There are so many wonderful things to do and see in New York City. It's hard to imagine that in a lifetime someone could possibly manage to get to them all. The problem is that many of them sound like so much fun it's hard to choose between the men and select the few. The best solution for me is to stick with things that can't be done at home. Playing in parks for the most part can be done at home. While none of our parks compare to the many available here, it can still be done at home without traveling thousands of miles in order to do so.

The same can be said for watching movies, fishing, hiking, riding bikes, and roller-blading. While getting exercise is great, there will be plenty of walking while in New York and I can actually roller blade when I get home, right? But if you like doing those things, why on earth would you deprive yourself of doing them simply because the locale has changed? If anything you will have a new shot of scenery to enjoy, new sights and sounds, and perhaps you can get your family, up, out, and active right along with you.

In addition to the physical activities there are so many wonderful shows that can be seen on and off Broadway, there are also some wonderful opportunities to dance yourself as well as to watch others dancing. You can make music and listen to the beautiful sounds that others have made. You also have the wonderful and unique ability to choose from so many bookstore and antique shops. There are literally thousands of things you can choose to do and see within the course of a day in New York City, many of them free and some of them are actually freeing.

It is so important that we remember when vacationing what the actual purpose of a vacation is-to renew ourselves in our commitments to our families, our mates, and our work. In doing this we are supposed to come back refreshed and renewed ready to face the challenges that await us. Find something freeing to do while on vacation. Let your hair down and enjoy the ability to dance without worrying about who might see. Sing karaoke in a tavern, act silly with your kids and go walking barefoot on the beach with flowers in your hair. Remember what it was like to be young and have fun for the sake of having fun and most importantly, remember how to smile.

Your New York Vacation should remind you, if nothing else how fleeting life is. The skyline of this great city has forever been changed and that is something we can never forget, it is not something we need to dwell on, but it is something that should really make us think when we remember it. We should seize each moment with our friends and families for the opportunity it is to not only be blessed but also to be a blessing in return.

Use your vacation as an opportunity to read to your children, sing to your mate, hold hands in the rain, and fall in love with each other all over again. Be romantic and sweet and hold the door open for him. Be silly and make up rhyming songs and tell your children often just how much you are enjoying playing with them and remember all of these things when you return home. That is when you will find that you are truly blessed.