Weekend in New York

This would be the view that my daughter, Kylie, a freshman at NYU wakes up to each morning. Some of you would love to wake up to this and others, not so much.  New York, as she is discovering is not for the faint hearted.  Life, college included, is not easy.  Instead of a bucolic, self-contained campus, she literally lives as New Yorkers do--meaning every person for him/herself.   Two months into this new experience, she still is uncertain how she feels about the whole thing.  

This weekend is Parent's Weekend.  My husband, daughter Taylor and I are heading to the Big Apple to see what this place is all about.  Oddly enough, the university has only one planned event and 'suggests' where students should take mom and dad over the weekend.  With my twins having just graduated from the University of Notre Dame which is the antithesis of NYU on every level we laugh at how relaxed and hands off they are about EVERYTHING at this place.  

So we have made this into a fall weekend in New York with us girls dragging our guy around Fifth Avenue to shop, to little tea salons for afternoon treats and a visit to the Met or MOMA or both depending on how much time we have.  

As we go along, I will stop by to say hey!!

Photo credit:  velouria57@flickr

Happy Door

Not one to complain, but I feel as though numerous doors have been closing on my life these past few months that have left me a bit numb.  Some have been very painful, some not so much yet still there is a void and one that I would have to say was a joyful, closing/opening that while I dreaded it, it has left me totally content. 

Last Sunday, my husband and I dropped our youngest daughter off at NYU as she begins her college career in the Big Apple.  This is the same daughter that I spent several days with in an emergency room as we got her health back on track 2 weeks ago.  Driving 16 hours from Chicago out to Greenwich Village was long and tiring, the moving in process--23 floors housing over 600 men and women was easier than I thought and Kylie has, according to her older sister, "taken ownership of her environment" and she could not be happier if she tried.  As I said goodbye to her at the end of our stay I had no tears to shed.  I hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, "You, my dear, are exactly where you need to be." It was evident that I was leaving her to her future--whatever I could have done for her as a mom and teacher is not necessarily complete but certainly, has been enough to prepare her for this.  All I can say is, I wish I were her.  Twelve dollar student tickets to Broadway plays, tours of the United Nations, bumping into the likes of Matt Damon and Will Smith who happen to live down the street from her dorm, being exposed to a variety of lifestyles, having continuous dialogs regarding those lifestyles, looking at cultural and spiritual diversity as part of your dorm experience--these are just a tip of the iceberg of what is in store for her this year and until she graduates in 2012. 

Now back in Chicago, I have moments when I have to stop as I feel the physical distance between us and it takes hold of my heart and tugs at it.  But then I open my email and find a mile long discourse from her on the events of the last few days and I feel her complete bliss come through her words.  I marvel at her maturity and bravado and can just shake my head and smile. 

She is home!

Getting Ready for More Change: New York

I find myself in New York, comfortably at home at the SoHo Grand which I would highly recommend if you are heading this way.  My task, to prepare myself for just one more change in my crazy world.  My youngest daughter needed to be here for freshman orientation as she gets ready to attend NYU in the fall.  Having been accepted without having seen the campus made it somewhat manditory that we come and check things out.  The two of us arrived yesterday and spent the day getting familiar with the lay of the land.  And what a land it is!!

My hotel is on west Broadway and her dorm, Hayden Hall is about a 10 block walk.  Much takes place along that walk.   We went from Ralph Lauren and Emporio Armani to the falafel truck parked right outside Washington Square!!  Quite diverse and fantastic all at the same time.  

The hard part in all of this is more letting go.  As we walked up to check in for the 3 day program, I could sense that many kids just came on their own--meaning it might be just a bit uncool to have mom around.  So, being the kind of mom that hopefully does the right thing as often as possible, when Kylie suggested she might be alright on her own, I gave her a little wink and slowly walked away.  About two blocks away I turned around and saw my little girl looking very tiny as she got farther away from me.  And well, my heart broke.   You would think I would be use to this with all the transitions going on in my world, all the send offs and saying of good byes.  I guess it never gets easy for a mom. 

The good news is I have 3 days all to myself in NYC and plan on going back to old favorites and discovering new.  Certainly, I will pass all my discoveries along to you--like dinner last night.  The most amazing meal my daughter and I have had!!