Our first trip was in August of 2014. She had always said that the only thing more fun than going to New York would be to go with her Grandstreet friends. And that is exactly what we did.
It was January of her 5th grade year when she began her Grandstreet career. We had long before discovered she had a singing voice and a desire to perform. We were committed to supporting her in anyway we could. So with some help from one of her friends we convinced her to give it a try for one semester. We promised her that if didn't like it she didn't have to continue the following year. The rest is history.
Through her time at Grandstreet she has made some lifelong friends and treasured memories. It was only too fitting that her first trip to New York was with these wonderful people. I was nervous about traveling to an unknown city. But I felt confident with our tour guides and within 24 hours we were ready to venture off on our own.
It was the best trip ever! Newsies, Matilda, Once, If/Then; a Circle Line harbor tour, Museum of Natural History, 9/11 Memorial, Top of the Rock and so much more. We had a blast. The only thing missing was her dad. I wish so much that he could have been there to watch her experience it all.
By the end of the trip we are already planning round 2. We couldn't wait to start planning for our next adventure. We joked that the first trip was our "test run" and now that we knew that we can do this we were ready to try it on our own. When we left New York, I promised I would bring her back as soon as I could.
With the help of some great friends, I will be fulfilling this promise. We are excited to be spending 8 days in The Greatest City In The World! We will see shows, shop, tour neighborhoods and museums. We will get to do a lot of things we didn't have time for on the first trip. I am thankful to our Grandstreet friends for taking us on our first trip and helping us have the confidence to do this on our own. I'm especially thankful for the friends who helped make this second trip possible. And I'm super excited to share it with those we love through social media! Funny; 18 months ago I had no idea what it would truly mean when I said to her "You'll be back"
