Saying Goodbye to New York
Back in July, Sal and I wanted to do something special to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. While we usually celebrate by going out to dinner, we wanted to do something different this year. I don’t know about you, but I feel like any chance we can get to sneak in a little extra joy these days we try to take it. So we started researching unusual outdoor activities that would be both safe and fun, and found a company that runs jet ski tours from Gravesend Bay in Brooklyn to lower Manhattan.
Jet skiing on the East River? It seemed kinda nuts, but also the type of unforgettable thing we were looking for. We lined up the grandparents to take care of Ginny and booked the tour.
The day of our big excursion, Sal and I threw on our swimsuits and headed to this desolate marina in the middle-of-nowhere Brooklyn. A handful of couples gathered six feet apart and we were all prepped on how to maneuver the jetski.
The only rule I remember was that we had to keep up. The instructor informed us that we would organically separate into two groups- the fast, experienced drivers and the slow newbies who would trail behind. If you weren’t part of the fast group you wouldn’t get to see as many sights downtown so the instructor stressed the need for us to go as fast as we could to keep up.
Even though I had never jet skied before I was determined to be one of the leaders of the pack. After all, how hard could it be?
We coasted out of the marina and into the open water. “All right,” he shouted in a thick Jersey accent, “Let’s go!”
I pumped the throttle of the jet ski and it propelled forward so fast I took my hand off the gas, but instead of slowing down we flew backwards. I pumped and then immediately released the throttle again.
We rocked back and forth in this horrible cycle for what felt like an hour while all the other couples passed us by. We bobbed in the water uncontrollably like a helpless rubber ducky in the middle of a toddler’s tantrum at bathtime.
I was starting and stopping and screaming and ready to turn around and give up altogether when FINALLY, I got us to hold a steady speed. We slowly made our way forward towards lower Manhattan.
After driving for what felt like forever, Sal and I made it to the Statue of Liberty. We swapped seats and with Sal in the driver's seat, I was able to take a big exhale and enjoy the view.
New York, as always, looked gorgeous. In the morning light she was a soft yellow color that lightly glistened with the reflection of the water. My heart felt full. Since the Dream, Girl office was off Wall Street I’ll always have a soft spot for lower Manhattan. We cruised past the Statue of Liberty up towards the Brooklyn Bridge and I knew somewhere deep inside this might be one of the last times I got to experience the full swell of the city’s intoxicating energy. I let it wash over me and felt an anchoring sense of gratitude.
After living in Brooklyn for 10 years, Sal and I have been making plans for a new adventure for our family. We officially made the decision to say goodbye to New York City, and two weeks ago we did it.
We packed up our bags, cleaned out our apartment, and my dad drove Sal, Ginny, my cat Lucy, and I back to Buffalo. We are currently living with my parents until we find our new home here in the City of Good Neighbors.
Quarantining in Buffalo this past March surprised us. Even though it was challenging at times to live under my parents roof during the start of a global pandemic, it also challenged us to think about what we want. It showed us a different, slower, easier lifestyle. One that we genuinely grew love and missed when we were gone.
We are so grateful that Sal’s job allowed him the freedom to relocate, and I look forward to reconnecting with my Buffalo roots. And of course no one is more excited than my mother, MaryAlice.
One day, when Ginny’s older we will take her back to Brooklyn and show her all our favorite places. The apartment where she first learned to walk, the Paris Theater where Dream, Girl premiered, and the Statue of Liberty where her parents almost fell off a jetski into the East River.
Because even though I am no longer an official resident, I know in my heart I’ll always be a New Yorker.
Xx,
Written by Erin Bagwell
Copy edited by Diana Matthews