New York City

Karie, her friend, and I went to New York City last weekend. When Karie,wife of a wounded Marine, and I first met in person on the caregivers retreat in Nashville we said we wanted to go to NYC. One of the counselors from the retreat lives there and we were able to see her on this trip. It was so good to see her and was a bit emotional for all of us. She was the one that helped me do some crisis intervention with Bryan last year and I also talked to her after Karie’s husband passed away. She helped me know how to be there for Karie and what resources were available for her. After the funeral, Karie and I got serious about going and we decided that before Christmas was perfect timing.

Karie’s friend, who also came along, has been a great friend to Karie for a long time. I met her at the funeral and it was great to hang out again under better circumstances. It was nice to be away and not be stressed for an entire weekend. We went to Top of the Rock, ate at Rockefeller Center where we watched the ice skaters and saw the famous tree while dining. We saw the play “Chicago”, ate a wonderful steak dinner (thanks AJ Maxwells for donating the gift card), shopped, visited the Plaza, and overall just had a wonderful time.

It is so great to see Karie doing so well after such tragedy and heartache. I am lucky to have her as a friend. I always feel that people are placed in our lives for reasons and I am thankful to have her support. I feel like she is my sister, I want to check in to make sure she is really OK. It is always good to be around people that know what I have been through and can truly understand me. We need to make sure we see each other as often as we can.

I, of course, missed my husband but being a prior Army family, being away for a weekend isn’t a big deal. I think he misses me a little while I am gone too. There was some drama on the flight back. We got delayed out of the gate and when we arrived it was so cold in Charlotte that the jet bridge wouldn’t work. I ran with about eight other people to the connecting flight. They didn’t hold the plane for us. I ended up staying the night in Charlotte in a scary hotel and headed out bright and early the next morning. I made it home safe and sound and was thankful to be home with my husband. The house was clean and he didn’t spend a ton of money while I was gone. What a wonderful and successful trip.