New York City, New York

Mom and I spent one more day in NYC before heading home. This time we stayed in the city, around mid-town at a Hampton Inn...the location wasn't great, but there were wholesale purse stores everywhere, so we couldn't complain.

Mom and I took the worlds hottest Bikram class on Monday night when we arrived and then again on Tuesday morning, just to confirm that it was the HOTTEST class ever...I guess we weren't sure the first time. I have to say, though extremely skinny, Chris was one of the best, most motivational teachers I've ever had.

Then we met mom's friends Diane and for lunch...it was funny to hear them gossip about a guy they went to elementary school with...it was like they were still in Jr High..."so-and-so isn't talking to Bobby and he keeps calling me...I think Bobby and are breaking up...do you thing I should call him?" I think we adults just kid ourselves that we're grown ups. None of us really ever get past high school.

After lunch, a long walk, a little purse shopping and a short nap, we took the subway to cousin David's NY restuarant, Hakata Tonton. According to the map, it would've been 4 stops on the subway. We must've gotten on an express because as we were sitting there, chatting away, I noticed that we were sitting at our stop...**MERDE**...

Mom and I jumped up and she ran out the subway door as it promptly closed in my face...leaving her on the platform with a look of horror on her face...and me in the train...wizzing off to who knows where on this Brooklyn bound train.

Fortunately the next stop was not Brooklyn, but Broadway/Lafayette and I was able to run across the platform and jumped back on the uptown bound train. Only slightly paniked, we did manage to find each other on opposite platforms...WHEW...

We found Hakata Tonton with no other misadventures and enjoyed our pigs feet, collagen broth and stawberry champagne...I know, it sounds so...so....exotic...but really if you like bacon it's yummy yummy! Plus it's supposed to keep your skin smooth and silky.

I was falling asleep in my soup but mom was bouncing off the walls. I think the waiter at lunch slipped some caffeine into her coffee...she managed to finally figure out the lunch bill thing at 4 in the morning (and tried to wake me up to tell me about it). Somehow she dragged herself out of bed for my 5am wake up call, though, and we went to have breakfast before the car driver came to shuttle me off to JFK and the end of our fellowship...sniff...sniff.

Well, we've come full circle now, with Mom back in Cali and me in Colorado. It feels weird after being together non-stop for the last 3 weeks. How often do a mother and daughter get to travel together for 3 weeks? How often to they enjoy each other's company enough to spend three weeks together?

This really was an epic trip and the trip of a lifetime and I'm grateful that we were in a place in our lives to do it. I'm grateful that I have a mom who is so much fun to be around, who I can philosophise with, and who also enjoys my company.

I hope we can take more trips like this one together...of course, she may have to share :-) Let's see; Scottland, Thailand, Argentina/Chile, Austrailia/New Zealand...where will we go next?