Snow, Skiing and NYC!

Hallo, Bok, Salut, Hola, Howdy,

It is me again with many new captured memories and experiences.

I had the chance to go to skiing with a girl from Paraguay’s host family. We left on a Friday a night after a snow day. That week we had only school from Monday to Wednesday, because of a snowstorm. We went to New Hampshire to a skiing area called Pats Peak. It was a pretty small area, but the snow was great. Stereotypically I am used to bigger skiing areas. The girl from Pakistan and one of the girls from Italy came on the skiing trip too, which made the whole trip even better. We had to leave New Hampshire early on Sunday morning again, because there was a snow storm coming up again and we would have been stuck in New Hampshire until Tuesday. The Snow storm that came on Sunday afternoon caused another snow day on Monday.

For New York City, I left on Friday, one day before vacation started, which meant I had a three-days school week again.

My host dad and I left early in the morning and then we drove for almost five hours to NYC. I met there a group of eleven girls and women, who are my fifth cousins. They invited me to join their family-ladies shopping trip, which takes place every year in a different city. I was very excited to meet all of them and especially the three youngest of the group. Two of the girls were 19 years old and one was 16, like me. It seemed to become a very exciting trip, when I got there and it became even better.

I was very impressed of the city and I didn’t realize at all that I actually was there. The three girls and I split up from the adults, because of our interests, which usually differ by age. We were able to walk on our own and make our own plans. The whole first day we were shopping, I was able to see the times square and we went skating on the Rocket Feller Center skating rink. We were on the ice until 11 o’clock at night and we had a very good time. We ate dinner in a typical American diner and I really enjoyed to be in a city again.

The next day, which was Saturday, we met the adults for breakfast close to the Flat Iron Building and we spend the day walking mostly through Manhattan. Around 2pm we took the ferry to Staten Island to see the Statue of Liberty and to see the city from the water site. It was a breathtaking experience and I felt the first time since I arrived in the city a little taller again. Between the very tall buildings and in the crowds of people, I felt like a little ant, who could do whatever he wanted, because nobody judged you, if you are different. In the town that I live in here, I am sure I will never have a feeling like I had there. I also enjoyed the independence from adults and parents, that I have more at home than I do here. (To not make any adults, who are reading this worried: I didn’t get in trouble or something, I just enjoyed to be able to go where ever I wanted and to not have to ask an adult for everything). For dinner the girls and I went to China Town for dinner, which was a short but great experience too. That night we were in bed earlier than the night before, because we were very tired and exhausted.

On Sunday morning, we walked 45min. to breakfast close to the Central Park. After probably the best waffles I’ve ever had, the 16 years old girl and I wanted to rent bikes, to ride through the Central Park, while the 19 years olds just wanted to walk, so we split up into smaller groups. Campbell, the 16 years old girl and I started walking through the park and we were looking for bikes to rent, but we couldn’t find some, which was fine at the end, because we both really enjoyed the little green with a warm temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. The whole time I was in New York by the way was the best weather. We had all the time blue sky and it was sunny. We walked with a thin sweater and were perfectly warm. But back to the Central Park. Campbell and I stopped at some point and sat on a bench in front of a saxophone player. The reason why we stopped wasn’t that he was an amazing musician or a great artist, but because it just fit with everything around us. It was some simple Jazz improvisation, but it was great. After the Central Park Campbell and I followed the other girls to the Times Square, where we met to change into fancier clothes, because we went to a Broadway show. We also met with the adults before we went into the theater. It was a very powerful, humorful and excellent play, that took place in Canada right after the nine eleven terror attack. The show’s name was “Come from Away”. After the play everybody went very tired back to the hotel to rest for a while. We picked up Indian food from a restaurant and we all ate it together in the hotel. Some of us had to leave early in the morning the day after, so we went to our rooms pretty early. We all were also very tired and we ended up in our beds at 8pm (!). Campbell and I decided, without worrying about the fact that were very tired, to watch a movie that took place in Manhattan, NYC.

The next day, I met a childhood friend of my Swiss mother with her niece and her husband. All my cousins had to leave in the morning, so she told my mom that she would show me another place I haven’t seen yet. We went to the top of the Empire State Building, we visited the World Trades Center and we walked from there to the Brooklyn Bridge. I was also riding the New York subway for the first time that day. The day was beautiful again, but a little bit colder than it was before, but still very enjoyable.

At 4pm my train back to Boston left and I was sitting between many other people with a very tired but very happy smile. I can’t find words to describe the way I feel about the trip to NYC, but I can tell you that there are only positive feelings. I am so thankful for everybody I’ve met there and for the whole experience. Of course I am also very thankful for my Swiss parents for trusting me and for making this possible!

THANK YOU!

I hope you enjoyed reading it.

You’ll hear from me soon again,

Nadia