Filling the Void

After leaving Annie in Rochester, Vance was also leaving for the rest of the week.  He was going to New York on business.  The prospect of being totally alone for the rest of the week didn't appeal much to me at this time, so I decided "Why not go with him?"

We took an early train to the city on Tuesday, dropped our bags off at the hotel, and parted ways.

I was still alone, but at least I was alone with a million other people!

Whenever I had spent time in the city in the past, I was always with someone else.  I always had a specific place to go.  This time I could go wherever I wanted to go and do whatever I wanted to do.  I had a guidebook, a subway map on my iphone and my camera.

For two days, I walked the streets until my feet ached, rode the subways to unknown neighborhoods and spent a lot of time with my reading glasses and my map trying to figure out just where I was and how to get to where I wanted to go!

Columbia University

 But I had no timetable.

St. John the Divine Cathedral

And no place I needed to be.

Hot Dog for lunch in Central Park

I could browse the aisle in the huge Container Store for an hour...

Sit down and watch people in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village...

or spend hours at the Museum of Modern Art, even though it was dinner time!

It wasn't the art that necessarily thrilled me.

Such as this "Portrait of a Woman"

or "Dance" by Henri Matisse.

I loved the architecture of the building.  

I loved watching people sit and study the art, wondering what they were seeing that I was missing.

One time, just for kicks, I decided to study and take pictures of a blank wall with a door and a sign "electrical closet".

It would have made my day if someone had joined me!

On the second day I was there, I decided I would give a little money to every homeless beggar I passed.  It didn't cost me much, but I received many thankful smiles that day.  I wish I had taken pictures!

What I love most about cities is what you find when you're looking for something else.

On the third morning, I decided I was ready to come home.
I was tired and the city just isn't a very restful place for me.
When everyone and everything is moving so fast, it's hard to slow down.

So I made my way to Grand Central Station and hopped on the train back to New Haven with minutes to spare.

I stopped at Whole Foods on the way home to stock up for the week...

I guess I don't need such a big shopping cart anymore!

When I finally got home, there were two friendly faces welcoming me!

The trip was a nice diversion to get me over the hump of having no children at home.

Now it's time to start considering how I want the rest of my life to be.