I Heart New York

Well the long awaited trip review...

The trip was great, we saw friends and family and really made the most of our journey. The kids did remarkably well (thank you DVD player).

The trip also gave Mr F and I a lot of time to talk. When else do you get 12 straights hours of undivided attention and adult conversation (minus the times I had to hurl myself over the front seat and dangle my body down like a contortionist to reach the missing... markers, pacies, snacks, water, etc... while instructing Mr F to please not hit anything)?!? We were able to talk about where we want to be and how we think we can get there... our 5 year plan if you will. As much as moving to Asheville has been harder (more disappointing really) than we expected it has also given us a lot of valuable insight into what we are looking for as a family.

While I would like very much to move back to NY... more now that we've been back (Mr F too although with more reservations)... that is my dream (although it did look like it was quickly becoming Kid's dream) and not my families best chance at a successful, thriving, life... so.... with a big ol' gulp I guess I'm swallowing that one for now.

I was wondering (and nervous) if NY would still live up to my idealized rememberances. It did. I was worried that things would have changed too much and I wouldn't feel that I belonged. They hadn't. I felt completely at home and at peace with myself walking down the busy streets of Manhattan. If you haven't had the experience of living in different places it's hard to describe... but some places feel better than others. Since moving out of the city I often feel like I am an impostor... in small towns, on vacation, at the store, in the country, in the mountains... like I just don't know exactly how to *be* where I am... NY, for whatever reason, is the only place I've ever been where I don't feel that way.

However... there is the financial reality. And it doesn't allow for us to live that life. Not now anyway.

Our trip brought up lots of other things too (stay tuned for that) one of them was unexpected...
Somewhat of an appreciation for Asheville...

Emphasis on somewhat.


Oh and Mr F decided to drive the kids up and visit his parents. Let that sink in.