Back to London

Monday 9/24

Before leaving Munich Tonya and her mom made a trip to the Harley store and I opted to have a lazy morning of recovery from all our fun the night before. During this time the maid showed up earlier than planned and was trying to kick me out. I was in the middle of packing up and tried to explain but she only spoke Portuguese and German so there were lots of hand motions involved! Fortunately T's mom was all packed up so I wheeled her suitcase into the hallway, then grabbed all of T's clothes and attempted to pack them so the maid could get started on cleaning the bedroom and linens. T and her mom came back not too long after this madness started and we got things packed up and headed to the airport.

We had heard the subway ride was really easy and opted to save our $ (a 60 Euro cab ride). We made it there with plenty of time and grabbed lunch before checking in. We flew with German Wings and surprisingly we had a ton of legroom (yes, I know I already have more than average since I'm so short) and they had really good food! We had a plane change in Cologne, Germany and I almost didn't make it through the Passport Control station. Maybe I look like some International spy??? After a bit of delay we finally boarded the plan and landed in London around 10pm. We then had to take a train, to then take the tube, to then walk a mile home! Needless to say we were exhausted, and it was so nice to be back "home" for a few days!

Munich Day 3

Sunday 9/23

We took an early morning train to Fussen to visit the Nueschwanstein Castle built by King Ludwig in 1886, better known to us Americans as the Disney "Sleeping Beauty Castle". The two hour train ride passed quickly, and the landscape was beautiful, especially since we were heading into the foothills of the Alps.

A short walk from the train station brought us to the ticket office and we had a 2 hour wait until the next English tour was available. We walked back down into the town and visited a few shops before picking a restaurant for lunch. The weather was perfect so we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed some Bavarian wine (gotta mix it up a little) and again, more sausages/brats! Mine was served with a potato salad instead of sauerkraut and it was a pleasant surprise! It was no a mayo/mustard base like our American style, but instead had a sweet taste and chunks of cucumber. The patio gave us a great view of the nearby mountain and the castle we were about to visit. Sadly, (what the brochures and tour guides don't tell you!) is that there was scaffolding covering 75% of the exterior which makes for some really bad pictures!

I'd say the process of getting up to the castle could have been a little smoother. You can either hike (40 minutes up a mountain, no thanks!), take a bus, or ride a horse drawn carriage. In hindsight I'm wondering if the carriage would have been best, but we took the bus. The tourism office did nothing to stagger the people going up in regards to your tour time, and the bus was off schedule, and the other tourists not very considerate, but we made it on the bus and had just enough time to literally run almost a mile to the actual castle to make our tour time!

Pictures were not allowed inside but take it from me, it was gorgeous! The highlights included a bejeweled chandelier in the King's throne room, pretty spacious and elegant servants quarters, a "cave" hallway located on the 4th floor (now might be a good time to mention he had some mental problems), his bedroom which had the most intricate woodwork on his bedframe resembling the exterior of a gothic styled church, and the concert hall.

The views from the castle and almost mile walk to the bus stop were breathtaking as you saw a quaint and colorful town below surrounded by lush, green fields and then the Alps to the other side. We headed back into town and had just missed the train back to Munich so we waited about an hour for the next one.

We got home with enough time to stop by the house, change into our Oktoberfest T's, and try one last time to get into a beer tent. We started at Paulaners and easily found a spot in the outdoor beer garten. Beside us was a couple from Berlin and 2 men from Denmark. The Danish men were quite talkative, and had been drinking all day, so once they started to get unreasonable regarding American politics & religion we left.

We passed by Pschorr and didn't see any lines waiting to get in so we stopped in and I quickly spotted a table with enough room for us. It would probably be more appropriate to say that I spotted a bench, as at this point of the night everyone was standing on the benches singing, dancing, and cheering! We climbed on up, made friends with 2 young German guys, and joined in! If you ask me, a lot of the songs sounded more Russian than German, but it was fun and occasionally you'd catch on and join in on the singing...or at least the toasting! We stayed for a few rounds, then headed home. Suddenly the crazy/spinning fair ride lights weren't so pretty anymore, and being jostled by the crowd as Tonya (who had a spurt of energy) literally ran us home, with her mom between us, linking her arms through ours so we could all stay together! (Oh Momma G, thanks!) I won't go into details, but let's just say I was SO thankful to have a mom along with us as that night I didn't feel good at all and she was so kind to take care of me!

Munich Day 2: Oktoberfest

Saturday 9/22

We woke up excited for the parade (I love a good parade, remember I was at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade at 5 am!) and contemplated each of us taking our umbrella because it was a bit cloudy, but we didn't...not even an hour later we realized that was a big mistake! We walked our 2 blocks to the fair and that's when it hit me, we were TOTALLY the tourists! Literally almost everyone was in costume and it was only 10 am! We explored the fairgrounds for awhile because we weren't quite sure which route the parade would take. We passed a lot of rides similar (and possibly even hand-me-downs from the US) to what we'd see, but then also a few fun ones unique to them such as "The Toboggan!". We passed lots of pretzel stands, and the souvenirs you mostly saw were either gingerbread hearts varying in size from 3 inches to almost 3 feet and scarves with a pattern of daisies, some adorned with pretzel charms.

We made our way closer to the more popular beer tents and soon found the parade route. This was definitely a fun parade as everyone was in traditional costume and the wagons and carriages carrying the families behind these popular breweries were decked out in beautiful flowers and gingerbread designs. The horses and their harnesses were beautiful as well! There were several different bands, all with unique costumes, and various sized wagons came by either loaded with one ginormous keg or multiple smaller ones usually spelling out the beer house name. Literally, they deliver the beer this way! The whole time it was sprinkling but it was really started to come down towards the end so we dashed into the nearest beer tent, Lowenbrau! We didn't know it at the time, but that is actually one of the most popular halls and we were able to be in there for the festivities surrounding the first keg tap! It was quite fun, and definitely more of a madhouse than the Hofbrauhaus had been the night before! We met some nice Aussies and the girls gave us a few pointers about where to go and how to get beer. Unfortunately you can only be served if you have a seat and those were impossible to come by! These girls had lined up at 7 am to get in and said they made a mad dash and had to stake claim on their territory until 12 when the beer was allowed to be served. After walking all around we decided we'd have to go back out in the downpour of rain and either go home or try another place. We walked past Pschorr and saw that their outdoor beer garten (yes, I know I replaced my d with a t, it's German) had lots of availability (big shock since it was RAINING!). We decided to suck it up and huddled close with our one little umbrella to enjoy our first official Oktoberfest beer! It was raining SO bad the workers came out with squeegees to try to wipe the rain off of the picnic tables! While standing in the rain, we made a new friend who explained a few things to us:
   -the color of your shirt depicts what part of Germany you are from
   -the gingerbread hearts are given to your sweetheart
   -the scarves tied around your neck signify your relationship status based on what side the knot faces

Honestly, we couldn't complain too much! We had amazing weather up until today, but the cold and rain was getting to us (me mostly, I think I was the wettest!) so we bought a few pretzels (which I stuffed into my shirt, literally giving me a "pregnant pretzel belly" and then grabbed a few brats and ran home! It felt so good to shower,put on dry clothes, and eat warm doughy pretzels with mustard and the brats were so good too! So good in fact that we all fell asleep for a few hours and had a long overdue nap! We had been on the go every day for almost 2 weeks!

