This year, I have lived by the words: expect the unexpected. So when my friend, Katie, emailed me last week asking if I was willing to take a trip “somewhere up the Hudson,” I thought… “why not?” I’m a very spontaneous and open for anything kind of girl, so I responded, “It’s on!” Little did I know what I was getting myself into…
Our “care-free” day started out just like that. After the two of us were running late (per usual!), we were both standing in two different ticket lines around the corner from each other. The train was leaving in three minutes, and with me being behind four people in line I immediately thought that there was no way we were going to make it. Until, I received a call from Katie who said, “Got the tickets. Meet me at Platform 25.” I pressed end, and ran.
I got to Platform 25, and there was no sign of Katie. To top it off, there was no cell service down there, so with the train leaving within that minute I hopped on (thinking she had done the same!). I began walking through the train in search of her. Then I looked out the window, and saw my sweet friend politely standing on Platform 25. I banged on the window, and motioned for her to get on. The conductor was standing to my left with a questioned look on his face. As Katie began to go towards the train door, it started moving. I looked at the conductor and asked if he could stop the train to let her on or let me off, and I received the obvious response of “no.” I looked at Katie outside (both of our mouths were dropped). She began to slowly get smaller and smaller. The unexpected had just begun!
Once my cell received service, I got a call from Katie. Both of us were laughing so hard! We decided for me to get off at one of the first stops, Yonkers, so she could get on the next train within the hour to meet me. Until she came, I had the best time just sitting on a bench with my Wall Street Journal at hand overlooking the Hudson River.
Once Katie came, I was told where it was we would be going that day: Beacon, NY. When we rolled up there, I saw the cutest town with two signs pointing in opposite directions: Main Street and Dia: Beacon. We headed towards Main Street to grab lunch and stroll. Our favorites?
{The next post will include everything that we loved from all three!}
As we walked down this quaint street, I was immediately overwhelmed with a feeling of comfort. It’s amazing how just one day out of a busy city can bring you such ease! We then headed towards the Dia: Beacon museum, which everyone had said was a “must see” on Main Street. It truly was!
We walked up to what looked to be a small brick building on the outside, but when we walked in we were amazed as to how large this once factory building actually was. The majority of the venue was all crisp white with natural light coming in the large windows.
Every exhibit was different. Each room you walked into made you question, think, and improvise as to how that artist number one: made the art and number two: what inspired him. I found the Dia: Beacon to be one of the most calming and interesting museums I had ever stepped into.
After we saw each room, Katie and I decided to frolick in the grass outside of the Dia, and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. We couldn’t believe that this quiet place was so close to the loud city we lived in, and how easy it was to get here. If we had both not set out to “expect the unexpected” that day, we would have never found Beacon, NY. I cannot wait to train back there soon!
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