Christmas in New York

So here we are in New York.
This morning, we went to the Jewish museum (what else is open on Christmas Day?), but we arrived an hour before opening time, so we took a walk around the reservoir in Central Park. It was quite enjoyable, apart from the bitter cold (I forgot to bring a coat) and we got to see a sight that appears only on the rarest of days - Fifth Avenue, EMPTY. I literally went out to the middle of the street and took a picture. And then my whole family skipped down the sidewalk. Yes, we are strange.
After exploring the museum for two and a half hours or so, we went to my uncle's apartment in Brooklyn. He and my aunt hosted a small Hanukka party, which was more of a family gathering, but it was extremely enjoyable. I got to meet some cousins from my aunt's family and talk to another cousin with whom I haven't had a proper conversation with in too long. And there were endless amounts of food. Latkes and blintzes and cookies and quiches and who knows what else. It was half a birthday party (one cousin is turning four; another is turning eight, and a third is turning twenty-two), so there were cakes. We had an unnaturally long game of "keep-the-balloon-in-the-air."
I'm not sure if it seems like it to you, but today was amazing. And being here in New York has had another benefit.
On Friday my friend and I were discussing the fact that I'm leaving. I was being all mopey, so she said, "You really should stop thinking of this as 'the end.' It should be 'the beginning.'" (And excuse me if I misquoted you, Betty.) I got defensive and said "I'm not, I'm not," but really I was thinking of it as an end. Being here in New York has gotten me thinking that it will not be as bad as my subconscious was making it out to be. How? Well, for me, New York can be similar to Tel Aviv. I don't live here, it's a city, there are relatives here. You know what? This isn't bad. It's actually pretty good.
So, though January ninth is still an end in some ways, it's also a beginning. I don't know what's out there, but I've got to find out somehow. It will be different, but every day there's something different. Maybe it's more of a difference than you usually encounter, but hey, that's all right. And if I need them, I've always got the memories.