Every spring for the past several years, the women of my
family have gathered in NYC for a weekend of food and adventure. At first I
went on my own, but as Isabel and Faye have gotten older, they’ve come along also.
My cousins Seanna and Rachel both live in the city, and my Aunt Stanis lives
just outside of it on Long Island. My mom comes up from Maryland and my sister
Lynne from Virginia, bringing along her daughter Megan and often her friend Kathy.
Sometimes other cousins join in, and a stray male or two, who are also always
welcome. This year, Seanna’s baby Gideon participated for the first time.
With busy teenagers in our lives, we all had a hard time
finding a weekend that worked for everyone, so Faye and I went without Isabel.
She was away for the weekend attending a young writers’ conference, and since
she’ll be spending a month in the city this summer at a Barnard program, she
was willing to forgo this trip. I had been to New York with just Isabel a few
times before, but never alone with Faye, so it was Faye’s turn for a mother-daughter
getaway.
We arrived on Friday afternoon before the others. After
settling in, we headed downtown to visit the 9/11 Memorial.
