Oh my gosh. You might be tired of me sort of whining about our last days here. Ugh. And yeah!

Here’s the yeah! Today Glen and I went to the Tenement Museum. It’s my second time there. I HIGHLY suggest it for anyone at all interested in the human experience of Lower Manhattan in the late 1800s-mid 1900s. It’s literally a tenement building that was purchased in 1988. It had been left pretty much untouched since it was closed down in the 40s. Now they have a variety of tours and each one is organized around real people who actually lived in the building. The first tour I took was the apartment of a German family in the 1880s. Today we took a tour of a Russian family’s home in the early 1900s. It also included a couple sites in the neighborhood. What an awesome way to learn. If you’re interested, they have some virtual tours that you can take from the comfort of your home.

After the tour, GAT had to head back to the house to do some work. (Someone has to pay the bills.) So I decided to head to the Lower West side of Manhattan. (I’m told there’s no such place so I’m just showing that I’m not yet a New Yorker!) It’s an area I’ve only skirted around or been to specific locations (e.g. The World Trade Center and the ferry buildings). I plugged in on Google maps a destination on the Hudson River and then just meandered my way in that direction. I have found this to be my favorite way to dig into a neighborhood. I stop for a lot of photos and maybe a cup of coffee and just drink in the vibe. Also, a lot of people watching is involved in this method or wandering.

Today’s walk included a park that was totally meant for little kids (Washington Market Park). There were so many nannies, moms, dads, and kids there! I didn’t take any pics because it felt obtrusive, but trust me…the sounds of all those happy, playful voices was good for my soul. Okay…dose of reality, there might have been a few whining kids as they were being rounded up to head home for lunch and a nap.

As I left the park, I walked up the steps of the NYC Community College. It was kind of architecturally interesting.

I then went over the Tribeca pedestrian bridge. Turns out it ends up in the Stuyvesant High School campus. I got there as the students POURED out for lunch. That was kind of fun. I think there might be a reason I seem to often end up in places where kids abound.

I eventually made it to the river where there’s a great park and esplanade. The first thing I ran into was this small area full of these bronze sculptures. I have seen some of these same sculptures (or versions of them) in a couple subway stops. They are very fanciful though I have to think that the artist (Tom Otterness) has some opinions or statements that he is trying to impart through his work. See the comments below the pictures for my impressions.

Then I stopped along the water and just enjoyed the cold blustery wind. I love a bracing wind. It’s such a fresh and freeing feeling. I gazed across the river to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and of course, New Jersey.

As I turned around there was a serene fountain with ducks and fish and in the near distance, the WTC. But directly behind the pond was an odd building. Or I thought it was a building. Turns out it was a memorial to the “Great Irish Hunger” from 1845-52. The structure is an Irish home that had been abandoned and was donated by an Irish family. The memorial is comprised of rocks and plants from each Irish county. Along the walls of the tunnels are the words of immigrants and presidents and they describe the horrors of hunger. It’s quite a striking memorial.

Leaving the memorial I came upon this antithesis view. There were some yachts in slips that just take your breath away. Quite the juxtaposition from starvation to gluttony.

At the end of the marina was an high end mall. Outdoors there was a ton of seating that I can imagine is mobbed in the warmer months. I didn’t stop in any stores. Not my thing. But this art installation did catch my eye (below). That’s my X-ray! People were enjoying posing.

As I headed up the stairs to leave, I noticed two exits-one to the outdoors and one to a tunnel. The tunnel was light and bright and it drew me in so I headed in that unknown direction. Passing through the tunnel there are cafes and stores until you arrive at the PATH transit terminal. There are 12 subway lines and the train to New Jersey here. But the bigger surprise is that I found myself INSIDE the beautiful white-winged building that I had walked past many times. For some reason, I never went in and WOW am I glad I found myself there. It’s beautiful architecturally speaking and it compliments the 9/11 memorial perfectly. I exited that building to soak in the 9/11 memorial one more time and as always find myself emotional Was it the memorial? The beauty of NYC? The joy of exploration and surprises? Or maybe our adventure coming to an end? Or all of the above?

Squeezing. Breathing. Exploring.