When we woke up we walked to the train station to investigate booking tickets to Fussen to see the castle Matt had recommended, and then back over to the Marionplatz to grab some food.

Hello Germany!

Friday 9/21

It was an early morning start with the alarm going off at 5 am! We had a taxi coming at 6 (at least we hoped he'd show up!) to take us to the train station and begin our second leg of the trip to Munich.

The train ride wasn't quite as scenic as I was hoping it would be. Honestly, I felt like I was in Pennsylvania as we just rode through all the farmland, making an occasional stop in a fairly sized town. I did really enjoy seeing the small towns pass, especially as their churches and steeples are so quaint looking. We were barely even off the train when we saw our first boy in Leiderhosen!

We took a cab to our hotel, only to find out that they were overbooked and we would be staying elsewhere in town at an apartment that they had arranged. We also learned that we had to pay in cash!!! T had made all the arrangements and had booked it from one of those non-refundable travel sights and on the 3rd page of her receipt it said in really small letters "a charge will be held against your account until check in, then cash payment will be the only form of payment accepted". OOPS! Long story short the lady tried to explain a tragic story about credit card fraud from the previous year and we tried to explain that we had valid credit cards but our banks would not allow us to take out THAT much $ to pay her. After some persuasion and photocopies of all forms of ID we had our room...or apartment...and she paid for a taxi to take us to our new destination.

The apartment was actually pretty great! They had completely stuffed the fridge with all the OJ and yogurt we could want, as well as the buffet that was overflowing with muffins, breads, tea, and the cutest individual packets of Nutella! (I LOVE NUTELLA!) Oh, and the location, we were barely 2 blocks away from the Oktoberfest fairgrounds! We settled in quickly and then set about to explore downtown Munich. It was an easy walk (about 15 minutes) to the Marionplatz, a sort of town center. Along the way we browsed through a few boutiques, entertained the idea of buying Drindle's, and picked up a few souvenirs. I didn't know just how badly Tonya had wanted to go to Oktoberfest, and my practical side talked me out of spending the money on a drindle when it was supposed to be cold and rainy, and seriously, when else would I wear it? We ended up buying cute "baseball" type T's that say Oktoberfest Munchen 2012 instead. (Sorry T, I didn't know just HOW important it was to be in costume!).

We headed over to Hofbrauhaus, the original Beer Hall since 1589 and entered into a madhouse, a fun one, of very happy people who are fond of spontaneously bursting into song, dance, and cheers! It was a "fend for yourself" seating sort of place and we found a table occupied by several Americans and joined them for a Liter. Matt, who works for Audi and who grew up just 30 mins away from where Tonya is from, was quite a source of knowledge as he's been to Munich several times. He gave us a few pointers and suggested we visit the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen (instead of the Dachau concentration camp). After finishing our beer we decided to check out Ratskeller, per our British friend Darren's suggestion. It was quite good and we dined on Pork Knuckle (I know, what a name! It was so tender inside and crunchy outside) and a Sausage Variety plate. We also happened to spot our new friend Matt here as well! We didn't stay out too late as we had plans to attend the Oktoberfest parade in the morning!

Paris Day 8

Thursday 9/20

Today is so bittersweet! It's our last full day in Paris before we head to Germany. We got off to a slow start, or maybe it was just oh-so-European of us to not be rushing off somewhere in a hurry, and went to a nearby bakery for our last baguettes and chocolate croissants (again, oh so buttery!) and then hopped next door to a cafe for some espresso. On our way to the metro we stopped at a local boutique and bought several pairs of shoes, so we trekked back home to drop those off, and then again headed for the metro! Our first official stop of the day was to the Harley Davidson store b/c Momma G's boyfriend is a biker! Interestingly enough, I think this was my first time ever in a Harley store. Shocking, I know. I'm constantly mistaken for a biker girl.

We then metro-ed over to Marais, one of the oldest areas and one of the first areas we explored. I really loved this neighborhood for so many reasons: the architecture, the boutiques, the cute cafes. It just felt SO Paris to me! I was on the search for souvenirs and still needed to get something for myself. After several strike outs, I walked away with 2 new scarves and my sister...well, she will just have to wait to see what I got for her!

Our guidebook suggested Tati for discount designer fashion. WHOA! That was so misleading. We got to the neighborhood and I'd say it's probably the seediest area we'd been in. Definitely should have just gotten back on the metro as the store was a big disappointment, bad selection and poor quality. This is not what I'd call discount designer! (I think I was expecting something like Marshall's and this was like Big Lots). Also per our guidebook's suggestion we headed to the exact opposite and found ourselves at Le Bon Marche, an all too expensive and designer only mall! I was in awe at some of the creations of Christian Dior, Alexandar McQueen, etc. but then outraged at the cost! Since we couldn't afford anything we went next door to their deluxe grocery store and picked up a few items for dinner.

T made us a delicious Italian dinner (yes, on our last night in France), we did a load of laundry, and finished our wine. Paris had come to an end and it truly couldn't have been better! It was exactly what I'd thought it would be since I had the perspective of coming as a tourist. I did so much and saw so much! If I never make it back I think I'll find a way to live! But if I do make it back I'll know all the good places to go shopping and dining and there are probably a few things I didn't get to see ;)

Paris Day 7

Wednesday 9/19

Tonya, ever the gracious hostess and best "big sister" got up early, returned the car and then left Momma G and I to navigate ourselves to the St.Michel's metro stop to meet her as we planned to take the train to Versailles. Originally we were going to drive to Versailles but we decided it would be much cheaper and easier to just take the train, only meeting with T at the station was a bit trickier. Unfortunately Momma G and I didn't have any wifi access so we couldn't get in touch with T to tell her where we were as there were several entrances to this station, and not all nearby. We waited for awhile at the top and then eventually decided to go in the station and look for her. T decided to look for us above ground so it took awhile to meet up, but we were all fine and reunited after not too long! We soon boarded the train and settled in for an easy 45 minute ride.

Once we arrived we headed straight for Starbucks to grab lattes and breakfast. (Have I mentioned yet that they don't have pumpkin spiced lattes over here---sadness!) Once our belly's were good and we had caffeine pick me up we walked about 10 minutes down the road to the Palace of Versailles. Oh it was so grand! It is just so amazing to me just how old these buildings are, and what history has taken place in them and here is little ole' me, just loving every minute of exploring them!

