Taken by an MKC client who hired me to take him to the Statue of Liberty in late August of 2001. I'd been laid off from my job at a private bank in June - my office had been on the 96th floor of WTC2.
The economy was good, and I was confident of getting a new job fairly easily. I had a severance package that included continuing to be paid & have health insurance through mid-September. I was a partner at Manhattan Kayak Company. With a guaranteed paycheck through the summer, I decided to spend the next couple of months being a kayak bum. On a technology officer's pay, that was a sweet, sweet summer.
This guy was from Israel. He'd done some paddling with Terra Santa. He came out for a sunset tour which I'd guided, and had so much fun he asked to do a 3-hour tour the next day. He suggested a time. I pulled out Eldridge & saw that if we left half an hour later, we could do a Statue of Liberty trip. He was good, totally capable of doing a river crossing & handling some chop, so I suggested that. Deal.
I timed it perfectly, and he was fast, and we actually had time, in the 3 hours I'd allocated, to stop & do some shopping at New York Kayak on the way back up (he'd heard of it & wanted to go buy some gear, asked me where it was - I pointed to Pier 40, said "Right over there. We're running way ahead of schedule. Want to stop by?").
Probably one of the most memorable trips of the whole summer - guiding isn't always fun, but when it is, it's just the best.
He took this picture on the way back up, that's me in my old Seda Glider. We're just off Ellis Island.
Not too long after this, I signed up for the outplacement course that would put me back at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th.
He got in touch with me as soon as he heard about the WTC. He sent this to me & it's been the background on my computer ever since.
I'll post more about my Sept. 11th experience tonight, I think - still at work right now. Sept. 11th? We've got a quarter to close. No time for reflection now.
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