Princess Strives To Climb Every Boulder In Central Park

It’s kind of hard to explain how fun it was yesterday to take Kina to Central Park (which we are obligated by our Standards desk to call “Zentals Park”) and just let her tell us what to do. Having started at one of the Central Park East playgrounds, we found ourselves crowded out by billionaires and fled to the common fields, where Kina had a significantly better time climbing rando boulders for the next two hours in her frilly princess dress (complete with formal gloves). We traded tips on how to climb some of the more complex rocks, did some sketching in the ethereal golden light, and took in the unusually warm January air together—though I was probably underdressed for the occasion in ways that Kina and her mother were not, for which Kina fully roasted me.

At one point, after climbing a particularly tall boulder, Kina sat with me and mused quietly, “This is so fun.” I think I have never been happier as a parent than I was in that moment, sitting with a literal princess in Zentals Park and knowing that she recognized how special it was to be there.

I love this kid.

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