There is a really nice self guided audio tour included in the admission and we enjoyed walking around all the lavish rooms with period pieces. Unfortunately there were some very "unique" art designs that sadly obstructed your view of some of the REAL art but several of the pieces were quite interesting. I just didn't think they belonged at Versailles though! I came to see OLD ART, not your weird interpretations of pots and pans modeled as a shoe.

We wandered out into the gardens and made the smart decision to purchase "train" tickets so we could ride out to the Grand Triannon (aka the summer home, quite lavish), the Garden more extensively (about 2 miles long), and the Marie Antoinette Estate which was my favorite as it was built in the English village/manor style and was so idyllic!

After such a wonderful visit to Versailles we thought we'd grab dinner at a local restaurant before heading back into Paris. Sadly, this was probably the worst meal we ate during our trip! So, when visiting Versailles, do not, I repeat, do not eat at the Italian restaurant near the gift shops, it's awful. Moving on, we made it back to the train station, got on the right train, and back into Paris by early evening. The Train, the RER, drops you off near the Eiffel Tower and since we'd been by to take pictures but not yet to visit we decided to scope out the line and see if this would be our night to go up to the top! Ideally I wanted to go around sunset so I could watch the sky change and see all the city lights come on. Well, since this is the trip where dreams come true, this one of mine did and there was hardly a line and we made it up to the top in 45 minutes (or less) just in time for sunset, and with champagne in hand we toasted to yet another lovely day in Paris! Seriously, I probably took 200 pictures from the top, but how can you not when the view is this great and with the ever changing lighting!

Paris Day 6: Roadtrip!

Tuesday 9/18

Today we broke out of our routine, even skipping our daily dose of America (a.k.a. Starbucks) and took the metro across town to pick up a rental car for our day trip to Normandy! The Budget/Avis rental people really personified that stereotypical French rudeness as they barely acknowledged your presence and were most unhelpful regarding maps and GPS assistance. After getting settled into our "Fancy Fiat" we made a quick stop at nearby train station where I dashed in to look for a road map. After 5 unsuccessful attempts I finally found a bookstore (Library in French) and bought one, then we were on our way! Almost $15 in tolls, and a stop at a gas station for more food (again, the gas station food in Europe is way better!--sorry Sheetz) we made our way to Omaha Beach, one of the strategic sites for the infamous D-Day battle.

The memorials that have been erected at Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, and Point de Huc are phenomenal! It was so overwhelming to see such a great tribute to our soldiers in a foreign country! My Granny had told me we had a relative involved in D-Day so I searched several monuments and found someone with her family name (still waiting for confirmation if we're related). It's really crazy to think of what bloody and ugly history happened here because today the land and monuments are just gorgeous!

We jumped back in our Fancy Fiat and drove over to Utah beach where they had an interesting sculpture along the coastline to commemorate the Naval reinforcements during the battle. And finally we made it to Point de Huc, one of the most crucial sites of the battle. This memorial is huge and also very well done! There is a cemetery there very similar to Arlington National Cemetery, multiple monuments to distinguish honor bestowed on various branches of the military, and several great depictions of the attack plans to give you a better understanding as to how intricate and involved this siege was. Another interesting point of interest is the actual Point de Huc battle site where you walk along a very uneven trail dodging craters made by bombs and you can get down and explore underground battle stations, trenches, and hideouts. This place is a little boys dream, and a grown man's nightmare.

As it was quite cold, and the sun was starting to set we made our way to the car for our 3 hour ride back to Paris. Fortunately we didn't run into too much traffic but we missed returning the car early by 10 minutes so we parked it at a nearby garage (parking in Paris is not easy!) and metro-ed home.

Paris Day 5

It's only Monday and I feel like I've seen Paris from top to bottom, literally! We've done a boat tour along the Seine and have successfully navigated our way throughout the Metropolitan (subway) and today we climbed the estimated 400 steps to the top of Notre Dame! So far we have had beautiful weather but this mornings started out cloudy and cool. We bundled up and made our way to ND and got in the queu (I'm trying to use my new British terms) aka line. The wait wasn't too bad and an hour later and one new British friend named Scott it was finally our turn!

The staircase was very narrow with slippery, well worn stairs and every once it gave you a sneak peek out skinny little windows of the view to come. Once we reached the top it was hard to catch your breath because the view was breathtaking! Your first view is through two gargoyles perfectly framing the Eiffel tower. It was still a bit cloudy but definitely starting to clear up. The gargoyles were so unique! The most perplexing was the elephant. There must be a story behind that. We took several silly gargoyle like photos and even got our stuffy new British friend to do it too! We met a few other Americans at the top and all took turns taking pictures. There was a very small door with even smaller stairs that led into the bell tower and Scott ( doing was boys do) smacked the bell! We climbed a little higher up onto another deck and the sun fully came out so I took a lot more pictures.

By this point I practically had learned Scott's life story (you know me and strangers, I should probably wear a sign that says "beware I like to talk") and he seemed like a nice chap so as we twisted our way down all the steps and he asked when I'd be back in London and if I'd like to meet up I agreed! Now will it actually happen? Who knows but c'mon, how fun is it to say that I met a guy in Paris while climbing Notre Dame and he wants to see me back in London before he goes back to work in Singapore (he's one of those rich banking guys!).

Our next stop of the day was to get the REAL BERTHILLON, only to get there and find that it's closed! We found a nearby cafe and dined on croque Madames then walked a few shops down to get some glaces (ice cream).  We then metroed over to the Arc de Triumph, which is surrounded by one of those crazy traffic circles and there seems to be no order at all. It really amazes me the people on motorcycles taking their life in their hands...and even worse the occasional bicyclist braving these crazy roads without helmets on! We walked all the way down the Champs Elysse and window shopped at the big names and popped in a few more affordable shops. My favorite stop along the champs Elysee was at Laduree, birthplace of the macaron. It was SO cute and the delicacies were delicious. We found a street cafe and had our first champagne. We were quite classy, mixing with the elite luxury shoppers.

Paris Day 4

Sunday 16th

Since it was the day of rest, we took it easy and slept in until 9 and took our sweet time getting ready, then heading to the grocery store to resupply our breakfast  stash and stopped by a nearby Starbucks (the only American chain I let myself visit) and surprisingly enough they spelled my name right...but T and her mom's were a bit interesting! Our agenda was pretty open so we strolled through a nearby neighborhood while on our way to the Louvre. I really feel that I had several magical moments in Paris, and this was one of them as this particular morning I said "I'd really love to find a market and buy a baguette to munch on as we walk around" and as we rounded the corner we ran into a thriving street market filled with freshly baked items and local produce! It was amazing!

