Hard Days

Saturday we slept in and came back to the apartment around 11:00. My dad, of course, was up at 8:00 and already working by the time my mom and I arrived. Saturday was a day full of assembling... bed frames, tables, lamps, shelves, curtains, it NEVER ends!

Around 3:00, my parents and I took a break to eat lunch at a neighborhood diner - The Mansion. After a long night the night before and a hard day of working, I was completely exhausted - my foot hurt, my lips hurt, and I was emotionally drained. After years of experience, I know that I am a S-L-O-W adjuster, I don't like the beginning of change, and I don't function well when I am tired. So all three of these things combined were a little bit too much for me to handle. After lunch, I had a bit of a breakdown, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My mom and I took a stroll to the end of my street and sat near our neighborhood park. If you are ever upset, the best therapy I can think of is a time-out in a park, the warmth of the sun on your face, a cool breeze through your hair, and the sound of laughing little children swinging and playing. I also suggest a good, long cry. Thankfully, I had both, and felt MUCH better afterward.

It's funny that I find myself so unnerved at the beginning of an adventure. One would think that after living in Edinburgh, Martha's Vineyard, and Malawi, and traveling all over the world, I would be a little bit better with change. For some reason, though, I am always blind-sided by the feeling of discomfort at the beginning of being anywhere new. Slowly but surely, I shall improve! Closing the door to my parent's airport cab Sunday afternoon, I was surprisingly calm, slightly anxious, but very excited!

Lindsay and I spent our first night in the apartment Sunday night. Our first adventure was to Greenwich village. We decided to find somewhere fun to eat dinner! Walking around the streets, we soaked in the cool breeze, the city lights, and the atmosphere of activity. We found a cute restaurant, Philip Marie, and sat at a corner nook table outside on the street. We ordered a delicious chicken breast stuffed with artichokes and raisins with a sweet honey drizzle, all served over parmesian mashed potatoes. It was the perfect meal. To satisfy our sweet tooth, we enjoyed 2 cupcakes, sweetly delivered to us as "welcome home" gifts by our across the street neighbors.

Lindsay and I slept very soundly on our new, plush mattresses. The next morning we were extremely proud of our mattress choices.