Monday, March 28, 2016 - Leaving My Home in Vancouver
March 28 flowed from dawn to dusk while I was immersed in the last minute cleaning, organizing and packing frenzy. During these long hours, I was feeling impatient, irritable and stressed in anticipation of the separation of my loved ones and the home that has sheltered me for several decades, my beloved Canada. I never made it to bed that night. My two beauties dropped me off at the airport by 3:45am, not before filling my reservoir with blessings of love and support. Their sleepy and sad eyes and sweet voice are still with me.
March 28 flowed from dawn to dusk while I was immersed in the last minute cleaning, organizing and packing frenzy. During these long hours, I was feeling impatient, irritable and stressed in anticipation of the separation of my loved ones and the home that has sheltered me for several decades, my beloved Canada. I never made it to bed that night. My two beauties dropped me off at the airport by 3:45am, not before filling my reservoir with blessings of love and support. Their sleepy and sad eyes and sweet voice are still with me.
Alaska
Airlines did a great job delivering me safely to New York. Of course, no food
on board, and if it hadn’t been for the care package from an angel, I would
have practically fainted of hunger and exhaustion. I had great difficulty
handling my 4-piece overweight luggage, and thought that “I had done it again,”
packing more than I could handle. I noticed some mocking looks from travellers
who were likely wondering why the heck I was schlepping such load. I took
the wrong shuttle to my hotel and ended up in a parking lot. I was
fortunate that the friendly Colombian driver chose to challenge his job
description and delivered me to the front door of the Marriott Newark Liberty
Hotel where I had secured a one-night reservation.
The
hotel was fabulous, comfortable and classy. I planned to stay into rest and
sleep, so to speak, but the sun was still shining and I thought I’d be a loser
of opportunity if I didn’t attempt to see a bit of NY. With staff directions, I
made my way to Manhattan aboard a railway train that got me to Time Square in
45 minutes. The station was huge, trains going in all directions like a maze.
In Manhattan, I walked several blocks trying to take it all in. Neither the
lack of sleep or food fast impaired my senses. The streets were packed with all
kinds of people from a variety of world cultures. Sadly, I saw plenty of homeless
sleeping on sidewalks and was really shocked to see piles of garbage bags at
street corners, none of which I ever witnessed in Vancouver. This scene made
NYC look bad in my eyes! At the same time, I saw the wealth around me of the
bustling economy: impressive old buildings and festively lit skyscrapers,
panoramic advertising billboards, shops, food trucks and fast-food outlets, first-world
energy from everywhere. I was startled by the sound of several ambulances
announcing danger and realized that at each corner there were several police cars.
Their NYPD logo reminded me of the CSI TV series I enjoyed watching in the
past.
I
was starving and cold. Even at the end of March, the cold wind permeated my
winter coat. I settled down in a quaint Italian bistro “La Trattoria,” and
enjoyed a truly delicious plate of Capellini Pomodoro and a Caesar salad, the
best homemade pasta I can remember since childhood, accompanied by a glass of
wine and followed by a truly calorie-worthy cheesecake. I was overcome by a
feeling of gratitude and abundance beyond words. While I wished to share this
experience with loved ones, I felt strongly that I owed this time to
myself to cultivate awareness of all that surrounded me. After a good hour and
a half walking and travelling back to the Marriott via rail, my hotel bed became
a haven of sweet dreams.
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