I have been a Manhattanite for fourteen months now. It’s been a heck of a ride so far but recently I noticed things about my behavior that I didn’t like. Things I noticed in others when I got here and I promised myself then I’d never become that kind of New Yorker. Going to Upper West Side? Nah, not convenient… Subway ride below Union Square…really? Brooklyn on the week-end with no express train?…don’t even think about it (although I must admit that’s where our son lives). Tourists blocking me on the sidewalk by walking too slowly? Eye roll…you get the idea.
So, I was very happy when my husband booked a car, a pet-friendly hotel room and we left Manhattan on a Saturday morning to go to Bear Mountain…now I know it’s only an hour away, but what a difference those two days made! Silence, nature, fresh air, deer (we saw two) and potential bear encounters (luckily, that didn’t happen), smells of the forest, early signs of fall colors, a steep hike on the Appalachian trail…it was lovely, peaceful, relaxing.
It reminded us of our hikes when we lived in Hong Kong and our desert outings in Saudi Arabia. It reinforced the importance of reconnecting with nature, of taking a break…so, we decided we would leave the city at least once a month to hike outside of New York.
There are so many cute towns to visit too! With antique stores, farmers’ markets, quaint tea houses and bookstores…next month we will be in Cold Spring to see the fall foliage, stay tuned!
Happy Wednesday,
Evelyne
Evelyne Fallows Author 