Ok, so clearly I could not resist using the cheesy line from "Reunited", but it really nicely sums up how we feel about being back in New York City. I decided to resurrect our original blog to continue chronicaling (if that is a word) our family adventures, and thus will leave the "Colorado" blog intact but defunct for future posts. The 18 months we spent in Denver is certainly a season we will never forget. Being back in the City, it feels like we never left, but by saying that I in no way mean to diminish the time we spent in Colorado. We met some really amazing people, did some really cool things, learned a lot about ourselves and our family and about God's will and timing for our lives.
Here is a little snippet of how our transition back home as progressed (of course I say that now as I begin typing and we all know it will morph into a novel by the time I hit "publish"). We landed a 2 month sublet in Inwood, which afforded us some time to look for a more permanent apartment, get the boys plugged in and Gabriel registered for kindergarten next year, and Andy a good home base for job searching. For those that don't know, Inwood is still in Manhattan, but it is the tip-top corner right before you go into the Bronx. For reference, we used to live at 89th St when we lived in the City before, and the sublet was at 204th, so a good 115 blocks, or 25+ minute subway ride away.
While the sublet left quite a bit to be desired in terms of space and cleanliness, we all knew it was for a short time and anyone can do anything for a short time. We decided to focus on positive aspects of being in a part of the City that we weren't familiar with, like exploring the local restaurant and take out scene, the local parks, and immensely taking advantage of the easy-peasy street parking situation. Andy also enjoyed some great running in an area he wouldn't have otherwise explored. Bonus!
We found Gabriel a preschool within walking distance of our sublet apartment, a huge answer to prayer as he thrives in a structured, school environment. In fact within the first three days that we arrived in Inwood, we had him enrolled. He loves, loves, loves his new school, teachers and classmates. As much as he loved Montview, his preschool in Denver for a year and a half, he loves this school even more. This is such a huge answer to prayer. This fact is highlighted by his disbelief that we had to stay home from school for a week and half over spring break. He said, upon his return, "I hope I never have to have another Spring break in my life! I love going to school!". We love that he loves to learn and engage.
We also found a preschool co-op for Judah that just meets once a week for a couple of hours and offers him a bit of structure and some social time with other 2 1/2 year olds. Judah loves school too, but I think in a totally different way and for different reasons from Gabriel. And that is both to be expected and appreciated. It has been a bit of an adjustment trekking back and forth from Inwood (Gabriel's school location) to the Upper West Side (Judah's school location, as well as our church and weekly moms group), but it brings so much benefit to our boys that they are worth every back-breaking stroller bump up and down the subway stairs, and every annoyed glare by fellow subway riders at the size of the stroller, etc.
By the grace of God and His provision, Andy found exactly the job he was searching for after only 6 weeks. Considering it takes many people, no matter their profession, months to find the right job, we feel incredibly blessed that Andy found one so quickly. What is even more amazing is that he was able to switch back to being a mechanical engineer, happily leaving his career as a teacher behind. Engineering has always been his passion and an area where he excels. The time being a teacher taught him a lot, gave him a lot of good tools in terms of management, and now he is positioned well to be an engineering manager. The really neat thing about the job position is that it is essentially where he would be at this point in time if he had never left engineering to be a teacher. In the engineering world, a person typically is a design engineer for 5-10 years before moving into management. The company is small and family-friendly and fits Andy's work style very well, which is great for work-life balance (something that was always missing in teaching). It is also located in NJ, which surprisingly has brought about a lot positive aspects. For one, he gets to bike to work instead of drive (which he says will help him train for his first iron man, of course!), and it also helped us solve our problem of having 2 cars in the City (one stays parked in the City and the other in NJ). It's just a good fit all around.
Have you had to take a break yet from reading? Or maybe you've skimmed to this point. Good for you :). I'm not finished yet.
As many of you also know, I received my official acceptance to Columbia at the beginning of April. What a cause for rejoice! All of the hard work, studying, family-time sacrifice, etc has paid off. I still have a lot of work ahead of me when I start my graduate work in September, but I am so excited about where this will lead me down the road. What a testament to God's timing and plans, this never, ever would have happened on my own accord. Not even close. I am anxious to see how God can be glorified through my work.
Back to the sublet situation, we found an apartment to move in to, although it's not exactly what we were planning on. It too is a sublet, for one year. This was a huge answer to prayer in terms of meeting our budget and giving us a great space for a year. It also means we will have to move again in another year, which I'm not crazy about. It also is in a neighborhood we had not anticipated being in in terms of proximity to our UWS community and Columbia, which means we spend an inordinate amount of time on the subway getting to everyday activities instead of being able to walk everywhere, one of the things I missed most when living in CO, but I am trusting that God is already working in tomorrow preparing the way for where we will be this time next year. Our acceptance of the lease/sublet as an opportunity from God also allowed us to serve the family that needed "just the right" sublet tenant while they are in Holland for a year. There is definitely something to be said for that. It's also located on the Hudson River, across the street from an amazing state park (that has a great track facility I might add, much to Andy's excitement), and so we are prepared to enjoy everything we can about this temporary location while we have it.
I will close (I promise) with a few words about what it has been like to be back home. It is wonderful to see the City through the eyes of Gabriel and Judah. For Gabriel, it is the joy of seeing him remember New York City (we walk down the street or past a park or playground and he exclaims "I'm remembering, mom, I'm remembering!"). For Judah, it is the joy of watching him discover New York City. Everything is an adventure for these boys: the subway rides, the parks, the diversity and culture walking down the street, the museums, old friends, familiar streets and places, etc. A smile spreads across my face when I hear a siren in the distance. The low roar of cars constantly passing on the street below make me sleep better here than I ever did one night in Denver. The familiarity of walking into our church and everyone knowing who we are and welcoming us back with such enthusiasm underscores our feeling of being home.
We [heart] NY!
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