This is all that could be said when the main character was asked to explain himself in a show that we recently saw. And it's true. Sometimes events seem to spiral so far out of our conception of what is normal that the vocabulary simply isn't there to describe them. And yet we try, knowing all the while that we will fall short.
So, what happened this last week?
Well,
We went to New York City. But first, we went to Denver, and by accident found ourselves walking along the beautiful rock formations that lie on it's outskirts. And then, as if transported through space and time I was suddenly walking the halls of the Met and feeling so small and so large all at the same time, and while trying to process all of this in my head I was moved again, this time to Times Square, watching all the bustle around me and wondering what all these people must be up to, and then again to a small upstairs flat, but then back down, this time in a theater and then to a cabaret where I'm singing at the top of my lungs and relishing in the atmosphere- but look, I'm in a park now, in a pocket of serenity while life takes place around me, and the only thing that seems important is that I am looking at what might be the world's most perfect tree- but then back to the bustle of downtown which is full of new sights and sounds and tastes. Every step holds a new surprise, a new world, a new thought. And then I'm dancing with my love, keeping time with the music, and we sway back and forth and simply let it all happen, relishing it, knowing that this moment too, will be gone again in a whisper, it's taste on our lips a gentle reminder of what may have been a glimpse of perfection.
Words fail.
That is all I can really say.
An open field that's framed with trees
We pick a spot and shoot the breeze
Like buddies do
Quoting songs by our favorite bands
Telling jokes no one understands
Except us two
And we talk and take in the view
All we see is sky for forever
We let the world pass by for forever
Feels like we could go on for forever this way
Two friends on a perfect day
-Dear Evan Hansen: For Forever
*****
As with other large events, the things that happened this last week aren't nearly as important as what they all meant. That said, I still find myself processing the latter question, while wanting to articulate the first. As mentioned above, I fear that this is an impossible task.
In the interest of where to place the emphasis, I have decided to group things categorically rather than chronologically. In doing so, I realize that some events lose their context- some of which is important. However, I think this small sacrifice will allow feelings to come through more naturally than the alternative. Also, I will take some time at the beginning to get through the early part of the trip, which was totally unexpected and perfectly wonderful.
So, without further delay, our trip:
*****
The first few days were up in the air from the beginning. The original plan was to rent a car and explore the Shawangunk mountains through hiking and rock climbing. This is a place I have been itching to go to since I was a teenager, and the opportunity was there, so why not?
Well the universe, as it turns out, had some different plans. Or at least, Southwest Airlines did. The second leg of our flight- the one from Denver to New York- was completely cancelled. No warning. No refunds. No help. Nothing really to do, except sit around and wait for the next chance to continue onward. That would be in more than 24 hours. In the meantime, we found ourselves stranded in an unfamiliar place with no bags.
But what an opportunity!
Before we knew it we had rented a car, arranged a hotel, and were off to visit the Garden of the Gods.
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| This place was amazing. It reminded me a lot of City of Rocks, but maybe even more dramatic because of the color and shape of the formations. Very cool. |
That night, we wandered the hip downtown areas of Denver, and after a while settled on a sports bar listening to a live classic rock band while at the same time cheering for the Broncos in their second preseason game. How appropriate.
Also, here is a little known fact about us. When we graduated from dental school, there were two places where we decided we could live. One was Coeur d'Alene. One was Denver. I have to say, either would have been great. Denver is a really neat place.
But Coeur d'Alene is better :)
Anyway...
The next day we woke up and drove to the Red Rock Amphitheater. I don't know what I was expecting from this place, but I do know that I was blown away when I actually got there. Wow!
It is rare for me to admit that people, through construction or other means, have very often been able to enhance the natural beauty of an area. Here though, is where they have "nailed it." The structure is a perfect melding of nature and architecture, with a careful eye of preservation to the surrounding environment. The aesthetic is compelling, making it easy to picture myself completely engulfed in these beautiful hills while at the same time participating in a concert with hundreds of other people around me.
What a place.