When we think about traveling to new places, what is the draw? Is it the food? The history? The sights? The recreation? The people? Honestly, coming to New York, for me it was probably the “things to do and see”.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that it just might turn out to be the people that bring me back. I think that GAT would agree that we are so pleasantly surprised by the welcome we have received from the people – in the neighborhood, on the subway, in the park – wherever we go. NYC has a reputation for the people being busy, cold, gruff, not helpful or welcoming to tourists. Don’t believe the negative gossip. We have found the opposite to be true. Everywhere we’ve been we’ve felt welcome, no more so than in our Bed-Stuy neighborhood.

We feel that especially strong sense of community here in the neighborhood. Yesterday I stopped in at a tiny little jewelry store that I have passed many times. The older gentleman immediately welcomed me and complimented my “beautiful salt and pepper hair”. We chatted about the changes brought on by COVID (including giving up on the hair dye), his wife the jewelry-maker, his time living in LA, our community in the Bay Area, and the people of Bed-Stuy.

Next door, I chatted with the store owner and her nine year old grandson. We talked about the retail business during the holidays, the value of giving children responsibilities, and their inter-generational family business.

Then Glen and I went to dinner last night around the corner at a restaurant where we have dined several times. We brought Blair here during the warmer weather when there was a street party in front of the restaurant every Sunday. Last night, we sat inside for the first time and had just received our meal when the owner recognized us from earlier visits and came and sat down with us to chat about the restaurant business in Brooklyn. As he left, he ordered another cocktail for us and thanked us for our patronage. We didn’t have the heart to tell him it would likely be our last visit on this trip.

In earlier posts, we’ve shared about the sense of community here on Halsey Street – starting with the Block Party and extending to our ongoing interactions with neighbors. You might remember that Glen received a BBQ t-shirt from Mike on Day One. Violet shared her cooking herbs, dog treats for Dug, and stories about the upstairs neighbor. Earl greets us from his stoop and offers his evening philosophical musings and advice on safety. Landlord Mark remarks that the neighbors “like us better than them” because we take the time to get to know them and engage with them. This is the beauty of “stoop” life.

Neighbors helping neighbors is a theme here. The other day, I found a man’s ring near the basketball courts down the street. Mike agreed to help me find its owner by posting it on his Nextdoor page. When Ida landed here and the neighborhood clean up began, everyone came out of their brownstones to discuss the damage and share resources.

I’ve written about the older gentlemen who sit on the sidewalk throughout the day, chatting with each other, playing cards, playing music, etc. I have enjoyed greeting them when I walk by and as the temperatures have begun to drop, I miss seeing them out as often. I stopped by today and asked if I could take their picture to introduce them to you. They willingly obliged me.

And my favorite story…There’s an older gentleman who comes down the block with his leaf blower several times a week. He blows the leaves off the sidewalk and even enters each gate and clears the front “yards”. I’ve seen him many times as I’m seated in the living room and I give him a “thank you” wave. Yesterday I was using up the frozen bananas I had saved for banana nut bread. I made a loaf for him, hoping that I would run into him. I wasn’t exactly sure where he lived so in the afternoon, I put a loaf of bread in a bag and headed out to meander the neighborhood. As I was going back to our street, I spied him walking toward me in the distance. When our paths met, I told him how much I appreciated his neighborly kindness and offered him the bread as a thank you. He switched his walking direction and after formally introducing ourselves, (his name is Melvin), we headed back toward Halsey together. Melvin was beaming from ear to ear and when I asked if he ate banana nut bread, he said bananas are “all I eat”! As we walked and talked, he said that he finds people to be good and if he’s “nice to people, they are nice back to him”.

Hear, hear, Melvin. Thank you for living as an example of kindness.

And now I’m crying…

This past Friday we went to the Banksy Exhibit in Manhattan at the SE corner of W. 14th Street and 6th Ave (If you get the chance, you MUST go). Just typing the term Banksy Exhibit is a bit of a challenge for me. How do you breach the chasm between all that Banksy represents and a Manhattan exhibit? It was with this challenge I undertook the adventure.

Is Banksy one single person? Is it a group or cooperative? Is it an essence? I choose to view Banksy as a spiritual essence. This spiritual essence provides me a prospective to do my favorite thing – ask questions. AND the questions I am suggesting are not just personal (I have my own very personal perspective and bias), but are very much societal or even humanistic. Nationalism? Globalism? Consumerism? Do Gooderism (my made up term)? Geopoliticism? Privilidgism? AND so many other ISMs that Banksy questions! The title of the exhibit Banksy: Genius or Vandal? – the inclusion even provides a context for the questioning.

