Staff member Kaylen Alvarez

Kaylen Alvarez

Marketing Coordinator

When I think of my favorite vacation memories, there a few moments that come to mind—late nights in hotel rooms laughing with my family about the day's adventures, sunny beach days spent swimming in crystal clear waters, rewarding hours spent braving up rocky hiking trails... the fun stories I carry from my trips "out of town" are abounding. But one that remains near and dear to my heart is the time my mother, sister and I got to take my grandmother to New York City, her old stomping grounds.

My Abuela is a women of great strength and character, immigrating to America from her home Island of Cuba in the 60's, alone, at only 15 years of age. It was not easy by any means, especially considering The Big Apple was her introduction to this country full of promise and change

NYC is home to the factories she worked in to earn enough money to help her parents and brother move to America, it is where she enjoyed nights out with friends the years she didn't have to work and could finally be just a student, it is where she met my grandfather, and it is in New York City where she started a life with him.

To our family, NYC is a special place, and getting to walk its streets with my nostalgic Abuela, taking in every childhood story of hers in a brand new way, watching her tear up at the beautiful memories she still tightly holds onto—it was priceless—it was Aah-Inspiring. 

2017