New York, New York!

So it's been a while since I've last written here. Truthfully, I couldn't get the energy to put my thoughts into a coherent post that would be both interesting and entertaining. I still haven't, but I thought I would give it a shot anyway.

My best friend, J, and I took a trip down to New York City to see our University friend and to take in the sights.

We drove down in my cute, white Cobalt, which didn't seem so cute after being cooped up in it for 7 hours, driving through small upstate New York towns and desperately hoping that our lives wouldn't become ideal models on which to create an epic horror film.

Aside from the toothless gas station attendants and jovial (or creepy, whichever you prefer) man with the Buffalo Bill type van, we managed to get to Poughkeepsie, New York with little more than sugar hangovers from the copious amounts of chocolate consumed on the road.

Fast forward past the uneventful train ride from Poughkeepsie to the City, and we had arrived. New York City. The Big Apple.

I don't know how many times we got hit with doors as New Yorkers hurried through and didn't think to (or didn't want to?) hold the door open as we struggled with our fully packed suitcases (so we packed too much. It was NEW YORK. You never know what you'll need there).

"We should get a cab to the hotel." I just wanted to be in an air conditioned room and lie down.

"Okay. Where?"

"This looks like a good place for taxis. How do you do it?"

Obviously, our naivety was extremely apparent, as we were charged $35 for a cab ride that, on the same route back, cost us $10. Woops.

NYC - 1. Bella and J - 0.

It was hot, muggy, and so busy that I couldn't walk two feet without touching someone else. For those of you who aren't familiar with me and my pet peeves, I do not like to touch people. I don't mean anyone, as I will gladly embrace family and close friends (and I always make an exception for good looking men), but touching strangers is not something that thrills me to pieces. I was ready to sucker punch everyone by the last day of our trip.

NYC - 2. Bella and J - 0.

We got lost on our way to Soho, because the metro lines were all weird and NOT clearly marked as to which direction they were traveling. It took us 2 hours to get to a place that was barely a 30 minute ride on the metro.

It may have been my fault. J was kind enough not to mention it.

NYC - 3. Bella and J (mostly just Bella, though) - 0.

Above all, though, seeing our friend was so fantastic, and he spent some of each day with us. We couldn't have been better taken care of by him and he truly made our time in New York worth while. A, we love you!

We saw Mamma Mia on Broadway (kick ass), ate over priced food in Times Square (didn't even care), sampled New York's best cheesecake (anyone see that Friends episode where Rachel and Chandler steal cheesecake from their neighbour? I'm pretty sure it would have tasted like this), saw the lights of Times Square, and stepped foot in the Plaza.

We even took ballroom dance lessons, but that's a story for another time.

New York City may have beaten us, but it truly is the Empire State (of Mind - holla! See what I did there?). It was noisy, smelly, hot, and busy, but then that's New York. I don't know if I would rush back there, but it was amazing to experience. I did, however, learn something about myself amongst the noise and heat and crowds.

I am not a city girl.