NY Day 8: The Farewell Tour: Give Me Liberty, or Give Me a Space Heater
- Lauren Elise Funaro
- Nov 12, 2017
- 5 min read
Taking advantage of this step in my professional writing career by jet-setting on a lavish vacation I certainly cannot afford. Stay tuned for every inevitable fumble, wrong turn, and overpriced meal as LAUREN TAKES NEW YORK!
(Taking a picture with the statue of liberty like...)
An absolute draw of New York City, and obvious must see, is the Statue of Liberty. Knowing this, (as literally anyone who has ever heard of New York as a thing must know) Kerra and I absolutely could not leave the state having only seen it through haze on that miserably rainy day in Brooklyn. We had to get up close and personal, or at least enough to be certain it was, indeed, the statue we were looking at. So, being our last real day that wouldn't involve dragging double suitcases onto an airport terminal, we felt it fit to visit the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry rides right alongside Lady Liberty, and once our online sources confirmed the ride was free of charge, we were halfway out the door. There is nothing about this trip that I regret, but I'm sure my wallet has a word or two for me-- names I certainly could not post on a public platform.
Okay, maybe there are a few things I regret. For example, the moment we stepped from the building to the slap of wind, I regretted not owning a parka. Or gloves. Or a ski mask. Turns out we'd opted to ride a boat on what was about to be the coldest day in all our time here. I wrapped my scarf around my head till I was nothing but eyeballs, as Kerra and I grappled for each other's arms. Linking all of our limbs in search of the body heat that just wouldn't come, we started down the street. About five times we nearly decided we knew enough about The Statue of Liberty, and could use google to fill in any missed details if we just ditched our foolish efforts to stay indoors. We changed our minds and changed them back again. Somehow, though with very little resolve, we prodded forward.
With Mother Nature properly mocking us through each flurry of ice-cold air, we needed brunch (really more of a lunch at this point, but let's not get into the specifics of how late we slept in,) to soothe our chilled spirits. Kitchenette's yelp review boasts its positive atmosphere and delicious food, which it absolutely delivered. However, in our current state, we would've settled for the crappiest diner with the worst review, so long as we were inside. We left full and happy, but no less prepared for the elements. I grabbed for Kerra again, and we shimmied our strange tango down the road toward the subway.
You can see Liberty as soon as you reach the ferry. For a moment, our inner tourists overrode judgement. From inside, watching as the statue stood in her proud, effervescent glow, we knew we absolutely had to get a picture. This was a moment we would remember for years to come. A photo from inside the boat, where it was warm and we could actually feel our fingers, just wouldn't do. What we absolutely needed, on this cold day in November, was to go out onto the railing. After three attempts to pry the door open, we pushed onto the deck. What commenced was like walking into the twister from The Wizard of Oz. I planted my feet while Kerra steeled herself against the rail. She pulled her lips into a smile, and I searched for the flash button on my phone. Those fifteen minutes were harrowing and surely death defying-- and all we have to show for our efforts are pictures with a tiny green dot in the background.
After drifting to Staten Island and back, and suffering through the harsh briskness and mediocre pics, we proceeded on a farewell tour through our favorite streets in the city. Waving goodbye to macabre lights and sounds, we realized there was one last thing we had to do-- say goodbye to Tito, Uncle Solomon, and our favorite overpriced pizza place.
To ensure they would remember us forever, we went to Duane Reade for custom cards, complete with pictures we'd forced those two to take. We personalized these with heartfelt letters about our week together. Then we headed over, laughing over chattering teeth.
Captioned: "Family First"/ "We Will Miss you"
We presented our gifts, but while Tito seemed touched, Uncle Solomon had other things on his mind. Apparently, in the span of twenty-four hours, he'd managed to ban himself from OK Cupid. He articulated his woes about the injustice. Meanwhile, Kerra was worried her flight home hadn't booked. While she and I scoured emails for the confirmation code, Uncle Solomon cursed the name of online dating. He seemed oblivious to her plight, and had no qualm interrupting us with more arguments in his favor.
Still, despite the pressing distractions, we got our heartfelt farewell. The men in the back all came to say goodbye. Tito promised to keep in touch, (he also seemed under the impression we'd be back tomorrow, but hopefully we cleared that up.) Kerra considered giving him a kiss on the cheek, but decided the moment was good enough. We settled for waving our arms like Queen Clarice from Princess Diaries. They waved back, and kept waving when we realized we were walking in the wrong direction, and passed their window again.
Now, that final goodbye should have ended our day. And it would have, had we been any other two people. But alas, we waited twenty-five minutes for a subway that wouldn't come, and Kerra saw her first New York rat. When the train finally arrived, we were so relieved we rushed on without checking. Turns out, we'd taken the E instead of the A. When we got off to find the A, a sign stated it was closed for technical difficulties. Deciding to take a Lyft, we faced the cold. I ordered it and we waited. With the Lyft a minute away, my phone died. We searched the street but couldn't find the black Honda Accord. We waited in another Duane Reade until a second Lyft, called on Kerra's phone, arrived.
I guess it wouldn't be our trip without these mishaps, although sometimes our experiences feel more like scenes in some crappy slapstick comedy than real life. We've taken it as it comes, and still say (with gritted teeth) that we love the heck out of New York. One more day to go, and one last subway ride to face. Stay tuned, something tells me the wild ride isn't over yet!
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