Breakfast, July 21

Early morning at Battery ParkI remember sitting across from Daisy at the Holiday Inn Express on Fifth Ave. It was Friday morning and she had an omelet on her plate. I remember this because I had the same thing. It was early and I felt groggy. I remember this, too, because her appearance was the exact opposite. She was smiling, thrilled to be in NY, I think. Her face lit and her hair neat. Her eyes wide but soon became quarter-moons when she fell back in her seat and laughed. I did not understand what was being said. They were speaking Chinese at the table. I must have raised an eyebrow though because she hurriedly waved her fingers at me as though signaling for me to wait for her explanation while she swallowed her food. She told me they walked to Battery Park last night, to and fro. It was a total of five hours on foot from the hotel.

My jaw dropped and my fork hung in midair. It was astonishing to me because on the itinerary for that morning, July 21, the first place listed was Battery Park. They apparently did not know this, though, until five minutes before I joined them at the table. “But that’s where we’re going in 15 minutes!” I exclaimed. “I know!” shrilled Daisy, once again throwing her head back, laughing with her mouth full.

It’s amazing, I think, to find joy in our mistakes: to be reminded that it is just another something we can put in our past and learn from. Though, because of how cheerful Daisy was when she told me what they did last night, I felt like she would do it again if she could. Daisy’s professor next to me said that they got to see the sunset in their second hour of the walk. He explained seeing the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty from beyond and how beautiful it was.

Maybe I was wrong the first time around when I called this a mistake. It was nonetheless an experience for them. Thinking back, I sort of wished I joined them on that walk. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot. Maybe next time; but this time, it was definitely fulfilling enough to see cheer and hear laughter at such an early hour. It no doubt broke through my grogginess and fueled my energy for the rest of the day.