If you are in any way like me, born (1958) in the post WWII glory days of the US, a child in that “magical” decade of the 60s and coming of age in the oh so WEIRD 70s, YOU want to have these questions asked. You NEED to have these questions asked. I have a sense us Baby Boomers are going to be looked back on and discovered to have contributed SO MUCH to the history of the world. AND those contributions will swing WILDLY from numerous good or even great to OH SO MANY bad or even horrible.

Maybe that is always the way it is?

We’ve been coming to NYC for years. Many moons ago, our dear friend, Nancee, the great connector, made arrangements for us to go to dinner at Balthazar – a French brasserie in Soho. We were staying in midtown and decided to walk down to the restaurant on Spring Street. I can’t remember what time of year it was, but it was a nice evening for a walk. As we neared Union Square, the sidewalk started to get crowded with lots of people coming up the subway stairs. And there was chanting. And there were signs. And the streets were packed. And there were lots of police. It was one of the first Black Lives Matter marches and we were swept up into it without knowing it. As the crowds gathered, the police and the crowds started to block the streets. We couldn’t get through in the direction we needed to go and honestly, we didn’t really know what was going on. Everything was at a standstill so we decided to forego the reservation and head back toward midtown. (Believe me…now I’d be right there with the marchers.)

Luckily, on our next trip to NYC, we made sure to go to Balthazar and ever since then…it’s been a staple on our schedule. There’s just something about the ambience, the service, the food – the vibe that brings us back again and again. I think I’ve been there 6 times on this trip alone. We’ve been for breakfast and lunch, but today I asked Glen if we’d ever made it for dinner. We don’t think so which is kinda weird except if you know us…we turn into pumpkins when it gets dark.

Anyway, I digress…On this trip we’ve taken all of our guests to Balthazar. We met Ahmad, our Chico connection for lunch, we brought our Texas friends for lunch and Blair for breakfast. We’re never disappointed. On one of Glen’s trips, I went for lunch by myself (which I think I wrote about in an earlier post). I was wowed when the maitre’d brought a glass of champagne which they offer to all of their “solo” guests.

Today after we went to the Banksy exhibit (Glen’s writing about that, I think), we went for lunch. It’s the first time we’ve been without a reservation because I couldn’t get one. I wasn’t worried though because I follow Keith McNally on Instagram. He’s the owner of Balthazar and he sometimes posts the daily review from the maitre’d which notes the number of reservations, walk ins, cancellations and no shows. There are always plenty of walk ins so I figured…no problem. Well, when we got there, there was a line at the outdoor maitre’d station. I sort of snuck my way up and asked for a table for two and was told to just hang on a minute. More people came up and were told it would be an hour. Hmmm…The maitre’d returned, asked us inside or out? and took us to the table right by the entrance which was an awesome seat for people watching!

As he seated us he said something about the table being at the “center of everything” and I said that it was fine, but he had to let us know if someone famous came in. He laughed and said he would. AND as soon as we were settled in, a waiter brought us two glasses of champagne from the maitre’d. I think just because we were patient and polite (unlike a few people outside).

But that’s not even the best part! As we were sitting down, I looked over my shoulder and said to Glen, “That might be Keith McNally, the owner.” I opened up IG and showed Glen some photos of him. Glen thought it might be him and asked our waitress if it was him and she confirmed it. She said he’d been there all day and she’d had to be ON her game! Glen encouraged me to go talk with him, but me being me…I asked a different maitre d’ if Mr. McNally liked people to go up to him and he said no, that he is shy. So I didn’t. He did say that Mr. McNally likes to get postcards that diners receive with their check. I remembered that in an article I read about him mentioned that he has had a stroke and he doesn’t like to do interviews because his speech is impaired which may be why he doesn’t like to talk with random strangers! Shortly after that Mr. McNally left and there was a visible relaxation by the wait staff. Everything that I’ve read about the restaurant says that the pay is good, staff is treated well and they are loyal – some have been there since the beginning. And apparently, Balthazar got PPP money and the staff was all paid through the pandemic and Balthazar survived – actually it looks like it THRIVED!

