Pratt Institute and Onward Ho!

Have I mentioned Peanut's peaked interest in universities? Well, the Pratt Institute has been on her list of sights to see in NYC for quite some time. She was reading a bio of....eek. I think it was Sal Murdocca, illustrator for The Magic Tree House series. He graduated from Pratt which happens to be one of the schools I dreamed of attending many moons ago. I promised her I'd show it to her.

After breakfast we intended to make a quick stop, bid farewell and head for Jersey. However, Aunt NYC is used to traveling underground and was very turned around driving in a car, on one-way streets above ground. I asked Peanut if we could blow off Pratt considering we were hours behind schedule and needed to get on with our road trip. No way, Jose. It was a must-see for her. This kid is 8 and she felt like she couldn't miss seeing a design school?!

Being Sunday, classes weren't in session and the gates were locked for the most part. We found an open one, however, and drove right past the guard stand (on coffee break?) to the parking lot. Green space. Peace and quiet. Huge sculptures and artsy students dotted the landscape. I dare say Peanut finally found her oasis in the middle of NYC.

Eventually, we found an open building and were nearly turned away until the Security Guard recognized the sincerity in Peanut's eyes. She let us in to snoop around some very untidy classrooms; Peanut was reserved, but her wheels were turning. These weren't ordinary classrooms -- they were set up for designing and drawing! The icing on the cake was visiting the Campus Bookstore -- quite a different scene from Cornell and UAlbany -- it was essentially a celestial art supply store. I have no idea if this visit will have any impact on Peanut, but her eyes were sure sparkling and she appeared grateful for our efforts.

Aunt NYC and I have been friends for more than 2 decades and she's just so dear to me. When she married Tio, an intelligent and charming good person, we fell in love with him, too! Now we're so sad to be leaving them. While we were together this weekend, Aunt NYC and my 20 year high school reunion was taking place back in San Antonio, TX. Strange! As we said goodbye on a dangerously busy street in front of the Manhattan bridge, I couldn't help think that I'll never see her like this again; when I next see her she'll be a changed person. She'll be a mom.