Let it snow!

Day one in New York has been everything I hoped it would to be. Since getting in last night and nothing really going as planned it has been exciting already. Last night was the first sleep that we had here. We slept on these cots in sleeping bags. When I went to bed thinking it can't be bad to sleep here, I've slept on the floor in Guatemala. I had showered last night so I was clean and ready for bed, since I had been up since 4:45 that morning. I feel asleep just fine and then suddenly I was woke up on my own; shivering because I was so cold. I decided to get my winter coat and put it in my sleeping bag with me. I thought this would help. I was woken up again shivering so I put my sweatshirt on then went back to sleep this was a cycle I repeated all night long. When I finally decided to just keep myself up for the rest of the night I was thinking about how it might feel to not have a safe, warm place to sleep. Some people who are experiencing homelessness don't have a warm place to go too or have an extra blanket to cuddle up into. It was even colder outside than it was in the room and I was having troubles thinking about living outside. We haven't started our work here yet but I was thinking back to Des Moines and 90 days in the shelter and 90 out of the shelter. 

The first stop on our agenda was to going to the 9/11 memorial. Wow! We first went to look at the sites at which they used to stand. It's hard for me to see those names around it and think those people lost their lives in the building; either by working, visiting or helping after the first hit. We then got to walk through the museum that they have there. I only thought what I would have done if I had someone close here to have died in the tower. Even though I was little when they attacks happened I still remember it. What I didn't realize it how I was second-hand affected. Walking through today there was this one part that you could take pictures and it went through the different stages starting with the attack itself then moving into the before and then after. It was recommended to be in there for 45 minutes, I was in there for 90 minutes. There was a part that you could read the messages of what people left their loved ones saying "I love you so much and I want you to be happy. I hope I can call you again but if I don't know I love you with my whole heart." I was standing there reading these messages and crying my eyes out. I thought about if that was me leaving that message for my family or if one family member was leaving that for me. I instantly wanted to text my mother and tell her I loved her, I don't think I tell my family often enough. Some other messages that were on there was the flight attends saying they had been hijacked which those were some pretty scary messages too. I can still to this day every September 11, I can watch a show on it and still cry. It hurts my heart to know that others want to hurt people and that the world can't be a happy place. I can only imagine having a family to worry about growing up with you there and them wanting to be happy but they are too sad to let go. I am sure the ones who were lost in the tragedy would want there loved ones here to be happy and live there lives. Today really hit me hard and made me think about what actually happened. The city rebuilt itself and got stronger; as a country we got stronger.  

Hard times was the name of the tour we took of the tenement in New York. These were like apartment building that many different families stayed in when they came to the states. We heard two different stories of people who have lived there before. I thought for a second how my family would be living in that. I decided my mom would probably have killed me and my siblings. That was a tiny space for a big size family. When it came to paying for things rent was only $10 a month. I was thinking about how things are now with rent and $10 in the world doesn't get you very far but at the restaurant we are at for a late lunch and early dinner, there you got a bang for your buck and it was a good meal too. At the restaurant I sat next to a family from New Zealand. I got to talking with the dad and he originally thought I was from New York but he was talking about it was his life dream to come visit and bring his children to see how they could one day live. I thought hard about that because living in New Zealand can't be hard it beautiful there. But he went on to talk about how everyone can be who they want to be and live a full life being from the states. I thought to myself "Do I live my life to its fullest?" When I thought more about this the answer was no I don't. I stay in my own comfort zone and don't leave it. I decided then and there I was ready to change. I am going to try more things out of m comfort zone, I don't know exactly what they will be, but I will hold myself to it: my new New Year resolution. 

One of my favorite movies is Hitch and in be movie the famous bull is it in. I've always wanted to see it just because it was made into a funny scene where a guy looked like he was putting his head up the bulls butt. It was a dream to see it in real life, I did not copy that scene from the movie. Lol. 

On our way to our next stop to eat we went into an old cathedral church. OH MY! I love old buildings. This was a gorgeous church. One thing I love to look at is be organs at that back top of the church. I think about all the music and songs that were played for the people all dressed up to serve the Lord. I wish I could go back in time for just one day to be in an old church and hear the music that they played. 

Even tho we only walked around little Italy and Chinatown and didn't really do a lot of shopping it was interesting to see people living. I always had this glamorous idea in my head about how New York would be but it reminded me a lot like the towns in Guatemala that we go and visit.

The snow might have got the best of me at some points of the day but I was determined not to let the weather bring me down. I've experienced the subway here and I thought it was going to be different. I thought it actually would be dirtier than it was. There was only one part when we went down and it smelled like pee but I thought New York would be dirtier from the way people talk about it. I really saw beauty and pain today. I understand why so many people want to come to New York and live here. 

xo Carly