we've just arrived home from our trip to new york city. this was brendan and my 8th vacation (trip) together. i suppose every trip has been different, and there's no comparing them. this one had it's challenges, most notably the heat (45ºC for the first few days), small children, different expectations and perspectives between b and me (and wasting our evening arguing about that after the kids were in bed), and almost completely no accessibility features (automatic doors, or elevators in subways). for all those reasons, it was tiring.

i list those things first, because i would be lying if i left that stuff out. there were significant factors during our week away. but the highlights were just as many...

• being with my 3 fellas, and introducing eamon to famous landmarks

• simply being in manhatten (and hoboken too). NYC stirs a part of me that nothing else does. it's feels like being immersed in art. endless art that just keeps going in every direction.

• having our own apartment (making our own meals, having a living room to retreat to while the kids slept)

• the pleasure of figuring out a city, especially the metro system

• seeing familiar landmarks off in the distance, hanging out in central park and riding in a yellow taxi

right now, everything is fresh, and i feel tired. but i know in time, that the hard parts will fade in my memory, and i'll only remember the best parts.