New York City - 10/4/80 - 7:00 P.M.

 Arrived 6:00 a.m. (left 15 minutes late, still got here on time). Slept for the day, took a leisurely time waking up (2 p.m.). About 3 took a leisurely walk around the Columbia campus and then paid an awe inspiring visit to St. John the Divine. Beautiful stained glass, vaulted ceilings, embroidered and jeweled vestments along the sides. I was impressed. Massive brass doors depicting religious scenes, especially enamored of the "Creation" series, almost surreal, very geometric. 

Mom and A(my mom's husband/2021)had a special joint of $200 an ounce grass waiting for me last night. A got wasted in the car on the way to the airport. R (my sister/2021) was there as well (surprise), C (my host/2021) and P (her boyfriend/2021) met me at J.F.K. and we promptly got lost in the N.Y.C. subway system. 1 hour trip turns into1 and a half hours. Fun! C likes her household this year, this is heartening. Still want to figure out what gives with P and her, ah well. 

Most impressed (I reiterate) with St. Johns - will send M and P (my brother and sister in law) a postcard or something from there. Going out to dinner with one of C's friends tonight in the village. Will write what it is about after it happens. Must iron my blue cords, I feel real attractive in them. Laundry mid week is going to be a must I fear.

Meanwhile back in 2021 - I've given relationships in parentheses followed by 2021 to make things as clear as possible. Obviously I really liked those blue cords although I have absolutely no recollection of them. I guess they fit my young ass well. 

New York City - 1980 - Introduction

 Over the past months we have been spending quite a bit of time, effort and frankly, money, on our home, a 9th floor condo in Chicago. We have upgraded our kitchen appliances and  been acquiring new furniture to replace our old  as well as planning and mapping out further changes to come. We have recently both "semi-retired" rarely working more than 3 days a week. We now spend more time in our home than we did before. As a friend of mine put we are "nesting".

As a part of this process I was emptying out and going through the contents of an old blanket chest in preparation for the delivery of it's replacement. Among an assortment of items I found a journal from a trip I took to New York City in 1980, I was 22, just a few days shy of my 23rd birthday. 

I have decided to post these entries on this site, it did start as a place to record my memories of all the trips I have been fortunate enough to experience after all. The entries will remain exactly as written when I discovered them. I will resist the urge to edit. I prefer to present them precisely as written, from the perspective of almost unimaginably young eyes chronicling an era long past. 

As is my habit I will not identify anyone by name, instead using initials for the people that shared this experience with me. Hope that doesn't get too confusing! Here goes!

Transition

 It's gray outside yet still mild enough to have our windows and balcony door open as fall places a stronger hold on the city. Summer to fall is a slow, gentle transition. Many claim fall as their favorite season. 

I am transitioning with the season, learning to understand and embrace my new world of semi retirement. Pre pandemic I worked, often under extreme pressure, full time. During my younger days, when I was in retail management, this sometimes meant 6o hour weeks. In my 20's, living life as what would now be called a gig worker, I was sometimes putting in 50 hour weeks. It was what I needed to do financially, but that is another story. 

We came out of the worst of the pandemic in fairly good financial shape, for which I am grateful. I got a job, after being laid off, where I work with a great product and am well respected. Since our expenses are low I realized that we could cover the costs of all our needs, and most of our serious desires, with me working only 3 days a week. This leaves me with the luxury of an excess of time. I, during my adult life, have had to keep life going, outside of work, with a minimum of this luxury. I have always rushed to cook, clean or grocery shop. There never seemed be enough time and wasting it, or whiling it away, was never an option. Now I'm working to slow myself down. To realize that, though it may be Monday and I return to work tomorrow, it is only for 2 days, and then there is more time after that. 

During the summer I was distracted, by afternoons at the beach, lakefront bike rides and free symphonies in the park. Now, for the next several months, these distractions will be gone and I must realign my time. I am trying to write more, you are thanked for your patience in advance. I cook, am delving further into our extensive music collection of cds and vinyl, which I care for with some amount of pride, than I ever have before and with the recent gift from a coworker of a Kindle he wasn't using, will begin to read as I have always wanted to, but had trouble finding the time. I want to explore classics, the "good stuff". I am looking forward to becoming acquainted with Hemingway and renewing my romance with Mark Twain. I want to experience more of the bare, raw masculinity of Jack London and the lyricism of Toni Morrison, although finding something by her I haven't already read will be a challenge. On occasion, at the gym, my workouts are less strenuous and lighter as my visits are a little more frequent. I am learning the comfort of staying in bed till 7 or 7:30, sleeping in for me, I am transitioning

It is an interesting journey, I thought of retirement, but when confronting it I found I don't understand it at all. I am learning to transition.