Home Assignment 2026 Stage 6 - New York City

As I wrote during our visit in 2023, there are all sorts of sights, sounds and smells in this vibrant city. Every time you visit, it presents a different face and you can be struck with new experiences. This is now the third time that we have come to visit Sean and Jill in their adopted city (we came in 2019 and 2023 as well). And, as expected, we have seen and experienced so many new things, not in the least because the city this year is also home to the World Cup. 

Everywhere we go we are greeted by laughing faces and various languages. People in shirts of all colors, flags from many nations and the sounds of languages from all over the world greet us every day we step on the metro to head to our destination. There are many people visiting with their families, including small children. It gives the already exciting city a vibe that speaks of life and happiness - even when a team has lost. 

We were blessed to be able to stay in the home/studio of a friend while in the city. An apartment in a neighborhood, surrounded by the normal everyday sounds of the city. These include plenty of sirens, buses, trash trucks in the morning and people talking (loudly) on the street. We are surrounded by beautiful brown-stone buildings, fire-escapes climbing down the side of each building. Our walk to the metro leads us past local groceries, deli’s and hairdressers plying their trade. 

Our time here has mostly been spent with Sean and Jill, being able to see them and what they are doing. We were able to spend Sunday morning with the Harlem church (Harlem is the area we are staying) and were greatly encouraged. This group of saints were very welcoming and encouraging. It was in many ways reminiscent of our own congregation in Maastricht. We finally walked into the warm sun baking the streets just before 1pm. 

We have enjoyed seeing more of Central Park on walks with Sean, visiting Jill’s new store which we have only seen on her socials, going to the Statue of Liberty (with people from all around the world on the ferry) and getting to know our subway line every day. After a day or two, the city becomes a part of you: the screaming of the subway trains as they come to a stop, the whoosh of air before they arrive, the constant sirens in the distance or passing you on the street, the amazing smells wafting out of restaurants from all different cultures as you walk the streets. 

We are thankful to have seen where Sean and Jill live. Their apartment is just across from a neighborhood park and gardens where they have a small plot and help out with maintaining the park. The older people sitting in the shade were all glad to meet Sean’s parents and pass on how thankful they were for him. The garden itself is a small oasis in this part of the city, a daily walk for Sean and Jill’s dog, Twiggy, and a place where people gather or just sit and rest. 

On this last full day in the city we will enjoy getting to see more of the city, but from the water. We plan on taking some of the various ferries which are meant for transport, but serve very well as a way to see the sights. Soon we will fly home to Belgium and pick up the various tasks awaiting us. We will be able to hug and greet those we have missed for two months. But for now we will enjoy these last drops of delicious family time in this place-of-many-people. 

If you are interested in seeing our (far too many) pictures, they can be found here. 

On the Family Side

(This was set to post last week, but somehow did not get posted). 

This past month we were very thankful for technology and that we were able to check in with our kids. We have a wonderful daughter-in-love who sends us pictures regularly of what she and Sean are doing in New York City and we got to check in with Sean and hear about his job and health. It has been a year since he damaged his ACL and was operated. Thankfully he is back to playing soccer every week with friends. 

His wife, Jill, is enjoying running her own antique store in Manhattan. You can even find her on Instagram (brocante_nyc) and if you are in the neighborhood drop in to her little boutique. Sean himself is enjoying his time as a 1st grade teacher. He is also working on a children’s book that he has written - a detective Jack Russel terrier solving a mystery in Brussels. So Jacques Russel from Brussel may be coming to your bookshelf soon. Sean is also working on a novel. Both Sean and Jill enjoy writing and being creative. 

Just after Thanksgiving we were also able to jump on a video call to Stephan, Natalie and our granddaughter. The little one is growing quickly and is intrigued by seeing us on the video, but she is also 2 years old and had just been through a few days of long trips and family visits. We were very thankful to be able to talk for a while with our daughter-in-love who we had not seen for quite some time. We were also thankful to have been able to talk to Stephan for his birthday (Halloween). 

