July 22, 2004

The highlight of my trip into New York City was getting to visit with my daughter, Christina.  I hadn't seen her since April 4th, when she hiked down Springer Mountain with me.  I hugged, kissed, and hugged her again.  I honestly didn't want to let go. Bear and I had dinner at Foley's overlooking Times Square with Twinkles and her boyfriend, Joey.  I could not have been happier.  Wow...she looked gorgeous!  Spending time with her was magical.

I purchased a lime green and pink plaid pleated skirt and a pink tank top with a matching sweater.  In the shoe department, I suffered through fitting myself for shoes that I could walk in.  Heels were not an option at all so I went with a flat casual sandal.  I then wanted to purchase a few makeup items, but was trapped into having my makeup done by a Clinique makeup artist.  I hadn't worn makeup for months and felt clown-like with layer after layer applied to my face, eyelids, and lips.  I needed undergarments since my hiking clothes had built-in undergarments.  I went to lingerie on 9th floor and hastily picked out a bra.  As I sauntered over to the panties, I checked the price of the bra.  It was $225.00!  Whew! I hobbled back to return the bra to its display and searched for a familiar brand.  All the while, sales women were asking me if I needed help.  I chuckled at this wondering if I really looked like I hadn't been shopping for months and appeared aimless.  I finally did put together a day outfit and honestly...it WAS quite a chore.  I didn't like shopping in NYC which is a 360 degree turnaround for me.

When I returned to the hotel, Bear and I examined each other's day outfits. He had picked out some really great blue shorts dotted with red lobsters! He chose a pink tee with green trim and beige sandals to complete his off-trail fashion statement.  He too was overwhelmed by his shopping adventure and we both laughed at ourselves and our inability to process NYC's stimulating culture.  Once considered a city girl, the Appalachian Trail has transformed me.