22 February to 17 March 2019
If someone asked me which are the best months to visit New York, February and March would be lowest on my list. Snow storms, heavy rains, strong winds, and chilling temperatures are far more likely than sunny, pleasant days. The approaching of spring may be indicated on a calendar, but it is rarely indicated in the weather forecast.
Yet, as an informal anniversary of my departure in 2017, I’ve annually been back in New York at this time to see my loved ones. It is a time to spend precious moments in the company of those who know me best, and whose company I cherish. Technology keeps me connected otherwise, but nothing compares to sharing moments face to face.
As with all dear friends, the previous distance and time that lay between us dissolves instantly. It is as though I had seen each of them moments before.
The pickings were slim, but I was able to find an apartment during my visit exactly where I’d hoped to: steps away from Prospect Park,
the Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn Museum,
the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens,and a relatively short distance from Coney Island.
Despite the many places I have been, found beautiful, enjoyed immensely, and felt at home in, these places, which I have known since my childhood, shared with my family, and lived walking distance to for many years, provide me with a unique sense of peace.
As I write this, thousands of miles away, I easily relive precious moments strolling through Prospect Park, the Botanic Gardens and Red Hook,visiting Coney Island and Brighton Beach, warming by a fireplace in Washington Square, shmoozing over oysters in Midtown, sharing a grilled cheese sandwich Downtown, heading to Long Island for a walk in a preserve, enjoying time in a game arcade on the Lower East Side, seeing exhibitions at two of my favorite museums, dining on foods I rarely find elsewhere, having sleep-overs, talking hour upon hour about everything and anything while breathing in the same air, hugging tightly, and laughing freely, with my dear friends and loved ones.
And even the weather gods were kind while visiting home, dispersing warm, sunny days between those with snowfall.