Going and Coming and Summer Sweat {It’s July}

It seems like every other post lately is about my travels and guests.  But. Here we go again.

Going

A week ago I spent the weekend in western Pennsylvania with a bunch of Mennonite peers at Faith Builder’s College Student Retreat (CSR).  Since I’m still thinking about all my conversations from that weekend I’m going to avoid digging into that in public.  But. I did take a picture of the city as I rode the bus toward Reading, PA to catch my ride further west. 

And, as I was riding I had the compulsion to extend my arms away from my body.  Just because I could.  Because there is so much SPACE in the country.  

On this trip I also had my first ‘hitch hiking’ experience.  (Not in the real sense of the word however.  Let me explain.)

To get to western PA from NYC without access to your own car is a bit tricky.  Especially on the 4th of July, when public transportation is on a special ‘holiday schedule.’  But I did eventually get from my house (via 2 trains) to the bus station.  But. The bus filled 1 person before me.  Really made me wonder how my day would have changed if I wouldn’t have stopped for that smoothie.

Regardless. I waited in line and chatted with a girl from Reading. I could tell because she was too nice to be from New York. (Sad but true.) And, long story short, I ended up catching a ride in Reading from this girl’s mother to a Subway restaurant to find my lunch while I waited for my ride to show up.  They had Christian music playing from their car radio though.  So, I felt pretty safe.

And this was my view while waiting for my ride.  Small towns can be fun too I think. 

And this is my only picture from CSR. Never mind that we stayed in a mansion in the mountains.  This is the only picture I got. 

And. In a brief summary.  The funniest conversations I had that weekend were related to being afraid of hipsters overtaking the world (said the man in cuffed skinny jeans. I mean.  It is a more realistic fear than a zombie apocalypse. But still. Properly ironic.) and the difference between introverts and extroverts.  Seems like everyone has an opinion about this.  (If you are wondering. I’m mostly an extrovert myself.)

Coming

This was the weekend that my mother, my sister, my grandpa and his wife, and my great-aunt and her husband, and my mom’s cousin and her daughter came to visit.  Yup. That’s 8 people. Only 2 of them stayed at my house.  But. We were properly (and excessively) touristy.

Here comes the picture portion:

My grandpa and Eileen waiting to cross the street.  Nothing says out of town like Indiana hats and skyscraper views.

We saw a Broadway.  It wasn’t that good so I won’t tell you about it.  But we had fun anyways. 

We visited my school. And these elderly men did their best to look like philosophers.  I think we properly amused everyone.  

We saw the sights.

Participated in some pretty shady China-town purse related transactions.  

Embarrassed uncle Howard for his birthday.

And. We rode a double decker tour bus. Although it’s not a good way to experience the real city, it is a good way for people who don’t like to/can’t walk to see the city.  Since I didn’t have to pay for my ride (THANK YOU GRANDPA) and we had a pretty amusing tour guide- I’d say – it was worth it!  Plus.  We got some pretty great views. 

The weekend was ended with coffee in Times Square with my mom’s cousin who also happened to be in town this weekend.  

The end. (Photo credits to Mom and Myself.) And a picture from a preschooler.  She drew me rainbows and flowers.  I put it on my fridge.  Turns out I like 5 year-olds after all.