After we split our baguette 3 ways we continued our walk to the Louvre. Surprisingly it wasn't as busy as I'd anticipated and T and her mom were so patient to help me take some silly photos before going in. We bee lined it for the Mona Lisa (is it bad if I say she isn't that impressive?) and then meandered through some French paintings dating back to the 1300's (cray-cray), then over to the Napoleon furniture collection. The Louvre is huge and we skipped a few sections because you could spend all day there and probably not see it all, and we were getting hungry so we headed a few blocks over to a cafe and ate ham 'n cheese sandwiches on the most buttery croissants...oh so buttery! Once our tummies were satisfied we headed over to the Musee D'Orsay. I really loved this museum as it was in the old train station so there was great character to the building! They also had an excellent display of Van Gogh, Renior, and Monet. On the very top floor there was a balcony with some great views of Montmartre but I personally liked the view of it best through the giant clock.

After we'd had our fill of art we walked over to the Invalides, where Napoleon's grave was, snapped a few pictures and continued our walk towards the Eiffel Tower. I think I took about 100 pictures here and several of them are of my very horrible attempts to jump in front of her! Yeah, not my most graceful or flattering moment! After our photoshoot we surveyed the line to to go to the top, decided it was too long, and began our search for a dinner spot. We ended up just a few blocks away at Les Cocettes by Christian Constant and it was DELICIOUS! During my trip here I'd really grown fond of the Rhone wines and their's was so good! We ordered a patee appetizer (my first!) and it was so yummy! Then I had my first veal stew, also quite good. I'm so glad we found this place! We had a truly delicious meal here and it was the perfect place to catch up on our wonderful time we were having in Paris. The atmosphere was very trendy, energetic, and it really seemed like this was "the place to be", I highly recommend if you're ever in the area!

Paris Day 3

Saturday 15th

This morning we got up early and made our way to the Musee D'Orsay to catch a tour bus for our Wine & Chateau tour. After 2 hours on the bus (and our first experience at a French gas station---can we talk about how amazing their gas station food is? oh, and those instant deluxe latte machines, lifesavers!) we escaped the hustle and bustle of city life and relaxed in the country life.

Our first stop was the Chateau de Chambord which was built as a "hunting lodge" by King Francois I was never actually completed, and proved to be quite unlivable to the French nobility so mostly it's a gorgeous castle that's been empty for years! The roof was architected to mimic the skyline of a town and inside there is a double helix staircase believed to be a work of DaVinci. This chateau is mostly known as being the inspiration for the castle portrayed in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

PICTURES

By now it's midday and our next stop was about an hour down the road to a smaller chateau that is a small, family owned winery. Our tour here began with a wine tasting, and the proprieter was quite a "jambon" (ham in French). He then led us into a small banquet room where we feasted on local cheese, bread, and a meal of rustic chicken, tomatoes, and potatoes. It was so simple but so delicious! And it was unlimited wine during the meal...and it was good! After our dinner, and dessert of Apple Pie (how American of them!) Jack, the owner's son (a.k.a. most beautiful French man, and my future husband) gave us a tour of the grounds. The chateau was simple but elegant, and the on-site chapel so pretty! We also learned all about the pigeon coupe and how back in the day the number of pigeons nesting there represented how many acres you owned. Sadly we had to leave and Jack couldn't come with us :(

PICTURES

Our final stop of the day was at Chateau de Chenonceau located in the Loire Valley of France. This was a beautiful area full of history, mostly related to the King's wife and his mistress' rivalry of power. King Henry II's wife and mistress fought over the Chateau and eventually the wife won out and created a rival garden to outshine Diane's former influence there. All this to say, both Catherine and Diane's gardens are beautiful! In more recent French history the chateau served as a hospital during WWI and a refuge from Nazi's during WW2

The ride home took a bit longer because of traffic, but the bus dropped us off near the Louvre and we walked through the illuminated pyramids then made our way to an Irish bar for dinner. By the time we got home it was quite late, only to find that the cafes on our street carried the echoed conversations throughout the neighborhood and cars raced down the narrow streets late into the night...leaving our apartment very noisy at night! We turned on the stove's vent as a makeshift "white noise" and went to bed. 

Paris Day 2

Friday 9/14

We slept in, ate some yogurt then headed for the closest Starbucks (yes, we had one just 2 just blocks away) where I made the sad discovery that a) there is NO Pumpkin Space Latte outside of the US and b) it's harder to order a coffee (an American kind) than you'd think! After finally getting some caffeine we hit the metro and started our day off exploring the area known as Marais. Tonya had bought a fun set of walking tours called City Walks and there are 3x5 cards that you can carry with you that have a 1-2 mile journey on them and point out a restaurant to try, or a shop to visit, or some sort of sightseeing thing. They are quite fun and we enjoyed walking around this neighborhood, dodging in and out of it's cute boutiques. Paris was filled with lots of bow accents (you know me, I'm quite the girly girl and I love a good bow accent) so I rushed into a store, tried on several sweaters with sweet bow accents, only to walk away empty handed while Tonya and her mom got some great deals! Oh well...I quickly got over my disappointment when we found a Patisserie that served the most divine chocolate eclairs! We kept walking and found this fun little courtyard on our way to a sculpture garden...which wasn't really a sculpture garden but it did lead us to the small island that was filled with touristy shops and lots of Berthillon!

A lady at UVA had recommended this place "Berthillon" to me and told me how to get there and that the ice cream there would change my life and here we had stumbled upon it, not meaning to! I was SO happy! We had walked right to a shop that had ice cream stained glass windows and an ice cream cart outside proudly displaying "Berthillon". We secured a small table (You pick your own here, no hostess to escort you) ordered ham 'n cheese crepes and some French Cider and THEN we ate wonderful ice cream! I had the coconut, but Tonya's Caramel and Chocolate with nuts was just as good! I couldn't believe our good fortune...and then we walked just steps down the street and around the corner and I realized, that wasn't "the ONE". We had eaten at the wrong one! We laughed, it was still good, and decided we'd come back again for the "real one". Turns out Berthillon was advertised everywhere!
MARAIS PICS, BERTHILLON, CREPE

We headed north on the island to the bridge connecting it with a larger island that houses Notre Dame. We walked around taking lots of pictures and marveling at it's great architecture. I got caught up taking pictures for other tourists out front (surprise, surprise!) and lost sight of Tonya and her mom. After scanning the crowds out front, and with the beginning rain I raced inside to look for them. The church is just beautiful! It's so hard to understand just how old it is and how they were able to complete such detail without our modern day advancements. I did a quick loop around, not spotting them, so I did a more leisurely loop around to take some pics and just marvel at this historic monument. I was here, in Paris, in a building that is HUNDREDS of years old! Eventually Tonya and I ran into each other, we met up with her mom and went outside to check the line to climb the 400+ steps to the top. The bell tower was closed so we headed across yet another bridge and walked through the Latin quarter where we picked up a few more souvenirs and stopped for wine at a cafe, Saint Severin, and then back home for an early morning bus trip.
NOTRE DAME, WINE

Watch out Paris because here I come!