Both Stephan and Natalie work hard and enjoy their time with family that is close by. Natalie’s sisters both live with their families in the neighborhood and both have kids, so our granddaughter gets to be with the cousins quite often. We are looking forward to being able to see everyone next year when we make our trip through the US. We will get to sing to our granddaughter in person and spend enough time with both families (in Indiana and in New York). 

Until then we are thankful for every possibility of contact - pictures, videos and video calling. Who knows, we may even send some actual cards at some point (does anyone still use real snail mail?). 

(Photo is of the last time we were all together in Indianapolis for a birthday in 2024. Lots has changed since then!)

New York, New York (Home Assignment 2023 New York City)

Our last stop on this whirlwind tour brings us to the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps: New York City. While New York City is certainly more than what is on the island of Manhattan, Sean and Jill live in Manhattan, so that is where we went. 

Our first evening was taken up with arriving (our flight landed after 9 pm) and getting from the airport to our lodging. We would be staying at a small hotel/hostel on the edge of Chinatown. This placed us fairly close to Sean and Jill and also gave opportunities for public transport while keeping the stay “reasonably priced” at least for New York standards. 

We got settled in our room, let Sean we had arrived, and headed back out into a warmish evening to find something to eat. After 10 pm many places were closed for the day, but we found some good dumplings and even ate them with chopsticks. In the coming days this would be the pattern as well - being introduced to new foods and new ways to purchase them. Each meal was an adventure in itself. 

Thursday morning we met Sean and Jill - and Pierre, their dog - at a coffee place in our neighborhood. Jill showed us some vegan rice triangles at a Chinese bakery before taking us to her work and showing us around. Her store is in a Chinese market mall with some other stores offering different types of vintage clothing or special jewelry or other options. 

Our first lunch was sitting at a high table at the side of the East River. Now maybe that doesn’t sound very appealing, but it is one of the most enduring memories of the stay. The views of downtown Brooklyn on one side and downtown Manhattan on the other, a soft breeze blowing on what would become a warmer day. The ever-present sounds (see the previous post) enveloped us as we caught up on life. 

We walked Sean to his work, just around the corner from where Jill works, and then headed uptown using the metro for the first time. We had decided to visit the New York Public Library, but this would end up being a real visit a few days later. On this day the main exhibition hall was closed. Still, we enjoyed the architecture and went outside to enjoy Bryant Park. NYC is full of public parks and everyone makes good use of them. Of course Bryant Park is next door to the library and is not far from many tourist spots (Times Square etc), so there were also plenty of tourists about, including us. 

Throughout our stay here we heard all sorts of languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, and so many others which we couldn’t correctly identify. Did I mention that it was like being in a foreign country? There is an energy in the city. Everyone is busy going somewhere, doing something, wanting to experience something. And we moved along with the current of people moving and doing and talking. 

We were more than able to do some very special touristy things on this stop, not only because we had time, but because we were blessed by givers who especially wanted us to be able to enjoy and who knew how expensive things can be in the City. We are so very thankful to so many who made many of these moments possible, not only in NYC, but all along the way. Your giving hearts have been amazing!

So because we could and because we are museum nerds anyway, we visited various places, some which were free, others which were made possible. We returned to the library (which was free) on Saturday because we really wanted to see the Gutenberg Bible and other gems on exhibition. We spent a day at the Met (Metropolitan Museum) seeing as much as one can on what in the end were fairly sore feet. And we went to an off-Broadway play that went horribly wrong (No seriously, that was the name of the play!). 

But we also visited various parks around the city. The city planners were clearly convinced that green spaces were essential for city dwellers, and they were right. We found beautiful oases of green, filled with the laughter of children with parents and the fluttering of pigeon wings as people walked through. Central Park, of course, is always amazing. This time we visited other sections than when we came in 2019. There was music at Bryant Park, pigeons at a stop at Seward park nearby where we were staying, a dog walking area at Sean and Jill’s park and conversations in each of them. 

