Brooklyn, Stained Glass & Adulthood

I've mentioned this before, but I adore New York City. I was so lucky to have been able to grow up in the shadows of the city, and there's just nothing quite like coming home and spending some time there.

I've also mentioned this before, but I have a really awesome cousin Molly who is the epitome of the phrase "sister from another mister." We're only seven months apart in age (I'm older, but she's like seven inches taller than me so it all evens out), and our moms are sisters, so we've been best friends for our entire lives. Since I've lived so far from home for the last four-plus years and come home so rarely, we don't see each other all that often. But when I am home, it's like no time has passed. (Well, except for the "oh my god it's been so long! TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LIFE!" part.)

Did you think I was kidding about the height difference?

As the vast majority of my trips home have coincided with holidays, generally our time to see each other is conveniently wrapped up into a family gathering. But when I was home around Christmas/New Year's, we decided that... well, why only hang out with our families during the holidays?

So one day I hopped on a train into the city to hang out with Molly, independent of our families.

I know, right? But seriously, it was a big moment for us! We're grown-ups! We're friends! We have our own apartments and jobs and lives! I can go to her apartment in Manhattan without needing a holiday as an excuse!

As we spent our childhoods taking a trip together every summer, we're also no strangers to going on adventures together. So after seeing her apartment (and getting super jealous that she lives in Manhattan, for crying out loud), Molly, her roommate Tracey and I headed out to Brooklyn to see Kolonihavehus.

It sounds super exotic, but it's essentially just a name for a stained glass house installed by artist Tom Fruin in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I'd stumbled across pictures of it earlier in the fall and was immediately smitten; it looked absolutely stunning. And I don't think I'd ever been to Brooklyn before. So this was a perfect excuse to see a bit of a new borough and have one of those quirky New York experiences.

If you've never been to Brooklyn Bridge Park, you might want to think about changing that.

Look at that view! *Swoon.* I'm so used to being in Manhattan, but not really seeing it. But wow, what a skyline. That view alone was worth the subway fare.

We had a little bit of trouble finding our way to where we needed to be -- though luckily Molly seems to have been born with the sense of direction that I'm missing -- but we eventually got there. And it was... kind of underwhelming?

I mean, don't get me wrong, it was still incredibly cool to see in person. But I think it photographs much more impressive than it is in real life. Go figure!

I do think it's worth seeing if you're in the NYC area, especially because it costs nothing and is right along the river; there's no losing in that situation! It's right by Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park, can be reached by a handful of subway and bus lines, and will remain there until June. So hey, maybe next time I can go during the day and combine it with a walk across Brooklyn Bridge! (Still haven't done that. I'm a terrible New Yorker.)

But anyway, not bad for a fairly spontaneous adventure! And afterwards, we went back to Molly's apartment and finished the evening with some High School Musical. Because we're grown-ups. Obviously. ;)