Brunch on Madison Avenue

Crepes at Keko's. If you are ever in our lovely little city, please do yourself a favor and have crepes at this quaint little beauty of a cafe. I was grateful to spend a wintry morning this week in the city with my wife. As we walked along Madison Avenue, the smallest dusting of snow added just a touch more magic to an already magical day. I was reminded once again that we live in New York. We live in New York.

It's been a year. Can you believe it? I can't sometimes. One year ago today, we rolled up in a full Volkswagen Golf after a night of driving, after my last final was taken at University of Louisville. In the spring of 2014, over a nice bottle of Merlot (did you really expect anything less?), we decided to pack up everything and make this move after I graduated. At times, over those next few months, I wondered are we crazy? but I knew--we knew in our gut this was the time for such a move. As pop always says, "do something, even if it's wrong." It was time to do something. Even after we made that leap, and we spent the next fifty days searching nonstop for an apartment, I'd ask myself again, are we crazy?? I also knew that others were asking themselves the same question, are they crazy? Perhaps we are a bit, but if it brings me this much joy--I'd like to sign up for more.

Today, as we sit in our cozy tiny space, I am...happy, content, peaceful. I'm also proud of us. We worked hard this last year to make this thing work--it wasn't always easy, but we faced each day with determination. After a billion resumes (it seemed that many) I even have a job I am thoroughly enjoying. It also brings me such happiness to see M- thriving in the (many) opportunities she's discovered. I am so grateful to be living this journey, this beautiful adventure, with someone who brings countless smiles to my heart.

All this to say, do what is in your heart to do; be happy. Before moving, we discussed the fact that we might actually fall flat on our face--what then? We decided we'd just have to get back up, dust ourselves off, and go for it again. This was a new journey--and the nature of such is that we could not be certain of the outcome. We committed to keep moving forward, no matter how slow our steps. So I'll say it again: do what is in you heart to do; be happy--find peace.

Twenty years from now you will be 
more disappointed by the things you didn't do 

than by the ones you did.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

~Mark Twain~

"Cool, we're going through a tunnel!"

Yesterday, on the A sub home from Harlem, I watched in delight as twin boys, probably four-ish years old, experienced their very first sub ride. I knew this to be a fact because of the conversation happening between parents and sons as they entered the sub and found a seat. Luckily, I had a clear view of their faces.  They were visiting an older relative, also on the sub, and she appeared just as delighted as the boys about the whole experience. 

In an effort to make the jostling, noisy ride into the depths of the earth more adventurous than scary, the father was excitedly explaining how the sub worked, and the "really cool" anticipated tunnel we would soon be "zooming" through. As the doors closed, the two boys' eyes were big with excitement; they both wore a grin as they rattled off questions about what they were about to encounter. They were also beyond excited to see dinosaurs on the station wall as we started to move.(We were near the Museum of Natural History) As if planned, we were beside the D sub at this particular point and one of the boys waved passionately at all the the passengers in the sub next to us. 

As we left the station lights behind, the father's tactic worked. The boy sitting closest to his father yelled out, "Cool, we're going through a tunnel!" I even saw a small smile escape an older business man's lips who had been engrossed in his paper across the aisle.What a wonderful event to witness. I sat there and thought about it; yes, it really was cool.

That young boys' enthusiasm expresses how I feel about my life at this point. "Cool, I'm living in New York!" "Cool, I have found this Love I now call home!" "Cool, I'm married and we are so happy!" "Cool, I have found my place and my peace in this world." This life's adventures keep getting better. Yes, life has its uncertainties, but the fear of the unknown or the different should never keep us from experiencing the present moment.

Peace.