These Little Moments...

On Saturday morning, Sean and I took the New Jersey Transit from Newark to Penn Station. Upon arriving and exiting the train, my first thoughts were that New York City was a wild combination of big and bright, loud and fast. There were people everywhere, people from everywhere. I was struck by both the diversity and the uniqueness (which is putting it nicely in some cases) of the people around me. I knew I was walking into unknown territory, which was part of the excitement, but it was still an experience being thrust into the pace of NYC. On the train, headed toward Penn Station! There were car horns blaring, people practically walking out into oncoming traffic, folks yelling at us in an effort to sell or hand us things. There were homeless folks holding signs that read things like "Need Money For Pot, Pizza, and Beer". (I do appreciate the honesty, I guess.) This North Carolina girl was slightly overwhelmed. I clung tightly to Sean as we navigated the streets, and...

Currently, I am sitting Indian style on a perfectly-made bed with a fluffy, white comforter, courtesy of Hampton Inn in Newark, NJ. There are many inches of snow on the ground, more than I can even guess because I've never seen so much at one time in my life. I think it's especially cool how the piles of snow, which have been plowed to the sides of the parking lots and streets, are almost as tall as I am. From our 5th floor room, I can see the setting sun above me, which has awed me with its display of deep blues, purples, and pinks tonight, and the frozen outdoor pool below me. The thought that keeps coming back to me is that my kids would love seeing those piles of mommy-sized snow... But, my kids aren't here, because they're home with Sean's mom, while he and I are in New Jersey, on a weekend away. Sean is technically here on business, but I am strictly here to be away, and to be with him when he's not working. It's actually worked out beautifully. I get ...