Rewind to sometime in mid October. My friend Lindsey literally sends me a snapchat asking me if I want to go to New York City with her & her friend Rachel. My answer? Uhh of course! Flights were super cheap this weekend and I booked them that second without even asking my mom first. That's college freedom for ya folks! Lindsey's dad ended up having some spare points from traveling from work and was able to get a hotel for us right in Manhattan instead of the Airb&b we had originally booked in Queens... that was probably for the best hah!
Friday night we left Logan at around 8:00 to catch our 11:00 redeye. I couldn't sleep much on the plane probably because I was just so stoked for the weekend ahead. We landed at JFK at 5am New York time, took a bus to a shuttle, a shuttle to a bus, bus to a subway, then walked a few blocks with our bags to get to our hotel. We decided it would be for the best to take a little nap before starting the day. Of course, we slept through our alarms set for 9:00 and woke up at 11. Whoops. It was worth it to be well rested I think though!
Once we got all dressed we headed out to get some Magnolia cupcakes in all their glory.
After that well balanced breakfast : ) we went to the top of The Rock. I was so stoked to be able to see New York from this view. Last time I was in the city (read about that here) I was only there for a quick 12 hours and didn't get the chance to see Manhattan from any tall skyscraper. I definitely recommend hitting up the Rockefeller for the best view of the city. Why go to the top of the Empire State Building when that's exactly what you want on your skyline!? Exactly. Rockefeller it is.
I can't even tell you how many times I've seen pictures of this view on my pinterest feed and now I finally can add to the collection with one I took myself. Dreams really do come true!!
thanks for the casual candid back pics Lindsey
Next stop was picking up Rachel's friends, Caroline and Jess. Caroline is going to school here in the city so she showed us the ropes a bit. Both of them were seriously so much fun. The trip would not have been the same without them.
Central Park in fall is worth the hype
the sunset did not disappoint.
we hit up that night life in Times Square before going to our broadway show
Another thing I didn't have a chance to do last time I was in NYC- see a Broadway show. I don't think you can go wrong with these shows. If they're on Broadway they're bound to be amazing. Cats surely did not disappoint.
Sunday morning acaii bowl breakfast.
When I went to Thailand I realized that going to church in new places is one of my favorite things ever. It definitely held true on this trip. Getting to go to the top floor of the Manhattan temple and be away from the hustle and bustle of the city in those very insulated walls gave me so much joy. It was one of my favorite things I did while in the city. It doesn't matter where on the globe I am, the church will always feel like home. Find out more about why this place is so near to my heart at www.mormon.org!
We treated ourselves to Black Tap milkshakes and it changed my life.
Our last Sunday stop was the Brooklyn Bridge. Another first time for me. Another place that I seriously just wanted to pinch myself. It's so surreal to go to places you've only seen in pictures and wanted to see for so long. You just turn a corner and all of a sudden it's real and it's there and you're a part of it. I can't even describe the feeling but it's the best.
the whole crew
Me and Lindsey's outfits went perfectly together. Total coincidence...
After the Brooklyn Bridge we took the Staten Island Ferry to catch a view of the skyline at night. What. A. Dream.
Monday, our last day, got off to a perfect start at The Smith for breakfast.
a list of our favorite things we did in the city ^^
Do yourself a favor and get the waffles if you ever find yourself there soon. They're to die for!
Since it was her first time in the big apple, Rachel had to try a hot dog from a little stand of course! Seriously it made her so happy it was the cutest thing hah!
Going for a canoe ride in Central Park in Autumn has seriously been a dream of mine since I was in 8th grade. I literally lived the dream on this trip. It was so surreal.
*be aware that paddling is harder than it looks.
I went to extremes to get this shot please appreciate it^^
We hitched a bike ride around Central Park because we were pretty much clueless when it came to directions and kind of in a hustle. Seriously we consistently got lost. There was not one time that our instincts took us in the right direction so thank goodness for google maps and kind local strangers to point us in the right direction.
last stop of the trip, the steps (and inside) of the Met.
You MUST check out the Met if you're in NYC. Admission fees are only suggested so you can enjoy the art for whatever you'd like to donate. I really wish we had more time to explore here.
ma hood ^^
I'm so unbelievably grateful for this fun little spontaneous trip. I don't know quite how to put it into words but I hope I can get my point across here. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to experience fall in New York City. The fact that I got to check this awesome thing off my bucket list was just a slight reassurance that I'm on the right track. I'm doing what I need to do. I'm accomplishing the things I want to. I needed that little reminder in the confusion of finding my way in college and figuring out what I'm doing in life.
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