where is home
bringing my kids to where i grew up plus some kid nyc recs
home?
so much of the last year for me has been focused on undoing who i thought i was supposed to be and leaning into who i want to be and betting on that.
i grew up on the campus of a private school in a beautiful town on the coast on new jersey (no, not the “shoooore” you’re imagining). about 10 years ago when my dad retired from his 25 year run as a headmaster, my parents moved to the cape and all familial connection to my “home town” moved with them. in the 10 years since, i’ve only been back once for a dear friend’s bridal shower. on that trip, i got to swim in the familiar (warmer than here) waves, eat my favorite foods, and show my husband my roots (although he was most interested in how many places were still cash only).
last week, about 5 years after that previous visit, we brought our kids back. i didn’t know how i would feel— sad? nostalgic? like a traitor? underwhelmed?
the truth is, i felt none of that. it all felt so familiar, as though i had been gone for a long weekend and it just so happened that a few buildings went up in my brief absence. beyond that, it was simply fun! my kids couldn’t believe that i grew up so close to the beach, and they wanted to hear everything about where i went/what i did as a kid.
this all really got me thinking of the meaning of home. if someone were to ask me where my home is, i would say here in concord, or maybe even the cape? with the caveat that i grew up in new jersey. in my mind i would think my home is with my husband and our kids and wherever we are (always wary of being a little too woo woo for whoever i’m talking to). but that feeling i got when i drove to get my favorite coffee at 6am through the familiar roads of my childhood? passing the corner where i used to meet my friends on bikes? where my lemonade stand was? where my parents would drop me off the bridge to the beach was up and didn’t want to wait? the hill that my siblings and i rolled down in the spring and sledded down in the winter? i think that feeling is home, too.
i drove away from my hometown wondering why i haven’t prioritized going back. i always used to joke that one day i would write a memoir entitled “the headmaster’s daughter”. i don’t think a memoir is in my future, i’m a fiction gal, but i do think there is something to being known as something before you even have a chance to introduce yourself (or grow out of it). so, i wonder, if i needed to give myself space from who i was to become who i am? and maybe now that i have solid footing in that, i won’t avoid it as much?
anyway, idk! it was great.
nyc
after our journey to virginia to visit my sister and have some cousin time, a brief jaunt in dc (which was also nostalgic because i lived there right after college), the aforementioned indulgent nj visit, we brought the kids to what i grew up calling “the city” but now that technically boston is my city i call it nyc now even though for some strange reason that makes me cringe? here are some details / tips / what not to do that we learned from 72 hrs with a 3 and 4 year old in nyc. we really mostly walked around and played in central park with them and that was more than enough. i enjoyed two long walks with sleeping kids in the stroller and even got to do a bit of shopping and read my book at lunch!
Lotte NY Palace
a great place to stay with the kids especially location-wise
the staff was friendly and seemingly well-equipped to handle young kids/family
great courtyard to meet up with friends or have coffee and let the kids run around
the concierge wasn’t the best and sent us to two places that did not fit the bill of what we were looking for but that’s also on us for following blindly!
how are we sleeping as a family of four when the baby is out of the crib? surely it can’t be how we did (my husband alone in a bed and a little one falling out of my bed a few times a night)
Lion King
a core memory for me (and maybe/hopefully him)
my son (almost 5) loved it and lasted until just before the finale. in retrospect, i should have rearranged our schedule for a matinee
FAO Shwartz
ugh, this was such a big memory from my childhood but skip it skip it skip it, it’s not an experience anymore just a junk store. of course, my kids could still find something they NEEDED to have.
Museum of Natural History
we were there right at opening and were able to skip the lines to get in because we bought tickets in advance and this headstart allowed us to enjoy a few exhibits before the crowds
not worth it on school vacation week no matter how wonderful it is, it was paaaaacked
highlights:
this trip but also the return of routine and normalcy feels soooo good
trip up to the berkshires with some of my book club. it’s so true what they say about coming back a better mom, wife, person after you have some time away with your people
summer anticipation is in the air
lowlights:
still figuring out the toddler bed (making the two nights in the berkshires of uninterrupted sleep that much sweeter)
our cat has started proudly bringing us prizes of moles and mice ick
why are the tina fey / amy poehler tix so expensive? i mean go girls but can i get a discount?
favorite things:
no, it’s not a juul. it’s a little reading light. in the past few years i’ve become who i said i never would, a kindle reader! my kindle comes with me everywhere and has gotten me through countless cuddle until they fall asleep nights but i’m so happy to be reading real smelly books with this bad boy to fall asleep
like everyone else on the internet, i’m trying to up my protein. the problem is i really hate those milky shakes. after seeing 1000 ads for this i said FINE and ya know what? i like it a lot. i’ve been adding some watermelon or raspberry LMNT for extra flavor / electrolytes (is this late 30s or what)
i (once again) left my beloved oversized jean jacket at a friends and have been gravitating towards this top alone or open over a tank top in its absence.
that’s all for this week! if you have any questions, feel free to drop 'em in the comments or dm me over on instagram @writewithemma !
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