On our trip to New York City, we decided to fly rather than drive. Having made that decision, we chose to stay at a hotel in Times Square so that we would be within walking distance of most things. When we arrived, we took a cab to the hotel and then walked the block to Times Square.
I'm sure my mid-western reaction was not unique. The crowds! The towering heights! The crowds! The colorful billboards! The crowds! The huge video displays! The crowds!
We were swept along with the throngs and stopped by a few of the interesting stores - the Hershey's store, the M&Ms store, Virgin -- that sort of thing.
The important part of this initial visit was seeing the difference between my reaction and Leah's. I was awed, and soon I was over-stimulated by the crowds. I didn't get a headache or anything, but the experience tired me. Leah? She lit up. She smiled. She seemed to get more energy just from being in the masses and the lights. We had risen before 4:00 in the morning to get to our flight, yet at 1:00 PM, she was happy and in her element.
Now, perhaps some of this difference was age-related. Sarah seemed pretty excited by Times Square, too. She had been there before, and was happy to lead us to the stores she had seen.
Yet, I know that New York City -- Broadway -- is where Leah's dreams lie, so I wanted to see how she'd react. Yes, she had been here before, too, but I hadn't seen her in it, and it's been hard for me to picture her in that environment.
Well, she loved it.
As I post more about our experiences in NYC, this will be a recurring theme. What was impressive but daunting to me was energizing for my youngest.
Some vacations are more educational than others. This one was very educational.
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