Dropping My Kid Off at College, I Run to Narrow the Distance Between Us
<p>Outside my hotel, I wait for my Garmin to locate a signal through the dense canopy of skyscrapers. Meanwhile, I need time to find my own bearings. I glance left and right, but nothing registers: <em>I’m lost before I even start my run</em>.</p>
<p>This is nothing new. Despite having visited New York City more than 20 times, every trip here has felt like it was my first. While I know Manhattan is an oblong island with Central Park at its heart, that’s about it. Whether due to the city’s sheer size, the brevity of my stays, or just laziness on my part, I haven’t retained much about its street grid or distinct neighborhoods. As a result, New York City always feels like New City to me.</p>
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<p>Seen while running the High Line: “NYC Love” by Nina Chanel Abney</p>
<p>But the purpose of this trip is different and more poignant: I’m dropping off our younger son, Charlie, at college for the first time. This milestone is as momentous for him as it is for my wife and me — we’ll be returning to an empty nest. I anticipate, with bittersweet emotion, that Charlie will soon be calling New York “home.” On this trip, with each step of my runs, I commit to etching a more detailed mental map of the city.</p>
<p>So when Charlie speaks of living in Greenwich Village, taking the C train to the park, or getting boba in Koreatown, I’ll see what he sees. And by narrowing the distance between us, I hope I also will see <em>him</em>.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/runners-life/dropping-my-kid-off-at-college-i-run-to-narrow-the-distance-between-us-78b11d43a62e">Read More</a></p>