So before we left, I wrote a note to Mr. McNally letting him know that we always enjoy our meals, that the staff is awesome and that I’ll “see” him on IG. So here’s my picture “with” the famous Keith McNally! Should I post it and tag him?

I try to call my 95 year old mom pretty regularly. It’s getting harder and harder as 1. She has difficulty hearing 2. She has difficulty understanding 3. It’s getting more difficult to have a conversation at all as there is a lot of repeating. Each call makes me wonder how many more times will I have to hear her voice or visit her?

Mom knows that Glen and I are not home and when I remind her that we are in Brooklyn she says, “I don’t understand why anyone would want to go there.” Then she asks why we are here. I go through a very simple explanation…”We are just trying to experience new and different places.” And she responds. “I don’t know why anyone would want to go there.” Mind you, she’s never been here. Mom and Dad did a country-wide tour in their motorhome 25+ years ago and they skipped every big city except Washington D.C. So I try to describe one small experience that I think she will be able to fathom and then move on. Last night I described my walk along the East River.

Yesterday Glen was working so I headed out on my own to one of my favorite places – The Brooklyn Promenade. It’s a long walk along the river. I posted pictures of that walk in an earlier post. It had been a bit of a cool and blustery day. Today was an absolutely glorious day – perhaps the best weather we’ve had yet. I jumped on the subway (and when my exit station was closed I figured out how to reroute myself!) and headed to the water. I had enough time to meander, pausing for photos and sitting to enjoy the view in various places and to reflect on…things.

Just below the Brooklyn Bridge, I grabbed a chair to sit in and another to put my feet up on and I gazed out upon the river and the Manhattan skyline. Since we’re getting close to our departure date, I couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the last time I sat here and enjoyed this view. That got me to thinking about my calls with my mom and the “circle of life” as a metaphor for our time here in New York. (“The Lion King” – BEST movie ever!) I wonder when my parents started thinking…Will this be the last time we…see DC? enjoy a stay in our RV in the desert? hike with friends? When does one start thinking about “lasts”?

There are myriad little “lasts” and plenty of big ones in life. The big ones include visiting places far from home, holiday celebrations, family visits… The little ones include rituals and routines like Sunday family dinners, walks with friends and Dug, making morning coffee, baking lemon bread, watching a favorite sports team together…I think that for me, the melancholy I feel when thinking about “lasts” is the worry of not knowing it is the “last” and therefore not having the opportunity to hold it and enjoy it fully. Perhaps that concern provides a framework for thinking about all our days. Each day is an opportunity for “firsts” and may also hold a “last”. What a joy to have that opportunity every day – the excitement of a new experience and the appreciation and savoring of a final experience.

As far as our time in NYC and the “circle of life” metaphor… maybe I’ll just accept that every moment of this last week may be a “last” and I’ll just hold each experience for a moment, savor it, and know that it has been such a privilege and joy to be here with so many “firsts and lasts” and it’s an important part of life.

Hakuna matata!

Turns out…Siri is a better navigator than me. She got us to all of our destinations yesterday without one missed turn. Okay. There was one…but it all worked out, as it always does.

Here are some photos (I was going to say a few, but I had trouble narrowing it down to a few!) from our two day foray into life in The Hamptons. We agree that it’s a place we’d love to return to for…maybe two months. We think September and October would be nice because it’s clear that during high season the traffic and crowds would be a NIGHTMARE!

I know many of you will have similar stories – different locations, different times…similar challenges.

Let’s go back 32+ years. Glen and I were on our honeymoon in Spain. We started in London, made our way to Paris and then took the train to Barcelona. From there we rented a car and headed south. It was July 1989. We were young (ish!), in love, and still figuring out how to work through our marital challenges. Who am I kidding? Still figuring it out!

