Let's play a game called "What did Sam see during his first real trip ever to New Jersey?"
What:
-- Liberty State Park, NJ
-- Ellis Island, NY
-- Statue of Liberty, NY
-- Battery Park, Manhattan, NY
-- Esplanade, Manhattan, NY
-- Ground Zero, Manhattan, NY
-- The Prestige Diner, New Providence, NJ
-- "Downtown" New Providence, NJ
-- Target on Route 22 ("The biggest mess of a road ever" according to Ricky)
-- Short Hills Mall where, according to Rachel, stores get kicked out for not being fancy enough
Now for the story of our weekend.
After a little train delay, Rachel and I were on our way to New Jersey! Because of the delay, we arrived late, so Rachel's boyfriend Ben picked us up from the train station. I was exhausted and crashed immediately upon arriving at Rachel's house.
Saturday morning, we were up bright and early to go to Liberty State Park where we jumped on a ferry to Ellis Island. Arriving at Ellis Island was a strange experience for me. Walking the same footsteps as some of my ancestors eerily reminded me of
Shalhevet, the two-week Holocaust remembrance trip I went on during my senior year of high school. I remember walking through Auschwitz and other concentration camps, shocked at the fact that I was retracing the steps of so many people, my family included.
Auschwitz and Ellis Island are clearly two very different places, but the same eerie feeling ran down my spine in both locations. The former symbolizes the attempted extermination of so many peoples; the latter the rebirth of so many. But both provided a huge feeling of uncertainty for those involved. And, more importantly, both marked places where I relived the experiences of my family members.
After arriving at Ellis Island, we watched a film about the people who came through the island from all over Europe. The journey proved very difficult for some people. They could travel anywhere from a week to a month, diseases were transmitted the entire way, and most difficult of all, just like flying these days, the people on the boat were allowed to bring one bag. Just one. I could never put my entire life in one bag. These people made huge sacrifices, leaving their entire lives behind in the hopes of finding something better in "The Golden Land."
The rest of our visit at Ellis Island was much more uplifting. We got to see America through the eyes of those leaving home seeking better lives: this beautiful country with gold-lined streets and an opportunity for everybody. Even after arriving in the US not knowing any English, these people were able to make lives for themselves. And if it weren't for the Nadelfeins, the Bernsteins, the Kaplans, and the Goldsteins, not only would I not be here, but I would not have the opportunities I have had my entire life. And for that, I am forever grateful.
We finally left Ellis Island for the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty was everything I ever imagined and more. Tall, proud, and representing the freedom that comes with being an American. Rachel and I walked around the entire island and almost up to the statue's feet. We decided that in the heat of the summer, it would be wiser to not climb into the copper furnace that is Lady Liberty's crown.
When we felt that we had taken in the Statue of Liberty's beauty in its entirety, we continued our journey to Manhattan where we met Ben and walked around Battery Park and the Esplanade. We left New York exhausted and met Rachel's family for dinner at the Prestige Diner, where Rachel used to work.
We then continued our epic day-long adventure to Target, where I purchased a bike helmet for work. By the time we arrived back at the Azarows, we were exhausted and watched
Madagascar. Rachel crashed before the animals even arrived on the island, and I barely made it through the movie before following suit.
We got to sleep in yesterday before meeting Lauren for lunch at the Short Hills Mall. Never have I seen or heard of such a place where stores get kicked out for no reason other than not being fancy enough. In any case, we had a nice lunch at
Papa Razzi before Rachel and I returned to prepare for our train ride back to DC.
All in all, I had a great weekend full of firsts.
Peace, love, and happiness.
