Since we flew overnight from the west coast to the
east coast, when we arrived in NYC it was 7:00am. I managed to get an hour of
sleep on the plane, but spent most of my time reading and listening to music.
Originally there had been a mix-up with our tickets having us fly into one NYC
airport and then leave out of another. Thankfully American Airlines was able to
quickly sort this out for us and change the tickets. Having experienced NYC
traffic firsthand, the absolute last thing I would want to be doing is crossing
the city at rush hour to get from one airport to another!
We had an hour and a half layover, so just enough
time to grab a muffin and coffee. The staff at the airport were horrendous – in
the shops, in the cafes, and even at the gate. Our gate had a much later flight
listed, and when we asked if this was indeed where we were supposed to be, we
were yelled at. Obviously concerned we were at the wrong gate we persisted, and
they actually wouldn’t even help answer our question! We double checked the
board, and took a chance it was the right gate. Thankfully it was! But
LaGuardia airport isn’t a place I look forward to returning to.
Our flight to Toronto was quick – less then an hour
and a half, and we had great weather. Everything was working in our favor, because
customs/baggage weren’t really busy so that process was also quick and easy! By
11:00am we had our bags and were jumping into my dads truck ready to go home!
One of the things I had made sure of when booking
the trip was that I would be back for St. Patrick’s Day. I have a yearly
tradition of seeing my grandparents and going out for green beer and it was one
I refused to miss.
It all started when I was 19 – my first chance to
celebrate St. Patty’s day and finally drink beer that was dyed green. It may
seem like such a silly thing, but I was super excited for it. I had plans with
a friend, but she bailed on me about an hour beforehand (time ended up proving
this to be a character trait of hers). I happened to be at my grandparents
house at the time, and noticing my disappointment Pappy grabbed some beer and
food coloring. It wasn’t how I had planned to spend the night, but it was such
a sweet gesture! So my first St. Patty’s day was in my grandparents living room
having green beer with Nanny and Pappy!
The next year we did the same thing, and then the
year that after started to go out. A few times we went to the local legion
where there is always a huge celebration going on (once we got there too late,
and ended up back at their house!). But recently we started going to local
pubs. I am not much of a beer drinker, but there is just something special
about this tradition. My mom always comes with us, and sometimes my dad/Brian
will join as well.
Despite having flown overnight, dealing with a 3hr
time change and functioning on an hour of sleep, this tradition was happening!
Since my mom had to work at 4:00pm, the second I got home I ran upstairs to get
decked out in my St. Pattys day attire and by 12:30 mom and I were meeting
Nanny and Pappy at the Bear – a local pub.
I was exhausted and in my mind it was still
morning, but it was worth it to spend that time with them and uphold our
tradition.
It was a wonderful experience to come home to after
an awesome trip!
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