Well, they say home is where the heart is…and my heart is definitely in NY. This past visit definitely confirmed that I am making the right decision. I felt ridiculously happy and high on life the entire time I was back east. Back home.
I had to work Friday night, and my plane was leaving at 7am the next day. So what did I do? Captain Brilliant here decided to get really drunk with my co-worker, starting at work, and continuing to my favorite bar! Which meant that when my shuttle came to pick me up at 4:30, I was still drunk! Great one, I know I often joke about flying hungover, but seriously….
Saturday night was dinner and lots of drinks with my friend Shani (a girl I know from the hash, also my future roommate!), her boyfriend, his roommate, and a HS friend. The night was nice and warm, so we sat outside and started drinking beers at the restaurant. Our waitress forgot to put in our food order for almost 2 hours, and we proceeded to get nicely buzzed…before bar hopping and throwing back booze like it was the new thing to do. We shut the bars down at 4am. The next day (er, later that day?), however, I was due for brunch at 12:15 with my gay hubs. At 12:45 I awoke to his ringtone – shoot! Made it there late, but was greeted with a cheese plate and a bloody mary. I impressed the pants of the bartender by naming some of the cheeses (hell yeah, cheese expert!), and we continued to drink bloodies and nosh on delicious italian brunch. From brunch we moved to more drinks and oysters, and by the time my friend from the teaching fellows saw me, I was on my way towards drunkiness. And it was still light out. Operation pickle my liver was doing its job. But was a wonderful Sunday, even if the “drunch” part was a little out of control.
Monday was a Vietnamese sandwich lunch with Claire, who I’ve known since pre-school. Claire is one of those friends that I had a falling out with waaay back in the day, and I’m so glad to have reconnected with, she’s an awesome person AND getting her phd in school psych. We have lots to talk about 
We had delicious banh mi and iced coffees and walked around Prospect Park. Made her biological clock go off for the kiddies, but I was more about the dogs! Go fig.
Monday night – hash night! Good lord have I missed the hash in NY. It was a Brooklyn hash, and I was able to get most of my hashing friends to meet me there. Ran at a good clip with my girl Erin, got excited for a summer of hashing with my home hash, sat outside and drank beer. Life is good.
Tuesday I went to The New School to check things out and speak to students, then spent the afternoon wandering the city with Mary, a hasher friend. That evening, I got to go to my first game at Citi Field! And while the game left much to be desired, the stadium was AMAZIN’! Had a Shack Burger and a Shackmeister Ale, the night was perfect, my friend Stefi’s season ticket seats wonderful (just a preview for when I come back for fall games, she wasn’t using the season tickets that night!), and all we needed was a Mets win..but a loss at Citi felt less devastating than a loss at Shea…go figure!
Wednesday was back to The New School to sit in on an attachment lab, and meet with a professor (hugely beneficial), then I hopped a train to the South Bronx! I know, you never thought you’d hear me say that And it was the greatest!!! I saw all my old kids. My kindergarteners (who I loved) are now in 2nd grade and they are amazing. They ambushed me when I entered the playground. My favorite student of all time (who was not in 1st grade at that school last year) is back! And he remembered me! One girl made me a card that said “I miss you because you was the best teacher I ever had”!!!! Too cute. They all wanted me to be their 3rd grade teacher. I’m telling ya, absence makes the heart.
Then on Wednesday night, some friends gathered at various points for drinks, food, good times(food, folks, and fun!)…Seriously, I can’t wait for July
