heights or adventure either.
As we ride farther from the Manhattan skyline, I gaze between my sleeping beauty and my city that never sleeps, I feel fortunate to lead a life that I love, with the people that I love, in the city that I love. A day of new adventures transformed into a day of reminiscing with an old familiar friend…
Copyright © 2020 Gallivanting Mommy – All rights reserved