I have been thinking a lot about the difference between seeing the world as a tourist or as a traveler. Much has been written about the value of slow travel as opposed to a whirlwind tourist trip. Writer G.K. Chesterton wrote: “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see”. My daughter, Lindsey and I spent four and a half days in New York City and we were in full tourist mode. We were up early and spent the entire day seeing the sites.

We stayed in mid-town Manhattan about two blocks from Grand Central Station. It was a great location as we were able to travel all over the City via the subway system. It is a great way to travel. We toured Uptown, Downtown and Brooklyn. We saw two Broadway shows: Lion King and Mama Mia! and had dinner at Times Square. We took the ferry out to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. We went to Rockefeller Center and one morning saw the taping of Good Morning America.

The two most impactful sites, and when I felt myself internally slow down to really absorb what we were seeing, was when we visited the 911 Memorial and Ellis Island. Our visit to the 911 Memorial was the most touching of our trip. From the minute we stepped up to the reflecting ponds, I had tears in my eyes (and I am not a crier). There was much criticism about how long it took for the memorial to open but I can see why. The attention to detail and the reverence of it are palatable.

Our ferry ride to Liberty Island included a stop at Ellis Island. Over 22 million immigrants arrived in the United States through the receiving hall. The information provided brought to life the struggles of those who came and the heartbreak for those who were turned away.   The presentation of the information is done very well including taped interviews from those who had been processed through Ellis Island.

I would have loved to see New York as a traveller with time to experience the sites and meet the people but with only four and a half days, we had to use our time the best way we could. I am very grateful that Michael and I will have the opportunity to see the world at the pace of and through the eyes of a traveller. I will remind myself to stay in the moment and not be tempted to rush from thing to thing.