Defying… something! (#solTuesday)

I am on a whirlwind trip to NYC with my friend and colleague. Four full and smile-enlarging days in the big city have looked a little something like this:

Day 1:

• wake up at 1:30am to drive four hours up and over to the airport
• fly from CO to NYC
• narrowly survive not barfing on a super bumpy and stomach-churning approach into LGA
• make our way to “our” neighborhood and somehow avoid the sudden sideways umbrella-bending squalls and puddle-filled soaking side streets as we wait for our hotel room to be ready
• soak up some local knowledge from close-talking Julie and her little 17 year old dog Scooter
• set up in the hotel, go out for some yummy ramen, wander around, find some heavenly gelato, and finally tuck in after an 18 hour day

Day 2:

• head right on up to Columbia University to check in for the TCRWP Phonics Institute
• revel in all of the inspiration, all day long! Holy smokes, these folks are true professionals.
• back to the hotel for an excited information share/download
• out for a good ol’ hot and sweaty yoga class
• find ourselves conveniently in the vicinity of Margarita Monday
• take advantage of that timely offer
• try my first Frito Pie (it was life-changing)
• stroll back to the hotel
• ahhhhh, sleep

Day 3 (today!):

• early morning yoga class to get rid of that tequila
• do our homework that we forgot to do last night
• back up to Columbia for more TCRWP knowledge and connecting
• enjoy a rushed lunch with our favorite homemade iced tea because we also had to patiently wait to purchase some stuffed animal mascots (and their outfits, duh) for the new phonics programs
• back to school
• return to the hotel to change, swap thoughts and questions, try to iron out next year’s schedule details, do some more homework, and add some necessary sparkles
• grab a quick glass of wine and some nibblets
• see Wicked!!!!!
• unabashedly cry at the super dramatic parts (Defying Gravity, I’m looking at YOU)
• pretend we’re professional dancers as we traipse back to the subway
• contemplate doing a handstand in the middle of Times Square but back out before anything drastic happens
• settle for a rushed and squishy faced selfie instead
• race the summer storms back to the hotel
• finish homework
• write blog
• pack mascots next to stinky yoga clothes (sorry, first and second graders!)
• ahhhhh, sleep

Day 4 (assumed schedule of events yet to come):

• early morning yoga class to take full advantage of our free week of classes
• final pack and homework check
• lug our luggage and ourselves up to Columbia for one final day of joyous magic with the TCRWP crew
• stash luggage and write down all of the notes that we possibly can as we finish up our small and large group sessions
• take a big breath
• grab some form of transportation back to LGA
• breeze through the airport systems
• settle into the plane
• enjoy a smooth and tranquil flight back to CO
• successfully locate the car in the ginormous economy parking lot and drive back up and over the mountains to home, arriving approximately 22 hours after waking up
• dump luggage on the floor
• dump body into bed
• ahhhhh, sleep