NYC

December 30-January 3

I won a prize (we'll get there later) and Brian and I were flown out to Washington DC. We figured since we were already across the country, we might as well take a few days and see New York while we were at it. We headed out on the morning of December 30 and got to my brother's apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan around 3:00am on the 31st.

Besides the airline losing our bags, missing our connecting train, and adding another $200 of unnecessary expenses, it all went pretty smoothly.

My brother, Britton, was not home so we woke up and started the day on our own until he met up with us later that night. With a map in hand, we hopped on one of those blue tour buses and joined a bazillion other people camera-checking the entire city.

We got off the bus at Chinatown. The bus was closing early to prepare Times Square for the New Year's Eve festivities. We walked and walked and walked and walked. I don't remember the last time I walked that much - certainly nothing close these past seven months or so...

Brian had Chinese dumplings and I got to try Babycakes, a gluten-free bakery. Holy yum.
We walked down the the World Trade Center site and down to Battery Park. The statue of liberty was off in the distance - but at least I could see it with my very own eyes. Brian was thinking, "It's not that big..."
On the subway ride home, we jumped off at Times Square. It was 5 or so by this time - we wanted to see how New Year's Eve was coming. Britton told us not to go - I can see why. Barricades were going up, cops all over the streets, and people were EVERYWHERE. We walked a few blocks and tried to locate the ball. Five minutes was good for us. We were there. We went, we saw, we conquered, and we were happy.

We were back at Britton's by 6:00 and watched the ball drop from the comfort of his couch with an accompanying footrub from my honey. I could hear the people counting down from his kitchen window at midnight. It's hard not to hear 1,000,000 people. I can't say I'm sad we weren't standing next to them.
Britton got back that night and we woke up and got ready for another day of sight-seeing. My legs felt like they had been run over by a train - I wasn't totally sure I was up for it. But, as Brian reminded me, we would rest when we got back home.

Brit was the best tour guide. He knows everything - all the places to eat, the pictures to take, the history behind it all. One of my very favorite parts of our entire trip was the fact that we could hang out with him.

We saw:

Seinfeld's Restaurant
Flatiron Building
Empire State Building
Will Smith's house - I Am Legend
Ate NY pizza
Rockafeller Center
Ferry ride for an up close view of the Statue
Brooklyn (or is it the Manhattan?) Bridge
Times Square at night
You've Got Mail - Cafe Lalo
Brian hanging out with the Jimmy Hendrix look alike rocker dude in the subway
Eating a NY hotdog, also in You've Got Mail

We had such a great time. It was a packed four days, all of them without Brian's luggage. Don't think Delta and I aren't having words...

A few things I learned while in New York:

1. Utah is not the most diverse state in the Union

2. Subways are the best place to people watch

3. There really are rats in the subway. We saw one the first 2 seconds we were down there

4. I like living in a city that's not a CITY

5. January is NOT the best month to visit the east coast. But still totally fun to trek through the not-so-great weather to see things you've never seen before with people you like.

6. There are a lot of places in this country that deserve a visit from us. NYC is a totally fun place to be. Next time we go, we'll have to go in the spring or fall. Better weather and a trip to Central Park.

7. It really is as busy as people say it is. Don't get used to your personal space.

8. It really isn't as scary as people say it is. I rode the subway all by myself to meet Britton and Brian and felt totally safe.

I'll try to think of a 9, 10 just to round it out. But that's all I've got for now.