New York, New York!!!

So, Chandler hit the nail on the head in this episode. We made our first trek into the city this weekend. Oh.My.God. That's all I can say. Even though, R had wanted to take me at night and have me come up in Times Square from the subway, and see all the lights...this was just as awesome. We, luckily, have a place to park in NYC, which...as anyone who has ever been there can attest, is mighty nice. Parking is ridiculously expensive. We came up through the Lincoln Tunnel, parked the car and set off on foot.

Now...it's been awhile since I've done any hardcore walking. Yeah...probably not the best time to jump back in that saddle. We started off at 35th and 10th. We ended up at 72nd and Central Park...but, that's a bit further ahead in the story. We started walking and I am in awe. We haven't even hit "the good stuff" yet, but just the sheer magnitude of what I was seeing for the first time in my life was overwhelming. All these places that I'd only seen on TV or in magazines...right in front of me! One of our first stops was Macy's. THE Macy's. Specifically, the cosmetics department of Macy's. I closed my eyes and held my breath as we zipped by the counters. I knew that if I stopped, we were spending our entire daily budget there. It was too early...a trap...and I knew it. We managed to get back outdoors and rounded the corner into Herald Square. The Brasil Flower show was going on this weekend!!! Yay!! We stood in line and made it inside the trailer where a tropical paradise boasted flowers, plants, a waterfall...etc.

Afterwards, we set back off towards Times Square. Let me tell you...it's an incredible feeling to walk into the middle of Times Square and look up. I felt about 2 inches tall. The 5 story high billboards, the NYE Ball, People everywhere!!! Times Square was the most crowded place that we went to in NYC. And, it was so quiet. You don't have to yell...you don't have to strain to hear your companion...for there to be millions of people right there next to you...it's so quiet. Another thing is the diversity. New York City could easily be called the most "American" city in the world. The icons of patriotism are endless...The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, Ground Zero...but if you stop for just a moment and listen to the conversations around you...you won't hear much English. I heard so many languages that I'd never even heard of before. There was so much beauty in those languages...in those people. People who look just like me...and you...but who sound so incredibly different. It's a bold reminder that we really are the melting pot of the world. I imagine if those people would venture further west...filling the south, the midwest, the Southwest...maybe there would be more tolerance. We aren't just black and white...we are a rainbow of colors and cultures and words...and it's humbling to realize just how many different pieces of the quilt we make up.


Leaving Times Square, we ventured down Broadway...off Broadway...where we discovered the happiest moment of my life. A theater that runs nothing but Phantom of the Opera... I am in Heaven! We tried to get in on a Matinee, but decided to hold off for a different trip to the city. When I go to see a play...I do it up right. Dress up, dinner, the works. Blame my Aunt M for that. lol...she instilled in me that the arts demand a certain reverence. When I was a kid, when she'd take me to see a new musical, she'd always buy me a new dress to wear for it. I'll never forget my first time to see Cats when I was 8. We had first row seats, I wore a black and white polka dot dress with white tights and black patent leather "heels." My hair was curled and I had on gloves and a little purse. I felt so glamorous. The way I always feel when I sit in those seats and wait for the lights to dim and for a stage full of actors to whisk me away to a different place...but that's another story for another day.

We went to the largest Toys R Us that I've ever seen. It was 3 stories and had a Ferris Wheel inside!! We played with toys and dodged sugar hyped kids... We ended up in the Babies R Us side where we oohed and ahhed over little onesies and strollers. It was pretty cute to see R inspecting a stroller and admiring the wheels on one particular model. He's going to make such a great daddy. After all of the craziness, we slipped out of there and continued on our journey...

We were starving. I had heard that there was a Steak N Shake in Manhattan and I was having the mother of all cheese fry cravings. We hiked a few blocks looking for the deliciousness that is SNS. Well, we found it and to our disappointment, it was PACKED and with only like 2 tables in the whole restaurant, we would be forced to eat outside on the sidewalk. NOT what we had in mind. So, we set back out and kept looking for a place to sit and eat. We settled on 5 Guys just as our feet were about to give out from under us. Relieved and rejuvenated by the grease and rest, we set back on our trek towards Central Park. Little did we know what was ahead of us.

Central Park is pretty much a week long trip in itself. There is a freaking ZOO in there, an ice skating rink, 3 lakes, a carousel, several fountains, a store, an old dairy barn...etc. We managed to see a couple of fountains and a lake. lol... We also finally found Strawberry Fields, which is the memorial garden set up by Yoko Ono for John Lennon. There is a beautiful mosaic that says "Imagine" in it inlaid into the sidewalk. There are a bunch of items left there by fans for John. Across the street from this section of the park is the building that John and Yoko lived in. This was an incredible place to be. To sit for a moment and remember the legacy of a man who imagined world peace...and probably has come the closest to achieving it. After a little while of enjoying the tranquility of Strawberry Fields, we decided R needed a beer and I NEEDED a piece of NY cheesecake. lol... We found a little deli and dear Lord...that cheesecake was amazing and HUGE. We sat for a minute resting our poor tired feet (and my aching back!) and decided that rather than hike the 60 blocks back to the car...we were taking the train.

Apparently, I'd been on a subway before. When I was 6. I don't recall it, so I'm claiming this time to be my first. First of all, it's insanely cheap to catch the train. $2.25 a person! The platform is terrifying. I can see how people would fall onto the tracks. They stand precariously close to the edge and those trains are freaking FAST. Our train came zooming into the station and after R pried me off the wall, we entered the train and I clung onto the railing for dear life. (Sidenote: Subways really do smell like pee...who the hell is PEEING on the train?!?!) We finally got a seat at the next stop which was nice because, I was not enjoying having my belly in the face of the gentleman sitting in front of me. I doubt he appreciated it much either.

We finally got to Penn Station and then walked back to our car. Pulling out into Manhattan traffic as the sunset dipped below the horizon, we sat back in our seats and smiled...the buzz of our day in the city still coursing through our veins. We had such a wonderful time and my life truly is changed by the experiences that I had just walking down the street....I can't wait to return and do all the things that we didn't have time for. R was right...I needed this. I needed to step outside of the walls of the small town we live in and do something exciting. I was starting to feel very stagnant and frustrated. Now that I see what there is to do in this place...It's actually growing on me.

I wish I could post the pictures on here, but for some reason Blogger only lets me post one per blog. I gotta figure out what's up with that. I'll get them up on my Facebook soon, but as soon as I figure out how to add more pics on here, I will.