We took morning train to Paris (fairly uneventful, except for the super slow service at Au bon Pain that almost made us late...yet I still love you for your delicious butter, and we got there around 1. Originally T (Tonya) wanted to take a cab to our apt but after looking at the metro map it didn't seem that hard to get there so we opted for the cheaper route. OOPS! Paris has no escalators or elevators in their stations so here we were, 3 ignorant Americans who had overpacked, lugging our suitcases up and down stairs, breathless and overheating! We navigated the way to our apt quite easily, met up with Franck who gave us a quick intro about using the door's lock pad system, laundry, wifi, and what direction to find food and then we were on our own in Paris, staying in a quaint apartment downtown!
INSERT PIC OF STUCK SUITCASE, TRAIN RIDE, AFTER METRO

Our first stop was to the grocery store to pick up some basics (juice, WINE, yogurt, snacks). After dropping our groceries back at home (climbing narrow, worn out, slick steps up 2 flights), we explored the neighborhood around us. We found a cafe to have our first French wine at and toasted to people watching and lots of adventures!
INSERT LOCAL PICS, FLOWER GIRL

We continued walking and came upon an old church, lots of great architecture, corner cafes, and some really massive building (a.k.a. The Louvre!). Walking a little further towards the water led us to the "Love Lock Bridge" which glistened so pretty in the afternoon sunshine! I'm not sure what the actual name of the bridge is, but people but their names/initials and date on a lock hence the nickname. How Romantic!!!
RANDOM PLACES, LOVE LOCK PICS

We found a cute cafe and had our first official French meal. This place wasn't anything that would blow you away but it was warm and had food, enough said at this point in our day. We then made our way across the bridge to Pont Neuff  to catch a boat for a night light cruise. The boat wasn't scheduled to depart for another 5 minutes yet there we stood on the dock waving our tickets and yelling for them to come back! This was our first taste of the characteristic "rude French" experiences you hear of. They did come back, we got on, then they again pulled away from the docks when even more people had come to get on as well! It was so odd, the boat had plenty of seats and it still wasn't time to leave. Do you not need the business?! Oh well, we were on, freezing but ready to experience this "City of Lights". I highly recommend doing a night time cruise because it's one of the best ways to see the city as everything is illuminated! It gave us a really good feel for the layout of the city as well. We passed by so many important sights like Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and more! I think I took 100 pictures alone just during this 1 hour ride! I'd consider our first day a success!
INSERT FIRST DINNER PIC, GIRL ON BIKE, EIFFEL TOWER, BOAT PICS

I'm in London!

Tuesday 9/11

I arrived in London around 8 in the morning. I had an overnight flight and maybe got 3-4 hours of sleep. The other time was spent chatting with the person beside me or watching movies. I don't sleep well on any form of public transportation :(

I made it through customs, picked up my bag, and quite quickly spotted Tonya and her mom (insert big sigh of relief). We hugged, rearranged a few things, exchanged some money, pumped me full of caffeine, and got on the tube. We made it back to her place fairly easily (although these brick roads and sidewalks are not easy to pull a suitcase across!), I ate, showered, and we hit the ground running! No rest for the weary. They say that staying awake is best to help with jet lag and I'd have to agree. This day might have been a bit of a blur but I slept like a baby that night!

Our first London adventure was to the Tower Bridge, for those who watched the Olympics this is the drawbridge that the big rings were hanging from. Once we crossed the bridge we were at the London Tower which is an old castle/village and gave us a really great intro to the British history. We did a tour with a real Beefeater (free, only offered at certain times) and it was amazing! Ken, our Beefeater guide was quite a ham and so full of humor and facts! A few highlights here included seeing some Crown Jewels and a torture chamber!
INSERT TOWER BRIDGE PICS, CROWN JEWELS, TORTURE CHAMBER, KEN

My metabolism was highly thrown off so I demanded we stop for a snack and I tried Coronation Chicken. It's basically a light curry sauce with raisins and it's so yummy! After the food I was feeling more refreshed and we took the tube to Westminister Abby. Unfortunately it was closed for the evening but we still got to walk around, and snapped some fun photos of Big Ben and the iconic red telephone booths!
INSERT PIC OF WESTMINSTER, BIG BEN, RED PHONE BOOTH

Just a short walk across the bridge took us to Tonya's hospital and the London Eye. We walked along the waterway admiring the views and Big Ben now just across the river. We came upon a Cantina where I tried Pimm's for the first time. Pimm's is hard to describe. It's a liquor that you mix with cucumber, oranges and mint. It's like a really weird, but yummy sangria (minus the wine!). We were trying to wait out the lights coming on but we were getting really cold and hungry so we headed back home. We picked up some Chinese take out and had a quiet evening just catching up with one another. And then FINALLY I was allowed to go to bed, and it was wonderful!
INSTERT PIC OF LONDON EYE, BIG BEN, PIMM'S, CHINESE

The Journey Begins

Monday 9/10/12

I woke up early, did a last minute run through on my suitcase and carry on bag, cleaned my room (who wants to come home to a dirty room?), said goodbye to my roommate, made a stop at Sbux for a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and hit the road right on time, leaving Charlottesville in the rear view. Today was the day! I'm crossing the big pond to have an even bigger adventure!

I drove up to Baltimore w/o any traffic problems, met up with my friend Alicia (she was so kind to babysit my car for me during my trip so I didn't pay an arm & leg to airport parking lots), drove to Dulles airport again w/o any traffic issues and had a nice leisurely dinner and dessert together (Chipotle and Sweet Frog).

It wasn't until we were pulling into the airport that the butterflies in my stomach started and it was all sinking in, "I am leaving the COUNTRY! I'LL BE GONE ALMOST A MONTH!" I know that lots of other people do this and some for way longer (shout out to Missionaries & Military peeps) but not me! I'm just 5'1" Lindsey Kraft, travel nurse within America! Who am I to go on this fabulous European adventure?!

I checked in, my bag was actually 10 lbs under weight,  and made my last minute calls to the family. This is it! It's happening!

I'm going to Europe!!!

It's always been a dream of mine to travel throughout Europe and I can officially say that the dream is about to be a reality! On Monday I leave for almost a month of touring throughout London, Paris, Munich, and Ireland!

How did all of this come about? Well, my friend Tonya is travel nursing in London and has been in England since last January. I promised that I would come visit and finally the timing has worked for both of us! We will have a few days in London together before traveling to Paris for a WEEK! We'll be making 2 day trips while in town, one to Normandy for the D-Day memorial and another to Versailles and the Monet Gardens, and then spend the rest of our time wandering around Paris! We'll then take the train to Munich, Germany for the first wkd of Oktoberfest which will be filled with lots of fun parades, costumes, beer, and tons of people! Next we go back to London and Tonya will work a few shifts so I'll play tourist on my own (thank goodness it's English speaking!) and then we'll go to Ireland with some of Tonya's friends.

It's been a challenge trying to pack mix'n'matching outfits for a whole month! Hopefully my suitcase weighs in ok! I'll try to post pictures throughout my travels to keep everyone updated and reassured that I'm still alive...just busy having lots of fun!!!

