When asked what I do in my free time, I usually say spend time with my family, travel, and catch up with my friends. This summer, my husband found a great airline deal for me to be able to fly directly into Princeton/Trenton. Because I could stay with friends and spend my time chatting on the couch catching up, I was able to make it a pretty reasonably priced trip. I hadn't been to New Jersey in six years!
In early June, our friend Leah and her daughter, E. were able to stay out our house in Iowa for the night. We became friends and eventually neighbors while our hubbies both attended PTS. I had never met her sweet daughter and it was so great catching up. Though I didn't see Leah while in NJ, I still count seeing her on my month of reunions! Strangely enough, our husbands had the opportunity to meet up for dinner while I was out in New Jersey. We pray for them as they will be moving overseas for the military.
I arrived in Princeton on a Friday and had the opportunity to tour many places and walk around my "home." I remember how excited yet terrified I was at the idea of moving MILES from the only home I had known. I can still remember pulling onto campus with our huge moving van- glad we made it and anxious to move in and get settled. Our welcome at our apartments was watching in awe as our new neighbors came out of their apartments and started carrying our stuff into our home. What we worried would take HOURS instead only took minutes. We continued that tradition as others later moved in and of course moved out. The sense of community and family we eventually found there were incredible.
Here is the seminary- the beautiful, peaceful grounds.
Here is the chapel. I spent a little time enjoying the quietness, and even singing some songs in a room with amazing acoustics where no one could hear me!
Below is the new library- what an amazing facility.
Walking along Nassau Street in downtown Princeton, I found this fun picture opportunity of Einstein!
Here are my two friends- Carol and Liz. They are friends from school!
Somewhere I have a picture of me with this tiger. Here is a more recent one! I loved wandering around the University grounds- checking out the architecture, the ivy, and the memories!
My trip to Jersey wouldn't be complete without a chance to see my sweet friend, Sarah! Perhaps our husbands knew each other first, but I have no doubt that we were meant to be forever friends! Together we faced the early years of our teaching careers, the experience of being wives to seminary students, and being Midwest girls who moved to New Jersey. I have been grateful for her friendship over the years- almost a decade! It was even better that her hometown (and her mom) were only 7 miles from our house the last five years! This trip allowed me to also meet her sweet babies- see picture!
I had to spend a little time at the Jersey Shore! Thankfully it was a dreary day and by the time we got to the boardwalk, the person who takes your $8 to get to the actual beach was not there! It was too cold to swim, but Im glad I could enjoy a little time at the Atlantic Ocean!
I saw lots of billboards that said something like, "Jersey Shore- Stronger than the Storm" There were certainly many homes that had been repaired or rebuilt already. If you look closely in the picture below you can see a crane as they are working on one building.
My other reason for driving to the shore was to see Chris and Sarah's twins. They have a miracle birth story and God is incredible! It was great getting to hold and love them for 24 hours!
My next step was to see my old school and reconnect with my friends. I became teary eyed as I drove towards the school. I missed a turn, and though I was driving towards the school from a different direction, my memory allowed me to find the school. Crazy! It was great walking the halls and catching up with my friends. Of the 27 other math teachers in my department, after six years, I know 12 of the 24 math teachers in the department. It was so great seeing my friends!
Next on the tour was checking out our old home, CRW. I remember how repelled I felt when I first saw our apartment complex. Each building held eight apartments- the four inner were one-bedroom and the four on the outside were two bedroom apartments for families. Our first apartment was 202 Loetscher Place Apt 3a. Once we had our daughter's ultrasound in hand (no exaggeration- you had to show an ultrasound before they would allow you a two bedroom apartment.) Then we remained in the building 202 Loetscher Place Apt 1A. The apartments had wooden floors. The bathrooms had pink tiles, a pink toilet, and a pink bathtub. Thankfully, our rent was only $433.76/month for the one bedroom and $700/month for the two bedroom. (Daycare through the amazing Dupree Learning Center with the seminary was $525/mo compared to $1500/mo at a nearby daycare for infants!) It was a large portion of our paychecks yet considerably reduced considering we later looked at 2 bedroom apartments for over $1200/month. The basement had a place for storage- though we needed to put anything on crates or plastic tubs because it flooded often. The basement also had once washer and dryer for the whole buliding- thats 16 adults and 4-10 kids for one washer and dryer. It wasn't great- but besides going up and down the stairs, standing in puddles as you took out your clothes, it was fine. Perhaps the most memorable aspect would be our common visitors- the COCKROACH! My husband has a classic story he likes to share starring the cockroach and me while I was 8 months preggo. Perhaps another day for that one! (As I write this I wonder if perhaps CRW should have had a post all of its own...) Anyway- continuing on with my story...
The picture above shows the location of where our building 202 Loetscher used to stand.
This picture above was taken from a google search. It shows our EXACT old home- taken from the new apartment that was built. 202 3A was on the first floor, to the left of the door thats on the far right. 202 1A (where we brought our sweet daughter home from the hospital) is on the far left on the first floor.
An incredible part of my journey to NJ, I texted my friend Jess about my adventures in the Princeton area and she texted that she would be in Princeton the very next afternoon! It was so great getting to see her for a few hours and reminiscing about our days in Princeton while talking about life as it is. Jess is certainly my friend and mentor. As my next door neighbor we shared many conversations. As a young mother she also mentored me through my pregnancy and first year of motherhood. I also owe my desire to cloth diapering to her.
We toured an apartment in the new CRW. The picture below is take where our building used to stand. Its an incredible three story apartment complex with a great courtyard. The playground has been moved and is in full use! I am very happy for the new students and their great accommodations. I am pleased to see each apartment has their own washer/dryer. Im happy to assume the cockroaches found somewhere else to go. But as I saw two different moving trucks with only three or four people loading it up, I worried that the community is becoming lost. Most of these students had lived in the old apartments and had to move mid-career as students. As I looked at these new apartments with envy- I also felt that had I known exactly what my three years at 202 Loetscher would be like, I would choose the cruddy, roach-infested apartments with amazing friends living in my building and the one across the street.
We drove by the new University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro. What an incredible building it was. I drove by in awe of the massive building off Route One.
Below is a picture of the old hospital (thanks again google images). There under the canopy is where we parked our car to bring A. home from the hospital. It is sad to think the hospital will be torn down and replaced with a housing unit. (can you tell Im a bit of a sentimental person yet??)
And here I am, back at the Princeton/Trenton airport. My friend, Heather, and her whole family were so kind and allowed me a place to stay, a car to drive, and some good opportunities for conversation! I hope it wont be long before I return to Princeton- perhaps with my whole family next time!
Once I landed in Chicago I was able to reconnect with a college roomie, Megan. Megan is the kind of friend who I never had a fight with. She was always real and allowed me to be myself around her. We had some great times together- a lot of laughs, a smelly couch, and some great memories. I wish I could have spent more time with her. It had been years since we had seen each other but she is still as great of friend as always!
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