C-c-c-c-old

This second leg of the trip is turning out to be so exciting on so many levels.

We were heading into New York when our plane flew into some birds during takeoff and we had to turn back to Orlando airport “just to be safe”. It happened while we were getting airborne – there was a thud, followed by a grating sound and then the plane started shaking like it was going through some nasty turbulence. I had no idea what was going on so I glanced at the stewardess seated next to the exit row beside me. Flight attendants are usually pretty cool but she held on to the bottom of her seat and the look she had was the very definition of a face cramp. There was definitely more than the average amount of concern on her face right then.

Moments later, the pilot’s voice came on saying, “ladies and gentlemen, as you may have heard, we have indeed flown into a flock of birds and we will be turning back into Orlando International airport to assess the damage just to be safe.” Ok, good call because on our way back, the plane was making terrible sounds, vibrating and accelerating mid flight. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I was going to die on a flight before but for a moment there, I had my life flash before my eyes. I thought the husband’s last words to me would have been “I love you” or something deeply touching but he turned back and mouthed “we should have made a will.” Romance is so overrated. I married a practical man and that’s a good thing.

After some checks, we made it safely to New York (yay!!) and it turns out that we’re here in the middle of the most brutal winter in the last 20 years. It’s unbelievably cold, the coldest I’ve ever been in my life. Today’s weather was 13 degrees below 0, with wind chill that makes it feel like it’s 24 below.

Look at the face of hypothermia. Poor baby sat very still like a block of ice the whole time we were out.

We had all these plans to stomp around in the snow in central park but there’s been no stomping to be done in this madness. We did take a snowy valentine’s selfie when it started snowing but I almost lost a finger while attempting to take this selfie.

It was so cold that the kids were bundled up in 2 layers of thermals, 2 wool sweaters, a polydown jacket and a heavy coat, all huddled up in the stroller while we blitzed from point to point. The first day, I tried to ask a nice NYPD officer for directions and my jaw was so frozen I couldn’t enunciate my words. “Cortland Sthreetthhhhh…” My mouth was making unintelligible sounds like I was slurring and he just looked at me with pity until I finally decided to smile and make a hasty getaway. So embarrassing.

We could barely make it 3 blocks without having to take refuge in a store or cafe and one point, we decided to just hoof it for 6 blocks straight and by the time we got back to the hotel, I thought my right ear had fallen off from frostbite. You’d think it’s hyperbole but I really did panic for a split second while I frantically tried to feel around for my ear that had lost all sensation. You don’t know how thankful I am that I still have my extremities intact.

But we’re crazy tourists so instead of staying indoors in the hotel like we’re advised to, we’ve been out shopping, being all touristy at Times Square, having shakes at Shake Shack, lobsters at Chelsea market and shrimps at Bubba Gump, ice-skating at rockerfeller (Kirsten’s bucket list complete – I wasn’t too keen on spending an hour out in the snow but she was so excited to try it so we did and while we were holding hands skating, she looked at me and said “thanks mom, I’ve always dreamed of going ice-skating in the snow” so well, at least my heart was all warm and fuzzy).

Today, we even made it to church at Christian Cultural Centre after a treacherous 2-hour journey with 2 babies. That we even attempted it was crazy but being in Brooklyn listening to Dr A.R. Bernard made it feel like home.

We’ll be here for a couple more days so hopefully the weather’s a little kinder to us.

Or maybe we’ll acclimatise to the subzero temperatures ‘and then we can go stomping in the snow. Haha, said no one ever.