What do you like best about a good city park? After seeing how small many of the living quarters are in the city, we understand completely how many people basically lived as we did for the time we were there: using the bedroom only in the evening when needing to sleep. The rest of the time was spent at the myriad restaurants and parks in the neighborhoods. 

Our last full day was spent with Sean, Jill and even Pierre at Coney Island, making like every city tourist. Gaudily painted amusement rides, ridiculously long lines waiting for overpriced hot dogs or snow cones or crinkle fries or other fare. The boardwalk stretching out passed the amusement, bordered by the beach leading down to the ocean. It was a gloriously sunny day (we all burned) and we had a blast sharing rides and time together. 

We all went on the Wonder Wheel, but it has a twist which shocked us all and got a good squeal out of the girls (or was it the guys too). Sean and Scott competed at the arcade gathering points from tossing basketballs into moving baskets, bowling of a sort and racing arcade motorcycles (Sean won everything). Jill showed her hand at ‘the claw’ and won two prizes. In between we all walked barefoot in the wet sand, surf kicking up against our legs. 

Our time was coming to an end. The day before, Shirley and I had decided to take the Staten Island Ferry out to Staten Island and find a restaurant there. Shirley had been wanting some good night shots of the city, which meant waiting until at least 8:30pm. A trip into what seemed another country was just the answer. We spent a wonderful dinner together, sharing delicious food before heading back on the ferry. 

We stood at the front of the ferry, the wind making it almost too cold, but actually just right because it was so exciting. The sun set behind Lady Liberty as we passed by and the lights of Manhattan and Brooklyn lit up as if they were doing it just for us (and everyone else on the ferry). 

New York City is a tease. It is a place that seems to have everything, but it doesn’t give its prizes away for free. You have to be willing to deal with the metro, walking, the crowds, the noise and the life that is the city. It is like the city knows that what it offers is worth the trouble you have to take to experience it. We were glad to have some time, especially to have that time with Sean and Jill in what is now their city. 

We have way too many pictures for this stop, but it is what it is. If you are wanting to spend a while looking through our experience of this city, feel free to check them out here.

The Tale of the Big Apple

New York, New York. New York State of Mind. Feelin’ Groovy. Yes, we made it to the Big Apple, New York City. All sorts of preconceptions and expectations which are met by reality and true experience. Our arrival was no let down, in any case. As befits a city of this size, this tale will trail on longer than most. But we did not have to rush anywhere, so we could simply sit back and experience things as they came. 

Our first Lyft ride ever went surprisingly well, considering we only had wifi (and therefore contact with the service) until we stepped outside the airport to wait for our car. Thankfully, the info on the car was loaded before we stepped outside. The drive to our AirBnB was a journey of sights and sounds of city, highway and neighborhood. Our temporary home was a 10-15 minute walk from Sean and Jill’s place in a row of brownstones in a mostly Puerto Rican neighborhood (or so it seemed). Lots of sounds and smells and life. 

After meeting our hosts and getting installed, we were able to hug on Sean who had come to take us to his place – a sort of warehouse where they live together with some others in a sort of communal arrangement. This means that they have an amazing home atmosphere with a private space for a reasonable price in the city. It even includes a garden area where Jill was already growing cucumber, zucchini, eggplant and more. We enjoyed a meal together, catching up on the time we had missed. Simply being able to sit together, to touch, to laugh or be concerned as parents will be, thrilled our hearts. The dinner in the garden with fairy lights shining in the late New York city evening seemed the perfect atmosphere for another song. 

Plans were made and adapted. Scott’s mom was to arrive from upstate New York that evening, but things went a bit awry. Still, all worked out for a couple of days exploring in the concrete tourist-teeming jungle of The City. It worked out extremely well in the end that Scott’s mom (Patty) had her hotel right downtown on Times Square. This turned out to be our Headquarters, watering hole, rest place and cooling-off spot. Sean and Jill met us at the metro near our place and we headed out to Manhattan, meeting up at Patty’s in Time Square. 

