We made it to the hotel, though it took some effort. We dodged two different parades and block after block of closed cross town streets. Packed under normal conditions, Manhattan is an absolute mess when they shut down most east-west traffic.

At the Hilton lobby, we organized another pre-reunion meeting. More have joined the high school friend group, driving in from out of state. It was around lunchtime with plans of activities before our reunion dinner.

The colorful interior reflected off the windows for a multi-dimensional look at New York architecture. Breakout series hit Ted Lasso beamed, alternating between other advertisements — we’re in the big city, evidenced by large dynamic billboards. A foreshadowing of more to come.

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