Life in C'ville

I can't believe I'm writing a post that should have been started in June, but here goes. After leaving NYC I went to NC, then to WV for a family wedding, then to my parents house in OH to pack for my move to Denver. I had finally secured a Denver contract with the Children's Hospital in Aurora (what I thought was going to be my dream job, maybe even the end of travel nursing). I repacked all my clothes, did tons of laundry and sorting, packed up my car and headed down to Louisville to spend the wkd with my sister and then we were going to drive out West together. We even had friends plan a BBQ to honor the Kraftsingles arrival to Denver! Sadly my contract was cancelled and a wkd with my sister turned into a week and a half on her couch waiting out for news on my next job. I was looking at San Diego, Milwaukee, and Charlottesville, the last being where I ended up. UVA was fast about responding to my profile, the interview went great, the unit sounded more critical than NYU and a summer in VA couldn't be the worst option out there!

I moved to Charlottesville in late June after taking a trip out to Michigan and Chicago for a wedding/NC friend reunion/birthday trip. A former Duke Resident that I remained friends with via facebook saw my post about going to UVA, we got reconnected, and I ended up moving into her townhouse just 2 miles from the hospital. I was worried about living with someone as I've been on my own for several years now, but learning to share my life and be more flexible to my personal tastes/needs/wants v. someone else's on a daily basis was something that I've been thinking about lately and thought this would be a good experience. It's been SO nice to live in a fully furnished house with real dishes and kitchen gadgets and have a bedroom that was almost the size of my NYC studio! Alaina has been a great roomate and we've enjoyed some neighborhood walks, dinners with friends, adopting and domesticating a street cat named Cupcake, and spending our rare evenings off together catching up on her DVR. (Can you believe I've never had DVR before? I'm now a fan of "The Good Wife" and "White Collar" thanks to her DVR selections!)

UVA's PICU is really nice. It's fairly new with good equipment, all private rooms, lots of computer work stations, an actual employee break room/kitchen and locker room that multiple ppl can fit in at the same time (way different than the tiny closet of a kitchen lunchroom at NYU that 3 ppl "comfortably" could fit in at one time!) The staff is a mix of experienced nurses >5 years and new grads/Clin I's. There are several other travelers here, two of which I know from when I was in DC so that's nice. The night shift crew is pretty awesome, but day shift isn't quite as "fun". However, I do enjoy how my body feels on days, even if it's not as entertaining/encouraging.

Sadly I've worked a ton of wkd shifts and have only made it to church once this summer. Thank goodness for podcasts! I've hung out a few times with coworkers, mostly visiting some area wineries. I've gone down to Lynchburg several times to visit some old college friends, and then had the chance to meet up with my family for a few days in Myrtle Beach, met up with Em in KY, and went home to my parent's for a wkd as well. It's so hard to believe that my 13 weeks are up. Time really does pass faster the older you get. I'm not quite sure what is next for me, but Denver is still the dream! I'll let you know, when I know!

Direction & Devotion

This morning I woke up shortly after 5am thinking I was going to work some OT, but was put "on call". Unable to fall back asleep I headed downstairs, brewed some coffee, made some breakfast and went outside to enjoy the cooler weather. I don't know where you are, but here in Charlottesville (and 99% of the country) it's been ungodly hot. We are finally getting a break from the heat and humidity so my roomate and I are trying to take advantage of the outdoors with evening walks and using our patio.

I'll be the first to admit that my devotions are often scattered and I have a less than stellar track record of how often I do them. I like to blame it on my erratic schedule, but it's really to be blamed on my laziness and not wanting to feel convicted. It's been quite awhile since I started my day off with the Bible over the Today Show...and it felt good.

I recently downloaded YouVersion on my Iphone and they had several options for devotions. I picked one called "God's Ultimate Casting Call" and was really struck by today's devotional titled "God wants to direct your life". Lately I feel like most of my friends and family have been asking me how much longer I'm going to be travel nursing and want to get an idea of where my future is headed. It's so frustrating because I don't know the answer to either of these questions! It's been 2 years now since I left Raleigh and 4 states and 5 jobs later I'm not any closer to figuring out where I belong. I LOVE being a travel nurse, but I know there is more to life than what I'm doing. I'm so grateful for the friends, the adventures, the experiences, the growth, the memories, and on and on...but there is a big part of me that's starting to crave stability, fellowship, companionship/relationships (yes, that includes dating), a space that's mine that I can decorate, etc. I'm 27, I'm single, I'm happy. There are a lot of people that can't say those things. But I'm also 27, desiring to not be single and wanting to be happy sharing my life with someone special and with lots of friends close by in a place that I've decorated thanks to Pinterest's inspiration! I loved my NYC experience, and I've definitely been living in a state of culture shock since leaving. Do I want to MOVE there permanently? No. Will I go back? Yes, or at least I'm planning to for the Fall. I'm still wrestling with why I'm not in Denver, what I've decided is my "dream job and dream city" and am hoping that I can travel out there this winter. It's scary to think of moving permanently for a job w/o "traveling" their first, but maybe I need to take that leap of faith?

Today's Scripture was James 1:23-24
"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."

One idea that really stood out is that I don't want to forget. I've tried to be very conscious of the fact that the more I travel, and the more alone I am, the more selfish I become. I want to put other's first, AND I want to put God's plan first. Not mine, which is SO hard to say. I'm really good at planning...or at least I'd like to think so! I have a really great plan to go back to NYC in the fall, finish by Christmas, finally spend the holidays with my family at home, then take a travel job in Denver...then maybe stay there, get a place, decorate and craft, and MAYBE use that "One Day" Pinterest board I made if I find a guy. See, good plan? But is that God's plan for me? I need to do a better job of absorbing the msg that God tells me: He knows my future, He's planned what's best for me, and what He has planned is better than anything I could imagine. Why can I not just rest in that peace of knowing that it's all taken care of? Why do I keep looking back, doubting, needing just one more reassurance? It's just look women and mirrors. No matter what, we have to look just one more time before walking out the door! Is my hair perfect? How's my lipstick (hot pink of course)? It's fine, and I'm going to be fine too, no matter what state I end up in, or if I keep travel nursing, or if I'm single or married.

Unintended Hiatus

Well, I've done it again. Dropped off the blogosphere that is. I don't really know how it happened other than to say I got too caught up in having fun and the less you post each week the more daunting it becomes in the long run to try and catch everyone up on all the happenings in my life. I'm probably more disappointed in letting myself down than the handful of faithful readers (you know who you are and thank you for making my life feel important!). Aside from posting pictures on facebook this is such a great way for me to journal about my life's adventures and capture the emotions and details of what is going on behind the pictures. I know that I've forgotten a lot of the details, but I'm also feeling inspired as I go back through these photos, now several months old, and would like to try and recapture some of these memories! Please bear with me as I try to catch up, thanks!

p.s. If I'm really feeling motivated/tech savvy I'll try to back my posts as they happened.

