We were nearby and had an hour before dinner at a restaurant we haven’t been to in over two years. So, we decided to take a walk to the hotel on West 48th Street in Hell’s Kitchen. We have a long history with the hotel and had stayed there many times over the years. Our last stay was in February of 2020, a few weeks before the lockdown.
We expected changes but we wondered who, and what, if anything, was the same. The ownership of the hotel had changed and we weren’t sure whether there would be a familiar face.
There has been so much change over the past two years. Our visit was, perhaps, a little microcosmic test for us. A yearning for familiarity wrapped in anxious curiosity.
The lobby was the same but the people were different. An unfamiliar vibe. Then one familiar face - the maintenance man - and another - the doorman. A smile and a heartfelt greeting. A few minutes to catch up on the things that changed. Reminiscing and yearning for old times.
And in the midst of all, an affirmation that we had come through and there is a new beginning.