Glen differs with me on the location of this event, but you’ll agree with me in a minute. We were in Alicante in the south of Spain. We had a little rental car and since this was WAY before Gore’s invention of the internet (snark snark), we were getting around the old-fashioned way – with a map! Glen was driving and I was navigating…sort of – it’s not my best talent. We were tired, grumpy, likely hungry and couldn’t find our hotel as we got into town. The streets were narrow, a bunch were one way and everything was in… a foreign language-Spanish! Many of you know that I speak some Spanish, but when pushed to be the responsible communicator, I get a bit intimidated. So there might have been a little yelling, perhaps even tears, but I don’t think so. Glen wanted me to get out of the car and go ask someone for help. As I remember it, I got out of the car alright, but it was because I was done…divorce was imminent! And Glen drove off. We’d made it two-ish weeks, but I’d had it (Glen might have had it too)! Which is why I KNOW that we were in Alicante. The emotion of that moment is seared into my memory and heart. I can picture the street we were on and the corner on which I stood watching him drive away and I swear, if I went back, I could find that corner in a minute! I can’t remember how we solved our problem, but somehow we got back together, found our hotel, and saved our marriage.

Fast forward to 2021 heading to Long Island. We Ubered to JFK from Brooklyn (took Uber Pets with Dug) to pick up a rental car. Glen was driving and with two map websites open on my phone, I was navigating. Sort of. What could go wrong? All was well for about 30 seconds. Seriously. I missed a turn and we circled around the airport. Glen remained very calm. Ok. No problem. Around we go. Whoops. Missed a different turn. Three times a charm? Yep. Made it out of the airport and got the car pointed in the right direction. And we’re still married.

On we drove trying to be relaxed, retired travelers with all the time in the world to meander, wander, explore and even get lost. We did pretty well for the rest of the day though I must admit, navigating is still not my thing-there we’re a few more missed turns. But as Glen has recently written about having a philosophy of “continuous improvement” as part of a “meaningful life”, I’m trying. That’s the best I can do.

And WOW. It’s amazing what you can buy on Long Island with your $32 million in spare change! Anyone?

More photos to come.

Today marks the beginning of the final two weeks of our adventure here in NYC. Its highly likely the pending occurrence has contributed to melancholy I spoke of in my prior post. I’m finding that I tend to write more of these types of posts when I am working my way out of the melancholy. It is one of my ways of processing and to accelerate the way out. AND we have a full two weeks off experiences to come (Hamptons, the next bagel shop, American Utopia, lunch at Balthazar, and on and on!).

This mornings adventure (walk, subway, bagel, new experience) was fabulous and also sad at the same time. Fall is in the air. The seasons are turning and we will be leaving soon. And I also learned something. We took the C to the E and walked to 55th Street and 1st Ave (the lowest part of the Upper East Side). Quite and area of affluence. There we found Tal Bagels and I may have finally found my favorite bagel and cream cheese combination – toasted onion bagel with scallion cream cheese – Learning #1. It is a bit of a tourist faux pas to toast really good fresh bagels, but a habit I need to work on breaking. We then walked the mile plus over the 5th Ave and up to the SE corner of Central Park. Walking up 5th Ave in this area you pass MANY signs of affluence, or even extravagance. I’d come to almost resent NYC for this. Who knows, maybe the prior presidential administration contributed. It is interesting, we have spent so little time in these areas of NYC. Any ventures into these areas have been for specific things; lunch at Balthazar (three times so far and a certain fourth to come), bagels at a few different Upper West Side bagel shops, opera at the NY Metropolitan Opera House are a few. As I was walking up 5th Ave. I experienced something else. A kind of acceptance or simple acknowledgement of this is just part of an extremely complicated city – Learning #2.

You know when you meet someone or something and you take an immediate liking to it or them? I have learned to lean into these and make the effort to see where they might go. And sometimes the results of giving of myself pays off in many wonderfully fulfilling ways. Upon reflection I can not think of an effort I have expended post illness (2008/2009) that I haven’t reaped the bounty. I’m hoping many of my friends reading this know how much my relationship means in my life. I don’t say it often enough – thanks for the gift of you – Learning #3.

I feel the same way about NYC. JDT and I knew we were very fond of NYC before this adventure. I now know I LOVE NYC and not despite all of its challenges. Quite the opposite. I LOVE NYC because of all that it is! Learning #4.

So, its is with a heavy heart that we will wish NYC farewell in two weeks time. AND we will see you soon NYC. Promise!

The switch has flipped. I now go through each day thinking…Will this the the last time that I/we…before we head home? I’m trying SUPER hard to stay in the moment. It’s hard. Glen’s been a bit under the weather and/or working like a demon so I’ve had some days to meander on my own. I’ve not struck out on any major adventures, but I have enjoyed the neighborhoods around Bed-Stuy. Yesterday I went down the street to the café and just hung out and watched the world go by. I wrote some postcards and talked with the owner a bit. It’s kinda one of my favorite things to do.