Saying Goodbye to NYC

My contract at NYU ended on May 19th and it was very bittersweet to leave. I'd made a new family out of my coworkers on the PICU and CVCCU. I'd met wonderful non-nurisng friends (Dave, Adline, & KC just to name a few). I'd found a great community at the Gallery Church. I'd made some unbelievable memories and wasn't sure if I was prepared for a "slower paced" life outside of Manhattan, but at the same time I needed a break. I needed to slow down. Yet there was still so much to do and see and somehow I'd not managed to fit it all in during 7+ months!

My last week included dinners out after work with friends and coworkers and squeezing in one last...
*visit to Duke's
*bagel from Vic's
*mani-pedi with accent nail :)
*walk down the Highline
*walk to work passing both a Starbucks and Dunkin' (that really is "the life")
*view of Midtown from my apt windows
*doorman chasing down an off duty cab for me
*stroll through Central Park
*LWL (Ladies Who Lunch) in Bryant Park w/ KC & Adline
*impulse buy from C.Wonder in SoHo (orange polka-dot dress, doesn't every girl need one?)
*street vendor scarf purchses
*Coney Island adventures with Jenn

Thanks to my sweet doorman who hailed that above mentioned off-duty cab I made it to the airport on time for my first class flight back to North Carolina. And thanks to Jenn, I had a yummy Nutella snack to munch on as I drank out of a real glass cup during my flight! Melody was so gracious to pick me up, and some sweet man had a big cart and loaded up my bags to take to her car. I was only in town briefly but am so thankful for the chance I had to catch up with several friends at Lynnwood Grill. (I can't believe I didn't take any pictures, sorry!). My dad came down and met me with my car, we ran to the DMV and got it renewed then I headed further into the South...or should I say "backwoods" of Southern WV for my cousin's wedding. Let the culture shock of country life begin!

we might have almost lost a hat on the Wonder Wheel

from the pier at Coney Island

last brunch @ Peels

Bye Bye Manhattan!

crazy how big CP is!

there's my old 'hood

first time eating oysters with my FL girls!

Bryant Park lunch date

she's so hipster

always so hard to choose a color

definitely leaving with more than i  came with!

i don't think i had a bad meal in this city!

In Remembrance Part 2

The day after King passed away I kept my original plans of traveling to VA for my friend's wedding. I took the bus to DC, got my rental car, then drove down to Lynchburg. It was so good to just get out of Manhattan and away from the sadness. Nothing like a wedding to cheer you up after something so sad! Spending time with old friends was just what I needed and I'm so thankful for the the relationships that have lasted from my college days.

Mandy's wedding was beautiful and encouraging to me that yes, there is still hope and my future husband just might show up on my doorstep and change my life (at least that's how it happened for her and Andy). I enjoyed my time catching up with her sisters, even joking about how they wanted me to take a travel job down there so we could all hang out (little did we know I'd actually end up about an hour away---unintended). I stayed with some hometown friends and played with their healthy and sweet little girl. I bought shiny, pretty things at the J.Crew Clearance store. Life felt normal again.

Then I went back to NY and it didn't. I couldn't go back to work, it was all still too fresh. I wasn't ready to be someone else's nurse. I didn't want another patient to be in his room. I called out and it was one of the best decision I could make. Jenn, as always, came to my rescue and we trekked out to the Bronx zoo for a day of fun. This zoo was GREAT! I highly recommend it. I also recommend visiting the little monkeys that like to swing from branch to branch and then play "high five" with them against the glass divider. Don't worry, there is a video out there somewhere of my monkey play! The animals were great, the weather was perfect, and it was just the lighthearted activity I needed to refresh my thinking that life in NY was still good.

Hahaha...right before she got spit on!

The next day I was cancelled for low census. Little by little life was better. NY understood my heartache and that I needed to ease back into life. My next shift I reluctantly went to work, knowing that today was King's funeral. I'd asked coworkers if I could switch shifts but no one could/wanted to. I got my assignment, a homeless teenager who was despondent, depressed, and in desperate need of some fun and my coworkers thought I could fix this! I needed that challenge to continue to get out of my funk. I focused on her, not what I was going to miss. I used my break time to walk to CVS and buy wide tooth combs and detangler spray in attempts to make her feel pretty. She had gorgeous, thick, uncontrolled and dirty hair down to her waist. After 2 hours and 4 hands we had managed to wash it, brush it, and braid it...and even coaxed a smile out of her! I felt a small victory as my nursing persona was coming back. These are the impacts I like to have on my patients.

Somehow we discharged 3 patients and ended up being over staffed. I pleaded my case with the charge to let me be the person to leave early, vowing to come back if needed! I grabbed my salad (we had ordered lunch and it was almost 2 hours late) just as it arrived, raced outside, and hailed a cab. As I stuffed my face and mumbled the address to West Harlem we zoomed all the way up and across town. It was truly a mad-rush sort of NY moment for me.

I got to the funeral home about 10 minutes into the ceremony. I stood out like a sore thumb as I was still in my green scrubs and I was white. I edged my way into the doorway of a packed room and spent the next 2 hours standing and learning who the real King was, the healthy and active King I didn't get to meet. His classmates shared stories of how brave he was and how he helped them through difficult times. His teachers shared how he changed their teaching models and encouraged them during their first year of teaching in an inner city environment. His Oncology doctors shared his courageous battle and positive attitude. His mom made several "surprise" appearances for special readings and solos. She knew that if she had put her name in the program everyone would try to stop her. Her strength was just incredible. She shared her story of how King was the one who encouraged her to go back to school and pursue a Master's degree in Theology so she could be a better teacher and share God's love. She was composed and joyful. She gave us hope. Something that was so sad truly did turn into a time of rejoicing and homecoming. When it was nearing 3 hours the service concluded and they allowed for all of us latecomers to have a "viewing".

I shook hands, hugged, and said goodbye to brothers and aunts and uncles that I'd met over the past few months. Mom and I embraced, each with tears of joy that I'd made it and could tell them goodbye. Family members I'd never met hugged me and thanked me for the wonderful care that I'd given him. I spoke with a few of his Oncologists, thanking them for how great it was to work with such a caring team, and left. Here I was, a little white girl walking through the streets of Harlem with tears streaming down her face and a smile on her lips. I had touched a life, and he had touched mine.

In Remembrance Part 1

(WARNING: it's a little graphic)

During my time at NYU I had the privilege of taking care of patient "King" (not the real name). King was a teenager, about to graduate high school who'd been diagnosed a few years earlier with cancer. He bounced in and out of the PICU several times while I was working there and I often was his nurse. I don't think he was excited about me being his nurse, but I had built up a relationship with his mom and really admired this amazing woman so I always enjoyed being his nurse so I could spend time with her. Sometimes we forget that in pediatrics the family are the patients too, and this woman was taking on so much during such a trying time in her life. She was so positive, the kind of positive where I knew she had a hope in something bigger and through our time together we shared our journey of faith and how it gets us through the day to day, good and bad.

