When I was a kid, I knew what I was going to do with my life with no question. I was going to be a big CEO of a huge corporation in New York City. Growing up in a small town, dreams of living in a big city weren't at the top of many people's goals. While I may not be living in NYC right now, there's always time. :) I traveled to NYC for the first time (and first plane ride) when I was 18 and was fortunate enough to march in the Macy's Day Parade (the coolest experience)! I remember the feeling I had the entire trip; I thought I was in Heaven, if Heaven smelled like the sewer and had trash piled high on the street...Regardless, my eyes were big, my heart was pounding and I could feel the energy of the city pulse through my veins. There's something about a giant city that is so charming. You can immediately spot the locals from the tourists and find yourself wondering how many languages some of the children speak and how long that adorable old woman has been living in her high rise apartment. That feeling I had when I was a kid was no different on our recent trip to the big apple. For me, city living (I lived in Chicago for several years) is an adventure. Subways, bike commuting, concrete towers and pedestrians are all a part of the charm. There is always something different to experience and every single day you get to be a part of something so big and so exciting. I love the chaos, the hustle and the community. Even though millions of people are on their own journey, there's a connection that is felt in the air - it's like we're all in this together. How lucky you are to experience this incredible city!
Lori. She's been my girl since we were kids and this trip was meant to celebrate her birthday! She turns 30 in September! Even though life took us in different directions, we picked up right where we left off! Happy Birthday love!
We went to as many boroughs that our tired feet could get to and even though living next to Central Park would be a dream, the Greenwich Village was incredible! It could also be because we found the Friends building and the Sex and the City apartment - I might be a little biased.
The first time I went to NYC, it was right after 9/11. There was no access to the Statue of Liberty, a somber ora throughout the city and nothing but a deep hole of rubble where silence filled the air of those walking past. The memorial is nothing short of spectacular. They did an incredible job telling the story of how almost 3,000 lives were taken in a blink of an eye. Countless volunteers joined the search and thousands of families were torn apart. This memorial is housed in the foundation of the original tower. You can listen to final voicemails, watch TV coverage and see thousands of "Missing" posters displayed on the wall. I am so thankful to live in a country where we come together when tragedy strikes. It doesn't matter who you are or where you came from, this tragedy rocked so many of us to the core. I'll never forget where I was that morning and how this memorial made me feel.
Brooklyn is my jam. It's such an awesome part of the city that we didn't get to explore nearly enough. There were no less than 100,000 tourists on the bridge at the same time, which definitely did not make me nervous it was going to collapse... The ride back into Manhattan provided some of the coolest views in the entire city! To top off the trip, we stumbled upon this incredibly talented and fun crew performing!
They call this the best city on Earth and I can totally see why. I can't wait to come back again!