Post explosion lull

Saturday morning I woke up early and jetted off to Manhattan for work. Having just been in August my mind was racing with all of the places I wanted to see and enjoy again. Ever since my first visit I've been captivated by the culture, the concrete, and the pulse. There isn't another city like it in the world! 

While attending a conference for work I found every possible free moment to galavant through my favorite Manhattan neighborhoods! Wading through garbage doesn't faze me there because I'm so enamored by the scale and complexity. Needless to say in four days I came and saw and conquered. 

I landed back in Chicago late Tuesday night and my incredible wife was waiting up to hear all about my trip (and I was anxious to hear the million ways she and the kids survived in my absence). Each of the kiddos were nestled in their beds so I made the round trip from cheek to cheek squeezing them while they slept. Their value far outweighed my few days of freedom. I had the privilege to head into the office late yesterday so I was able to spend more time squeezing and dropping off and playing before venturing back into the standard routine. 

Upon hitting the streets it was a sobering reminder of how quiet Chicago is relative to New York. The scale of each city completely unrelatable. A block with only one other person or a street without constant honking and yellow cabs. There is a lull that follows the explosion that is Manhattan. 

Despite the dramatic landscape change and my constant desire for concrete and tall buildings that go on forever I was glad to be at home. To see my wife, to listen to stories from my kids and share laughter over the little things. There are no more precious moments in life than these.