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| We are definitely coming to a concert here. Anyone want to join us? |
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| Rachel on our morning trail-run. The landscape is almost surreal. I can already see the clocks melting... |
Once we were done at the Amphitheater it was time for a quick lunch in the park, and then we were off to New York City. Honestly, it was a great unplanned stop. We are now grooming our children to want to move to Denver when they are older so we have an excuse for frequent visits.
*****
Okay, so far so good. This is where I am going to start going categorically while trying my best to avoid becoming a bumbling mess of superlatives.
First stop:
Museums and Attractions
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Museum of Natural History
- Guggenheim Art Museum
- Museum of Modern Art
- 9/11 Memorial
- Madame Tussauds
- The Statue of Liberty
New York, obviously, has a lot of things to do. I'm not going to go into detail about each of the places we went. They were all really neat in their own way- some were fun, some were introspective, and some felt like nothing more than boxes to check off a list. Nonetheless, I'm glad for each of them.
That said, I do need to talk about the Met and the Natural History Museum. We reserved an entire day for each of these places, and they both (but especially the Met) left me with a profound sense of humility toward the world and the people in it- maybe more than I have ever felt before.
Me. My family. My country. Myself. My culture. My religious upbringing. My history.
I.
What does it all amount to?
Put up against the backdrop of the world's history, it is a blip.
It is profound to walk into a room full of art and realize that the relics you are seeing represent all of these things to people and cultures of ages past. Things that, to these people, were worth fighting wars over and dying over. They gave their lives over in devotion to ideas- to kings and gods and lofty artistic ideals, often at great sacrifice. The world, to them, revolved around their understanding.
And now- all that is left are a few relics in a room. A big room, sure, but just a room all the same. And as if that wasn't enough, you can walk right through that door over there into another room, and see another world built around a different set of ideas. And another and another and another and another and another and another and another. And it goes on and on. And not only are these cultures dead to the past, but for the most part they were dead to each other as well.
There is something about looking at a six thousand year old clay dish- or at remnants of other human beings who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago, that puts things in perspective.
And then you step out into the streets of New York City. A city where a single building could house my entire town, and where the population of my home state fits into a single triangle of cement at the inauguration of each year, and you realize that all these people going around, they are also like rooms. That each one of them has things that, to them, are just just as important as mine are to me. They have their history. Their families. Their political and religious ideals. Their culture. Things they will fight for and die for.
And who am I? How can anyone, after going through that experience, not come away feeling tiny? It would have been absurd in that moment to assert that my own thoughts, my own truths, my own ideals were more important or real or valuable than "his." Or hers. Or theirs. I wouldn't want to even if I could, but in light of the relics of ages past, it simply became impossible.
And yet, at the same time, those same rooms held the collective history of the world. Those artifacts were made by real people. People like me. Small, tiny, somewhat insignificant people. And yet, I looked around me at New York City, a place where sky scrapers could be built in sixty days, and realized that all this was also just the collective efforts of people. And somehow this seemed hopeful to me.
Words Fail.
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| The 9/11 Memorial |
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| This picture was taken specifically for Addy. She was giddy about the idea of seeing Miss Liberty |
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| The NFL museum was a laid back experience with a pretty cool 4D theater where we experienced a snow storm indoors. |
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| Another running theme that we came up against was that of art. Both of these last two pictures were taken because they are pieces that we each liked. A lot. But when we tried to explain to each other why, we had to laugh at ourselves because of how pretentious we sounded. Once again, words were not enough. It was a feeling. Sometimes I feel like writing this blog- especially this last section, is like trying to explain art. |
City Exploration
- Hell's Kitchen (This is where our apartment was)
- Midtown
- Upper East Side
- Entire Lengths of 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, Broadway, the Highline, and most of Madison
- Central Park
- Battery Park City
- Tribeca
- Two Bridges
- Times Square
We did a lot of tours, and we'll get to that in a minute. But most of the time we were exploring on our own. We did a lot of walking. In this way, the city itself became a museum. Each time we stepped around a new corner there was some famous building or statue or monument that would spring into view. Look- the Empire State Building! The LOVE statue! The Occulus! St. Patrick's Cathedral! The Brooklyn Bridge!
Etc, etc, etc.
Just wandering around and familiarizing ourselves with each of these neighborhoods was one of the the best parts of our trip and where we spent the majority of our time.