In April, King got really sick and was again admitted to the PICU. We all had a bad feeling and could see the slow, steady decline of his weak body. Day after day we transfused platelets and tried to prevent infection. We started TPN and lipids when he could no longer eat or drink. We initiated oxygen support when he struggled to breathe. We debated about putting in a chest tube, (it was quite a heated debate as I felt that it wasn't in the patient's best interest---they wanted to do it at the cramped/dirty bedside instead of the clean OR for this immunocompromised pt, AND this was 3 days after his respiratory distress and we had weaned him from Bipap back to nasal cannula)---thanks, that was my medical rant. We got him better, we celebrated his birthday and even had cake & pizza (which he didn't eat). I tried so hard to be the best nurse I could to him and his mom, at that point in time not knowing I'd be his last nurse to care for him.

I think I was gone for 2 or 3 days and when I came back to work he was dramatically worse. I talked with mom extensively, sharing my opinion of what our options are and talking about what is in his best interest. She was realistic, but still hopeful. My first shift with him was ok, my second was awful. We had a family meeting and in my opinion the medical team painted intubating him as a "rosy picture that would help" while I knew how traumatic it'd be and that it's not what he'd want. King was maxed out on Bipap settings and a Dilauded gtt for comfort. It was heartbreaking. Family came, we were all somber. He'd cheated death before, but would he do it again?

I came in for my 3rd shift, got report, sadly but realistically supported the DNR/DNI plan of care, noted mom sleeping in the corner, went to do my assessment and as I started to tell King that I was his nurse for the day his heart rate dropped from the 80's to the 60's to the 40's and I woke mom up and said these dreaded words, "Mom, I think this is the end".

She immediately was by his side, whispering her love, grasping at his hand. The PICU team arrived and we all watched, waiting, for that last breath and the official calling of King's time of death. I don't know if you've ever experienced this with a loved one, or as a medical professional but it's just odd. To think that one minute you're here, and the next you are gone. My confidence in times like this is that I do believe in an after life, I believe in heaven and hell, and after getting to know King and his mom I believe that I will see him in heaven one day with a healthy body!

Mom alerted the family, the nurses whispered what happened to one another throughout the unit, the room was quiet, peaceful, and then so cold. I sat with mom, we held hands, we cried, and then I prayed with and for her. As I write these memories even now my eyes are flooded with tears, being joyful that his pain is over and sad for the loss of such a great young man. Praying with her was so significant to me at the time because I'd spent over a year living in NY and CA, places were any religion except Christianity is tolerable and having to hold back offering "Can I pray with you?".

After all the family arrived and spent time with King and mom, I escorted them to the elevators, and as the doors closed I was allowed to grieve. He was MY kid. I loved him. I loved his family. I felt his loss too. As I collapsed in the hallway from emotion and heartache a kind nursing assistant got me a chair and cup of water. After composing myself I went back to the room because my job was not yet finished. I was still in charge of taking care of him, his body. Meticulously and carefully I removed tape, dressings, monitoring equipment knowing how fragile his skin was. We bathed him, then wrapped him in a plastic tarp (yes NYU, I'm still mad that you did not have the decency to supply us with adult zip up body bag. I hated every minute of rolling him over and over to tape the too small bag closed.) As if preparing his body for the morgue wasn't traumatizing enough I also had to take his body there myself, pushing him through the hallways, and place him on a giant "cookie sheet" to be picked up. This was just TOO much for me to handle. I'd never had to do that at any other hospital. In my previous experiences there was someone who staffed the morgue who would come pick up your patient and deal with that aspect. After returning to the unit my manager suggested I take a walk to clear my head and get my emotions under control. When I came back we had a small debriefing moment with coffee and stale bagels, they wanted me to stay and pick up another kid but I couldn't. How do you ask someone who'd just had their patient die pretend that nothing happened and be bright eyed and bushy tailed and excited to be someone else's nurse for 4 hours?

On my way out of the hospital I'm face with the question of what to do. I went on a walk. I showered and changed clothes. Am I allowed to lay on my couch and cry? Should I just act like nothing happened and call a friend for dinner? I ended up at Niobe Nails. It was a mindless activity that killed the time and forced me to make the only decision of "what color?" and "10 minute extra massage?". As sweet little Jun rubbed my hands and pulled my fingers, cracking my joints and tsking at my built up cuticle I knew today was for the best. Life goes on. King was happy and healthy in our Father's arms. His mom while heartbroken has the peace from that same Father who is holding him. And I had the privilege to be their nurse, to witness his final breaths, and one day see him again.

The Sister's Food Tour Part 2

Saturday morning started out with brunch at Pastis, located in the Meatpacking District. If I've learned anything after living in NYC it's that you should always get a reservation and always use the bathroom before you leave someplace. Brunching in this neighborhood negates the theory of reservations. It was 10am and there were lots of empty tables! We each ordered a different Eggs Benedict (my fave) and drank endless cups of coffee, served by the sweetest French lady. Aside from some great restaurants and upscale shopping the Meatpacking District is also at a great spot to pick up the Highline Park Trail. I love walking the Highline for it's great views of the city from a different perspective.

We made our way up to Central Park to see the sights and do some boating, my request of the wkd! We waited about an hour in line but the time passed quickly and the weather was lovely. I will admit, there was a bit of drama on my part about rowing the boat. I had a dream, and reality wasn't quite as magical...but it got there! First let me say, it's awkward trying to get off shore as you bump into other boats and are trying to manage these oars whose guidehooks aren't screwed on well...yeah, yeah, it sounds like a bunch of excuses instead of saying "I'm horrible at rowing", both are true. We finally got the hang of it and grabbed some fun shots. God Bless Jenelle for her patience and photography skills!

Baby Riggs is only 4 wks old! 

We weren't quite sure what we should do next so we grabbed some fresh roasted nuts to snack on and took the train down to West Village where we meandered through shops and Washington Square. It's a little blurry here what happened next, but I think it involved the decision to get MORE food and meet up with Jenn Brown. Always a good plan. Oh yeah, we had dinner reservations at Prune in the LES! It was quite a "derishous" dinner from a very unique menu! Good suggestion Emily. For some reason, we decided we must need more food so we headed to S'mac for some amazing Mac 'n Cheese to go, then to St.Mark's Place for bubble tea, and then to Pommes Frites for pommes frites (duh!), and then we tried walking home but it was just too much, so we caught a cab, a LADY cab driver at that, and then demanded we get out 4 blocks earlier so we could get some more Insomnia Cookies! We were women on a mission, and I think we succeeded...at eating well!

Sunday morning Jenelle flew back home, I dropped Em off at the Gallery Church and Jenn and I went to get our PALS renewal class (Pediatric Advanced Life Support). Sadly it was quite ugly/rainy this day and we met up with Em as a little cafe right by my apt, Cafe Delicattessan to come up with a rainy day plan. To be honest, I can't remember what we ended up doing, but it was fun and we made some great memories during our wkd together! Here are a few extra pics I forgot to slip in.