Lily and I took the weekend off from training and traveled to New York for and extended weekend vacation. The trip was planned so I could meet her parents (obviously she wanted to see them too), see where she grew up and for her to show me New York City. We got a direct flight from Columbus to LaGuardia which made things really simple. We even brought our dog, Buddy, who traveled perfectly. I was actually introduced to Lily’s parents at the airport where they came to pick us up. After a brief introduction Lily and her mom, Pam, went to take Buddy out and Lily’s dad, Matt, and I went to pick up our checked bag. Being my first time in NYC I was prepared for total chaos but Matt made it real simple and easy. One thing that was crazy was the amount of taxis staged waiting for fares. There were probably 100 just waiting in sequence for a fare. I’d never seen anything like that before. We were at their car and out of there in about 15 minutes. Simple. From there we went to a little bakery and then headed to their place in Bronxville. We stayed with them for the 4 days so we just kinda got settled in and relaxed for a bit. That evening we went into the little town and had a great meal. Pam and Matt were very welcoming and open. The next day we actually went to New Jersey and I was fortunate to meet Lily’s grandparents, a couple of aunts and uncles and some of her cousins. Great family all around. After we got back to NY we got some authentic NY pizza! Monday Lily and I spend the day in NYC. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, got food as Shake Shack, ate come cake in Central Park and had dinner on the roof of her cousin’s high-rise apartment building. I rode the subway for the first time and saw a bunch of the stuff I have seen in movies. Tuesday we just chilled at her parents’ house and got some sandwiches at an actual deli before heading to the airport to come home. The return flight was great and Buddy once again traveled like a pro. Overall the entire trip was fantastic. I spent a solid 4 days with the woman I love, got to me her parents (who are extremely gracious and inspirational), got to meet some of her extended family (who were also very welcoming and kind), ate some great food and got to see NYC. It was perfect. Thank you Lily…I LOVE YOU!