Page 38 - Sandy Jackman Pantai Hotel

You Can Go Home Again

By Judith A. Habert

38

This past Mother’s Day my oldest daughter, Danielle, gave me one of the which before it was served Vito, (yes that was really his name) put his hand
greatest gift’s ever, a ticket to New York to visit her in her new apartment into a big vat of cold mozzarella cheese and threw it on top. I bet you are
with her new husband of two years. With my crazy schedule between the salivating right now! To add to the New York Italian experience, our next
magazine, and launch of The San Diego Writing Academy, there has not stop was to a unique family owned and operated store called The Crushed
been much free time for trips across the country. Olive, which had the most amazing selection of infused extra virgin olive
So at the end of June, I went home again. It has been about 8 years since oils and balsamic vinegars. You can walk around and sample the many
I had been back east, and one of the greatest parts of my trip was that this varieties of Olive Oil and vinegars infused with everything from fruit to sea-
was the first opportunity to have some alone time with my grown daugh- soning to nuts by dipping the small pieces of Italian bread provided.
ter. My oldest is seven years older than my middle daughter, and my two
youngest are only fourteen months apart. So once the youngest was born, The People
there was never much time for Danielle and me. With her schedule ad- The places were great, but the most important element of the trip were the
justed to have time off of work for my visit, her husband continued working people. I got to spend a day visiting my favorite relatives who I have not
and we were left with a lot of time to talk. It gave me a chance to meet my seen in close to a decade. Marilyn and Joe who live in Montgomery, New
daughter for the first time as a grown woman. An amazing and rewarding York (or what New Yorkers refer to as Upstate) are technically my cousins,
experience for a mom. but I have treasured my relationship with them throughout my life, and
Aside from the enjoyable family time, and the opportunity to get to know since my mother’s unexpected passing 17 years ago, Marilyn has stepped
her new in-laws, Danielle was determined to show me all of the reasons in, becoming my second Mom, always there for me remembering those
why I should consider moving back to my birth place. So we fit in as much dates that she knows I will be sad, and in need of a virtual hug, even if it is
as possible in the six day visit. from 3,000 miles away.
I also had a chance to have a big old fashion Italian barbeque with friends
Places Nancy & Dan and their grown children, who I also haven’t seen in years.
Danielle lives on Long Island in a town calling Huntington Station, so our There is nothing like reliving old times with people that you have known
first day was spent going into the village, which was a charming town full since the age of 15. Getting to know the new friends was equally exciting
of character and old world appeal. An old style book store brought back spending some time with my daughter’s sister-in-law and her two beautiful
memories of times when all books were not purchased online. The list of babies, and her wonderful in-laws made me thankful that she has an east
well-known celebrities who would be appearing for book signings amazed coast family to watch over her.
me. It suddenly made me realize how much I missed the fun and excite-
ment of true book stores. Most people are probably thinking “what a nerd, Let’s Not Forget the Boroughs…Manhattan & Brooklyn
how are book stores exciting?” but as a writer one of the biggest dreams is No trip to New York is complete without a tour of the boroughs. I couldn’t
of that book signing which includes long lines of fans clamoring for a signed make it to all of them, but we did manage to get to Brooklyn and Manhat-
copy of your latest New York Times Best Seller. Next, we stopped for lunch tan. My son-in-law was off, so we jumped on the Long Island railroad and
and had what every New Yorker must have on a trip back home, a slice of headed into Manhattan. A Broadway show was on the agenda, so we did
Real New York Pizza: Not the real New York pizza that you find in places the New York thing and went early in the morning and stood on the half-
outside of New York. This was a large triangular slice of cheese pizza, price ticket line - to bring the outrageously high ticket prices to something