Weekend of Firsts

It may have been our 2nd weekend in the city, but it was still a weekend full of many firsts.  It was only appropriate that we were able to share the experience with our very first guests, Robert and Catherine Whitehill, who are two of our very close friends from UNC as well as Durham.

Our Saturday was action packed, and started off with a bang as Cat was able to take advantage of being in the Big Apple by conducting some interviews at NBC.  Talk about surreal - how many times in your life do you get to see your houseguests on major network television?  A very memorable “first” to kick off the weekend.

Practically straight from the studio, we caught the subway to the Bronx for our maiden voyage to Yankee stadium.  The markup on ticket prices was incredible (it seems that we’re not the only ones who wanted to get to the historic grounds before it is demolished after the season), yet the whole experience was worth it.  Perhaps the most amazing part of being there was thinking of all the famous players who had graced the grounds - 85 years of sporting greatness which has made up so much of our American culture.  It’s a significant landmark for our country, and we were so glad to get the chance to visit, even if it was from the left center field bleachers. (By the way, the Yanks pulled through in extras).

After a bit of shopping in Midtown, the four of us geared up for our dinner reservations at one of Cat’s favorite restaurants, Tao.  In the days leading up to the weekend, we must have heard a thousand times about this incredible restaurant which boasts pan Asian cuisine, one-of-a-kind decor, and is a favorite of celebrities and New Yorkers alike.  Yet, like a lot of things in New York, we wondered if the talk was cheap, or if this place could somehow live up to the hype.

Put simply, Tao didn’t live up to the hype - it was the hype.  From the moment we walked into the doors and were greeted by the ever-present thumping of the bass and techno mix, I was sure this would be a dinner unlike any other I’d experienced before.

From the first appetizers to the last desserts (yes, we had two!), Tao provided non-stop excitement through the combination of delectable culinary delights and a rip-roaring atmosphere that is part night-club, part upscale dining.  There’s really no way to describe the sensation of biting into an incredibly delicious Peking Duck roll while a bald bongo player stands inches away engaging in a rhythmic recital.

Tao is not the place to take a first date (unless of course you wish to get to know each other while shouting across the table).  It’s not the place to go for a quick and cheap bite to eat (before we knew it, we had been there for three hours).  But Tao is a place to go for a meal unlike any other.  And it is a ton of fun.

With the events of Saturday providing sufficient excitement to leave us all weary post-Tao, we hit the hay for a good night’s rest before heading to Redeemer for a morning church service.  In yet another weekend first, we had the delightful opportunity to hear Tim Keller speak.  Keller is the senior pastor at Redeemer and has become well-known as one of America’s top preachers and Christian thinkers.  Having only read Keller previously, it was a joy to hear his articulate and comprehensive message.

Following a tasty Mexican lunch near our apartment, our fearsome foursome came home and spent the last couple hours together simply talking and enjoying the familiar company.  Before long it became clear to everyone in the room that for every amazing first we had experienced during the weekend, there was another first looming which wasn’t so inviting - the first time saying “so long” to weekend guests.

While we’ve always understood our great fortune in having so many close friends, it has only been since leaving the comforts of NC that we’ve fully begun to understand the magnitude of the blessing.  The same can be said in our relationships with our families, who for so long have been so conveniently close in location that we’ve likely taken the comfort provided by their unwavering support for granted.  Though we’re many miles away, surely this love from friends and family remains unchanged - it’s just that this experience in New York has already changed us by making us realize the depth of thankfulness for the community around us.

As Rob and Cat walked out of our building and disappeared into the subway, we were aware of this incredible juxtapostion of feelings - the euphoric delight in the many firsts we had shared, and the solemn realization that, for now, such weekends are few and far between.  Amidst the temporary pain of saying goodbye, we realized that this weekend full of firsts was not just a few days of fun - it was a chance to learn a little bit more about ourselves.

A weekend to grow.  A weekend of firsts. A weekend we won’t soon forget.