west-side manhatten, friends and family.

As we walked/bused from West to East Manhatten, I couldn't help to notice the lack of eye contact and heads perplexingly glued to Blackberrys, iPods, iPads and everything i-known to life. With a city filled with millions, why did it feel so alonesome? Sure, there was physical appearance but it's almost as if they were somewhere else. Perhaps the scenary wasn't exciting anymore. Perhaps people were tired of being bombarded by vendors and others trying to seduce them into buying something. Perhaps it was too energy consuming to make eye contact at another and offer a smile. I don't know.

As we crossed onto the West side, Sarah met us with a couple of brewskies, eye-contact and a smile. As Sarah and Kate talked of old and new times, I stepped outside to sights and sounds of the city from Sarah's balcony--17 floors up. What a view. People running/walking everywhere. With so much to do, why would one ever stop and take a look? Well, here I was simply doing that, looking around. Overwhelmed from the quantity more so than quality of people, I was overwhelmed and overstimulated. I needed this little break to recharge. As I stepped back into the apartment, I met Chris, Sarah's husband. As Canelle entered, it was a party--that included beer, wine and pizza.

As the conversation started and never stopped, I sat back and enjoyed the sight of friends and family being so personal in an impersonal city. Maybe there was hope for the city. Maybe people still looked other people in the eye instead of through satellites and into small screens of iPods and Blackberrys. Maybe people still offered their energy for a smile and a laughter or two. Maybe people could feel safe from conversations that lead to favors or attachments or bribes. Just maybe...

As Kate and I said our good byes and crossed the city line into New Jersey, we could feel the end coming. The end of a long but short, a tiresome but energy-some, a sad but happy trip coming to an end. And as we think on the trip and the effects on us as people, individuals and a couple, our blog within the next coming days will try to put into words our experience of a lifetime, one for the books and something extraordinary.