Summer In the City Part I

Yesterday morning I paddled out to the middle of our lake one last time before tucking my surfboard away in my parents' basement, and tucking the rest of the clothes I'll need for this next week in my suitcase.  The waves aren't big enough to catch and ride back into shore on our little lake.  Still, there is something about paddling out on my board, and being out on the water that is good for my soul (and for toning my arms.) 

Later in the afternoon I hopped on a plane headed to Charlotte, and then another one headed to New York.  From the airport I took a cab to the nearest subway line, and then took the R train (the line pirates prefer) down to the financial district.  This week I'm staying not too far from where the towers once stood.  I'm dog sitting for my lawyer friend Teresa, while she is in Zambia working on some important case for her law firm and the US government.

I exited the subway at White Hall - the final stop on the island on Manhattan.  As I surfaced to street level, I recognized from media coverage of Hurricane Sandy my location. 

picture by nypost.com

I paused for a moment at the top of the escalators, recalling photos and footage of the submerged subway station.  The station appears to be repaired and recovered since the hurricane did damage to the station this past fall.  However, the damage it did to me is still under repair.  I'm moving forward, yes, but it wasn't just Sandy that hit me last year.  Instead of one blow, I'm recovering from several life "storms" that hit me hard - including a decline in my physical health.  I see my doctor on Wednesday.  I'm hoping for answers on this trip - a diagnosis of something that can be easily treated. 

As much as I love the lake in Michigan, it is good for my spirit to be back in the city and back with "my people."  Last night my friend Teresa and I met up with our friends Steve and Matt for dinner and then joined a number of our other friends at Bell Book & Candle on 10th Street for a birthday celebration.  Then, tonight I danced on a rooftop in the Upper West Side, pausing to watch the fireworks being set off in Central Park concluding the Philharmonic Show.  A good number gathered for the roof top party to say our good byes to a friend who recently got engaged and will soon be joining her fiancé out in LA.