What is it like to see your son after years? How do you first react to meeting your granddaughter-in-love for the first time and seeing your grandson? How good is it to hold on tight and take the time to share thoughts. Suffice it to say that we spent plenty of time before heading out into the city, but it was a wonderful homecoming. We talked excitedly about our plans for the day – a bus tour to all the sites so that we could see plenty and still save some energy. You can see our pictures here. 

The Chrysler building, Macy’s, a bit of Chinatown and Little Italy, the UN and much more. The fun of the bus tour was being together, hearing some history and getting to see so much more than we would have if we were to have tried to walk. Scott was intrigued by the repetitive ‘zorro’ slash of the fire escapes on many of the buildings. Of course we were tourists, but we were also family together. 

Visits often revolve around food. We have to eat, after all. And eating together is a way of sharing. But Sean and Jill are vegans. Scott and Shirley eat gluten-free. And all of us want to eat something delicious. We were blessed by Jill considering and finding good compromises. So we stopped at Chipotle in the city for lunch and headed out for the cable-car to Roosevelt Island after taking a side trip to Trump Tower. It began to sprinkle a bit and Patty was reaching the end of her energy, so Jill sat with a monkey umbrella protecting grandma while the rest caught a glimpse of ‘Manhattanhenge’. 

After returning to Patty Headquarters, watering up and leaving mom/grandma to rest for the evening (but she has her own very intriguing story if you are interested), we visited Grand Central Station, picked up some food at a street vendor and ate it in the rain in a local park before heading back home for the day. Amazing how much can be packed into one day in an amazing place with people you love. 

The following day we met Sean and Jill and worshipped together with the church in Manhattan before searching again for a good place to share a meal. This time it was a place with more vegan options and gave us a good opportunity to discuss the morning’s content in depth. The sun continued shining as we walked through Central Park, enjoying climbing rocks, listening to a cappella shooby-wap and wondering at some strange bird habits. We picked up Patty at headquarters and marveled at her Warrior Grandma Shoes. She was ready for the day (and they truly helped). 

Adventure is around any corner, wherever you go. That always depends on your attitude, not the circumstances. So we met the adventure of the metro (and all the stairs that one needs to climb in order to participate in this activity) as we made our way to the Staten Island Ferry. Scott is his mother’s son – both spent much of the time either meeting new people or taking pictures – of Lady Liberty, Ellis Island, of the city in the background, sprouting from the water. And this could be repeated once we made it to the other side and returned. 

From the ferry we were just around the corner from Freedom Tower and the 9/11 monuments. The setting sun glowed solemnly as we considered the history of this spot. So many thoughts and considerations tumbling around in our brains as we watched the tears streaming down the monuments. It had only been two days, but our time was almost ending.

Back at headquarters in Time Square we decided on a place to eat and sat to table together for the last time – at this time. Jill had an appointment the next day, so Patty would say goodbye to her granddaughter-in-love. After returning to Patty headquarters one last time we got some pictures at Time Square and headed home for the evening. 

The third day was a day of tasks and trips. Scott, Shirley and Sean took Patty to Penn Station where she would catch her train back to Rochester (another exciting adventure, but that is not our story to tell). We then stopped at the food court for something to eat (this time from a very vegan restaurant) before we headed off to the conclusion of The Passed Port: picking up Shirley’s passport. But that is another story to be told next time. Our time after that episode – several hours later – was filled with pizza, people-talk, strolls along the river in the sunset and ice cream in the evening glow of the city. This was our goodbye to our daughter-in-love, since we would not see her the next morning before we left for our flight back to Belgium. 

After an amazing walk the next day over the Brooklyn Bridge and lunch in Chinatown, our visit to the Big Apple ended as it had begun, with a Lyft and the airport. The city had been all that we had heard. It had wooed us, intrigued us, wearied us and shooed us on our way, leaving us with the taste of more and a desire to come again. If our children remain there, struggling to fit in and make their mark on this behemoth which swallows grateful inhabitants, then we will return and enjoy once again the adventures that we encounter along the way.