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| We biked the streets of NY... and lived. |
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| The Highline in Lower Manhattan. |
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| Crazy Eyes! Rach decided to try and smile without having squinty eyes. She decided to stick with her beautiful original smile! This was our lunch spot in Central Park. |
Tours
- The Highline
- Little Italy
- Chinatown
- SoHo
- Broadway
- Chelsea
- Meatpacking District
- Lower Manhattan (Bus)
- Manhattan Island (Boat)
There is so much history to New York that we had to do some tours. Actually, we did a lot of tours. Normally we would go on these to learn bits of trivia about an area, and then spend the next couple of hours exploring on our own. Also, we learned that virtually every tour-guide in NYC is an aspiring actor.
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| Broadway |
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| Chinatown |
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| Chelsea |
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| Financial District by bus (it rained a little) |
Food
New York has so many food options with celebrity chefs, rooftop restaurants, and garden cafes. It really can be a foodie's paradise.
But...
We aren't really foodies. I mean sure, I like eating good food as much as the next guy, but I definitely don't get the emotional and spiritual high from it that some claim to experience. Because of this, it is awfully hard for me to justify spending a couple hundred dollars on a single meal.
But...
New York is also famous for many less extravagant dishes as well. Things like hot dogs. Pastrami sandwiches. Bagels. And even though we aren't picky eaters, I do have to admit that sometimes I like to splurge just a little.
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| Gelato in Little Italy |
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| Katz's Delicatessen- the only place in America where you wait in line for an hour to buy a sandwich and a hot dog for $58. Was it good? Yes- it was delicious. Was it that good. Not a chance. |
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| Probably the coolest burger place in America. To work here you must audition (and the competition is fierce). The wait staff sings to you throughout your entire meal. Little known fact: Stardust Diner has more alumni on Broadway than any other business. |
Rudy's- one of the oldest establishments in New York that is still open. A complete dive, the seats are covered in duct tape and hot dogs are given away for free. Love it!
Mr. Biggs- The storied history of this place makes it worth the visit. Apparently it used to be a gangster-owned speakeasy and they would keep body parts in jars behind the shelf to use as intimidation.
Night Life
Oh, to be young again and be able to stay up late with no babysitter to worry about! I do not think there was a single night that finished earlier than 1am. We just enjoy each other's company that much.
There are three places that really stand out here:
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Swing 46 is a swanky jazz club with good music and a dance floor. It felt especially good when Rachel and I were asked for recommendations of other dance places because we "looked like we would probably know." At a place known as the "hippest dance scene in New York" I'll take that as a compliment.
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Broadway
I saved the best for last. This was the main reason for New York in the first place. The rest was gravy. Rachel and I are both huge fans of musical theater, and going to see shows on Broadway has been a wish of ours for a long time. During our week-long stay we were able to see four shows, and never sat more than 15 rows away from center stage. It was absolutely amazing.
Dear Evan Hansen is the best show I have ever seen. I don't say that lightly either. It had everything you could ask for in a musical. Showstopping performances, a poignant soundtrack, difficult real-life issues with no cop-out answers, and an emotional demand on the audience like none I have ever experienced. If someone tells you they didn't cry during this show, it can only mean one thing- they aren't human. Wow.
Come From Away is one of those shows that leaves you feeling really good about humanity in general. It definitely leaves a smile on your face with a "surprise" encore- Canadian hoedown style!
The Band's Visit was different than any other show I have ever seen. It is easier to think of it as a play with music than as a musical. Silence and awkwardness are two driving factors, and I have to admit it made me uncomfortable for a minute. I guess that was the point though. Overall, not my favorite. But not bad either.
Beautiful is a wonderful feel-good story about Carole King. It reminded me a LOT of the Motown Musical, but in my opinion was even better. Not real profound in any way, but great entertainment. I found myself clapping and whooping more in this than in any other.
*****
Throwback to 2009 when I surprised Rachel on our anniversary with a one-night stay in this little cabin. It was marvelous. At that time we decided that we would do a trip every year. Just us.
We have kept that promise to ourselves, and this year did not disappoint.
Happy 13th to us.
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