Daddy & Daughter Time (New York & Boston 2024)

In my 20’s, I visited New York and Boston most years to shop (back when the pound was actually worth something to the dollar!). Then I started exploring other parts of the US and before I realised - it’d been 10 years since my last visit to NYC. The reason for this trip? To take Dad to see his

sister who was about to celebrate her 100th birthday. 

It was a little touch and go because just before I booked the flights (Virgin - my presence for the Caribbean and America) in September, Aunty took ill and it wasn’t looking great. But praise God, He answered our prayers.

I love spending time with Dad and time away seems all that more special. He’d stayed at mine for a couple of nights before we set off. The flight was smooth. Got chatting to one of the upper-class attendants and when he found out I was heading over for Aunty’s 100th birthday, he gave me a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate; very thoughtful! (But neither of us will be drinking it, lol).

I’ve visited New York more times than I remember. In my twenties, I combined an annual trip to NY with Boston every year to shop. The good ole days when you were allowed 2 x 32 kilos. I eyed up what I wanted in NY and purchased it in Boston as there was no tax on clothes and shoes there. This was definitely not a shopping trip. I did make it out to the shops on a couple of occasions. I got a cute little 'God says I am' T-shirt, a small white handbag and a pair of long, black, small-heeled boots.

This trip was all about Aunty V. My earliest memory of her was when I visited NY for the first time as an 11-year-old. The story has been repeatedly told of me wanting to acquire a pair of red shoes and walking her til she could walk no more to find them. She eventually sat on a bench outside and sent me on with Dad to find them. Fast forward to my twenties and each time I visited her she would give me a $20 note and tell me to purchase a pair of shoes. I reminded her of this, and I could tell from her reaction that she remembered it.

Spending time with Dad was wonderful. We had a lovely-ish day in Manhattan (minus some of the walking he later told me). It started with a cruise to Stanton Island - not to visit, rather to sail past the Statue of Liberty. A long scenic walk to China Town, Little Paris - so little we almost missed it, and Little Italy which was a lot bigger. Subway back to Central Park, then to Times Square to end the evening amongst the hustle and bustle of the large crowds. 

The actual 100th celebration was a lot more low-key than we would have initially hoped as Aunty wasn’t up to much. We spent the Friday with her, singing happy birthday, congratulating her and letting her know we were honoured to be in her presence. Then on the Sunday everyone gathered so there were a lot more people; her son, granddaughter, great-grand kids and their kids. The room was decorated, she had a large cake and a lot of love. 

One of my cousins had driven from Pennsylvania and brought lots of dishes she had cooked. I had done some cooking that morning as well. It wasn’t really practical to have it at Aunty’s small apartment so some of us had it back at the house I was staying at.

There was catching up with family in NY - lots of cousins, some I hadn’t seen for more than a decade, extended family friends and an old friend from my days in Barbados. Once the NY meetings and greetings were done, hubby and I headed off to Boston. He had never been before and I had an aunt and some cousins there he had never met. I didn’t want to fly so the journey choice was 2 fold (driving in US is not my thing); train or bus (coach to us Brits). The train ticket was almost $400 pp and took 3 hours and 48 mins. The bus price was $50 pp and took 4 hours and 8 minutes. In my eyes it was a non-brainer. Buses had recliner seats, charging points, free bottled water, on board toilet and most importantly for many - free wifi. It was Veterans Day (like Remembrance Day but an actual bank holiday) so the roads were clear and the bus practically flew to NY - except for some random stop to ‘recondition’ the bus.

2 nights with Aunty Dee - who I love refering to as my crazy aunty from Boston. Hubby soon found out why she was designated that name. Caught up with my cousins - one I’m in contact with another I may only have met once previously and saw others I hadn’t seen for over 20 years. Also managed to see 2 other aunties as well. Yes - I have many aunts and uncles and sadly, many who have now sadly passed away.

Eating, fruitless shopping and 2 nights later we were back on that comfortable bus back to NY. Not before discovering the Prudential Mall.

My 4th and final visit to see Aunty this trip. Reminded her how special she was to me and how loved. She held my hand and kissed it with her toothless mouth, or was she biting me? I asked her which it was and she didn’t seem too impressed, in her Aunty V way, lol. A sad-ish goodbye and we were on our way back to the airport - where you no longer go through Homeland Security passport control check-point on exiting the USA (well, I guess it was 4 years since my last visit to the country).

It had been an extremely smooth ride on the way out - not a single bump as I recalled. And man did it make up for it on its return - seatbelt sign seemed to be switched on for most of the journey back, but I still managed to sleep a little before our 7am landing back at Heathrow where it had all started 11 days prior.

Next stop - Caribbean