New York, Japan, Italy, My Past

The next portion of the road trip took me back to old places I wasn't sure I wanted to see, and introduced me to new people I absolutely adore. Lisa and I began the long trip from Michigan to Long Island. My good friend Lindsey- whom I adore- is living there with her future in-laws and they were kind enough to put Lisa and I up for a couple of nights. What this meant was that I had to return to Long Island, a place that I wasn't so sure I wanted to see again. The cool thing was that as we drove we went past places I knew, and exits I remembered, I didn't feel sad or as if I was missing out on anything. My life has moved on, and I love where I am at. I particularly love it in January when the low is 72.

Anyway, Lisa and I stayed at Lindsey's fiance's Vinnies parent home. It was beautiful, and so wonderful to see Lindsey being welcomed into such a warm and loving family. It made me feel so much better about her leaving us in Boca to move to the wretched north.

After a lovely night in whatever is Japanese for home, (did I mention that Vinnie's family is Italian? They are) Lindsey, Lisa and I headed into the Big Apple. We began our day by heading for ground zero. With all of the construction going on there is not a lot to see, but the church accross the street offered a ton of information and pictures and stories. We were each moved to tears.

We then headed out on a double decker bus tour. It was on said tour that I learned a very important fact. A tour is only as good as the tour guide. We never did find one that matched each of our tastes, but that is not from a lack of our getting off and on buses until we found a new one. We had a delicious lunch at an Italian restaurant.
Map reading skills are so important but Lindsey and I can't find the building with the homeless man in front of it anywhere. Oh GPS we need you!!
Our day was capped off by a trip to Macy's bridal department. It was there that we met the wedding Nazi. Lindsey had asked me to try on bridesmaid dresses so that she could get a feel for what some of the options might look like on her bridesmaids. Now after a few weddings I have grown to have less and less of an opinion about the dress I'm in. So I was pulling just about everything that might strike Lindseys fancy. It was then that the wedding nazi begins her diatribe, about the fact that I should have no opinion on the bridesdmaid dresses, that it is the brides day and I should smile and nod (all of these things I know- remember I'm always a bridesmaid never a bride girl) She then proceeds to go off on Lindsey about the fact that she shouldn't even look at a bridesmaid gown until she has her wedding dress picked out. She lets me know that I am a bridesMAID not a bridesfriend and that I really had no place there.

It was a very humorous end to a long day....tomorrow we go belly dancing in the Bronx.