Finally, we’ve had some beautiful fall weather, including a bit of wind and rain. This morning we went to NYC on our ongoing search for THE bagel. I think we were on the upper east side. Love the city when it’s not too crowded. It’s a miracle I don’t trip more often as I’m always looking up to where tops of the buildings meet the sky.

There was a line at the door at the bagel shop which is always a good sign. We agreed that it was one of the better bagels. Grabbed a coffee from a cute place on the corner and then we walked to the west to get to Central Park. It’s the perfect Sunday morning – sunny bright blue skies, puffy white clouds, breezy, and cool. A coffee and a bagel. A bench in the sun with views of a pond and ALL the people watching. Talked with a guy and his black lab, plus the guy who saw Glen’s Chico sweatshirt. He lived there when he was a kid. We wandered across the park enjoying the sights. I love how the city dwellers really make use of the green spaces. We saw birthday parties, many photography shoots (weddings, families, etc.), food carts, balloon animal makers, rock climbers, yoga practicers, bike riders, joggers, horse-driven carriages, pedicabs, tourists (not us, of course), old people, young people, and myriad other sights. I love the sounds, too – quacking ducks, honking geese, barking dogs, crying babies, laughter, voices, hawkers, helicopters, sirens in the distance, church bells, music including a saxophone…I could sit there and/or wander all day.

Tomorrow we are making an overnight trip to The Hamptons. We’ve never been and I just had this feeling that it would be a regret if we got home without going. I’m hoping to spend some time walking on the beach and just meandering the country roads and villages. I’m sure there will be some photos in a day or two!

(Note: I “drafted this email Friday evening after an exceptionally “taxing” (October 15th) week. I’m now editing Sunday morning on the subway in search of that perfect NYC bagel. What a perfect NYC experience.)

I hope you’ll stay with me. I promise to make this about more than just darkness.

We’ve been asked, why are you doing “this”. We’ve tried to provide some of the insight into our very human thinking on this. And it is nuanced.

I got a text with a follow up call from one of my dearest of all friends, Mike Quillin, earlier this week. His Dad’s death was imminent. He wanted to talk, ostensibly about trust and estate and other stuff that I have knowledge, but also, I sensed to just touch base with his friend. It was wonderful to hear his voice and just talk for a bit. Mike is a fellow traveler down the journey with life threatening illness. He’s my brother! AND I love him dearly!

It really doesn’t take much since my struggle with cancer for that part of me to get switched on. I try my best to only let it be appropriate, but sometimes I just need to talk. Mike’s Dad and my current struggles have led me to some melancholy. I used to fight it off. I’ve learned to just be with it and let it pass.

I’ve talked about my Dad some in earlier emails. Simply, I loved him, I just didn’t like him much. It is as much me as it his him. You see, my Dad retired at 51. And when I say retired, I’m not talking about anything similar to my transition from work. He literally walked out of his AT&T office in Sacramento one day in 1982 and never returned. I can’t even write me and “that” word (retirement) in the same sentence. Why you ask? Well, from my perspective, my Dad spent the next 37 years doing virtually nothing. At least nothing worthy from my perspective.

In early posts I’ve written about this (BK) being an opportunity to change habits. To build new habits. I have much of my Dad in me and not just his blood. I have a tendency to be less active than is good for me. I have a tendency to be less active than is good for my relationship with JDT. AND I’ve desperately wanted, and want to, change that. To evolve.

JDT and I have started to have conversations we have had very little of in the last 20 or 25 years. It is wonderful. And it at times includes discussions of our lives in front of us. I like to use the term “meaningful life” when I talk about what is around the bend for us. JDT asked me last night what that meant. What a great question! I had to think about that for a while. And I landed on a life built around continuous improvement. So, how is that any better than Meaningful Life you ask? To me it provides tremendous clarity. It provides the space for it to be on the spectrum versus a binary (yes/no) question. There will be moments of tremendous discovery. There will be moments of much less when you rest and relax and prepare for the next period of improvement, of evolution. Simply for me, it is evolve or die. Sometimes it will be one step forward, two steps back. Life works that way.

So, to try to answer those that ask why, we are doing this as a part of our continuous improvement journey. And it is joyous!!