New York and Dinner Musings

The first day in New York, and my excitement is barely tempered by my exhaustion. Coming straight from the National Dinner was a bit daunting, but I am very glad that I did. More and more it is so obvious to me how much I need to get out of the Midwest and move to an urban center that I can really enjoy. So far I have only spent time with the friend that I am staying with and nothing truly exciting came onto our agenda, but in some ways this meant more to me than doing anything that I "needed" to do while in town. I look forward to when I can live in a location like this and enjoy some of the simple things whenever I want. The trip to Alice's Tea Cup and dinner at a quaint Italian restaurant without ever having to drive a car made me quite content.

I have decided that bus drivers, especially in some place like New York seriously have one of the most difficult and nerve wracking jobs available. I mean driving in traffic is bad enough as an individual or even as a cab driver, but to be responsible for so many people while driving such a huge vehicle in the insanity that are the NY streets.

I should take a minute to talk about the National Dinner. The weekend itself was great, and I reconnected with a friend and definitely moved our relationship to stronger territory. Any of these events that bring together so many HRC people turns out great. It was so nice to see friends from afar. I was forced to examine how poorly I actually keep in touch with my various friends around the country. Some of us seem like we are really close, but as time and distance separate us, I have not really figured out how to make the most of those relationships.

The dinner itself was certainly motivating. Tim Gunn was hysterical, and Nancy Pelosi and Joe Solmonese both gave great speeches that moved many of us. I know several people that were attending their first dinner and the change in their motivation was noticeable. I did happen to end the evening by pushing my alcohol consumption beyond the limits of anything I have had before, but that is another story. Leaving DC as always brought me to a new level of energy. I am excited about all the work that I have done with HRC and can't wait to continue to make a difference with them as the years go by. More immediately, I am excited to continue to experience another city that I love so much.