Day 5: Heading Home

Our last day in New York started early. Although the performance at Carnegie Hall was done, there was still plenty of reason for excitement. We were scheduled to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island!

Everyone was excited as many of them had never been to the Statue of Liberty! Plus, who doesn’t love a good ferry ride? As everyone finished up their breakfast, they loaded up the busses in preparation for the long ride home. Before we left the hotel, the choir decided to give one last big thank you to the staff at the Hyatt hotel. The choir gathered in the lobby and after a quick warm up, performed for the incredible staff that did an awesome during the week.

Once the students had expressed their gratitude, they boarded the busses and headed to the ferry that would take them to the Statue of Liberty! They arrived to the ferry dock and unloaded from the busses. As Ms. Gemma went to get the ferry tickets, the kids decided to sing some songs and pray. Once they were ready, they made their way to the ferry!

The choir made their way into the ferry and took in the beautiful sights of New York City and Jersey City! The fresh ocean breeze was nice and fully enjoyed by everyone on board. Soon after the ferry took off, the students caught our first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty!

The excitement and energy rushed back to the kids as they made their way off the boat and onto Liberty Island. After regrouping, they gathered into individual groups to explore the island.

Everyone had a great time exploring the island! The kids went around the base of the island and caught a glimpse of New York City and all of the boats sailing past as well as got a few pictures with Lady Liberty herself! Some also had the opporunity to go through the inside of the statue. It's safe to say that everyone enjoyed themselves and the tremendous view!

After plenty of time to explore the island, everyone regrouped and shared their exciting experiences. The choir waited a good 30 minutes before the ferry came to take them back. Everyone took advantage of the extra time to take in the view of the big city and relax before the long trip back to Fort Wayne.

Once back on land, exhausted from a long day, the kids made their way back to the busses and secured everything in place. The trip back to Fort Wayne after a week of adventure was underway! Before they got too far, the choir made a quick pit stop to eat.

After dinner, everyone filled up the busses and continued their trip. Long and exhausted, most of the youth choir slept the whole way, while others watched movies to keep themselves entertained. After a successful trip to New York City, everyone was looking forward to spending some time in their own beds and seeing their families.

The youth choir finally arrived around 4 AM to Rhinehart Music Center on the IPFW campus. Tired, the students unloaded all of the luggage and greeted their family members. Everyone loaded up their gear, hugged each other goodbye after being with one another so long and made their way home. What an amazing trip this was for everyone. It reinforced what it means to be a family and what it means to be a unified youth choir.

See all of the pictures from our amazing fourth day and the rest of the trip on our Facebook page. You can also follow our journey live on Twitter and Instagram as well as our hashtag #VoicesofUnityNYC!