Have You Ever Spent Thanksgiving in New York?

New York City is a city of movement, with a song and energy all its own. Life
moves more quickly here, keeping pace with the buzz and sirens that are the signature sound of the city. But once a year, on the Thanksgiving holiday, the city that never sleeps seems to slow down … if even just for the day.

It never ceases to amaze me how life inevitably comes full circle when you allow things to flow and believe in the mystery. Exactly 26 years after my very first trip to the city, I found myself once again at the crossroads of the world, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from the 10^th floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. The irony of such a moment was not lost on me. It was a moment I was fortunate to share with my dear friend, Kathy Duffy, who leads public relations for Marriott’s New York City hotels, as well as the camera crew from CBS and a photographer from the Associated Press.

Here at The Chelsea, the halls of the building were alive with the sounds of family and the smells of home-cooked meals and special holiday treats. I loved waking up to the coziness of my apartment, especially after 10 days of international travel. Jason, one of ExecuStay's associates, actually brought his own family, visiting from Louisiana, to General Manager Dennis Duden and his lovely wife, Anita’s apartment at The Chelsea for Thanksgiving dinner. A New Yorker by way of New Orleans, I’d heard that Jason and his wife are also professional ballroom dancers. Although I was also invited, I wasn’t unable to attend.  But from what I’ve learned about Jason and Dennis, I can only imagine the fun that was had in the apartment not far from my own!

The team is truly a family here at The Chelsea, and it translates directly to the experience of living here. They have gone above and beyond to make it feel like home for me. It is not going to be easy for me to leave.