Confirmed: I am NOT a City Girl

Ya’ll! I made it to the Big Apple! I didn’t see an apple anywhere, so I don’t find it aptly named, but that’s neither here nor there.

For those of you who are new (hi, hello), I am by no means a city girl. I was born and raised in a small town where the livestock population outnumbered the human residence. I learned how to drive a tractor when I was 8. What business does an 8 year old have driving a tractor I hear you ask…? My friend’s grandparents needed my friend and me to put up a fence for their llamas… duh!

Back to the subject at hand… NEW YORK CITY!

I decided it was time to check off one of my bucket list destinations and visit the city that never sleeps. And why would someone who is in bed by 8:30pm want to visit a city that would inevitably keep her up past her bedtime…? It’s New York freakin’ City- bedtime be damned!

I didn’t want to go just any ‘ol time of year. No. I needed to go around the holidays so I could see the giant ornaments and twinkle lights and wreaths and Santas and everything in between. Ideally, it would have snowed and Fella and I would have strolled arm in arm through Central Park- maybe even caught a horse drawn carriage ride while we shared a blanket and sipped hot chocolate. Well, that didn’t happen. It didn’t snow a single flurry, though we did pass a solitary clump of snow hidden under the bushes during one of our jaunts through CP. And yes I squealed. And yes I took a picture (#touristAF). But it was dark and you can barely make out what’s in the shot, so you guys will just have to trust me.

We took the train up from my hometown (which by the way, the train station in my hometown resembles a small town doctor’s waiting room- one room decorated accordingly for Christmas, a reception desk, and a handful of chairs arranged in the middle of the room; Très quaint) and landed in Penn Station mid afternoon.

Our first destination was our AirBnB to drop off our bags and meet our hostess. We found the building, took the elevator up to the designated floor and realized: we were staying in the penthouse. Fancy! Okay not really. Our temporary home was the size of Fella and my kitchen/dinning/living room combo in our own house (roughly a quarter of our house’s square footage). It was nice enough, as was the hostess and her feline cohabitator.

By the time we were able to prove we weren’t racist rednecks from good ‘ol Virgini (really lady!?), it was dusk so the sightseeing was quite limited. We landed at a burger joint for dinner then back to the apartment to recharge.

The following day was full of Rockefeller Plaza, complete with a massive Christmas tree, ice rink, and all the decorations I could have dreamed of, Union Station and Market (where I had to ever so elegantly change pantyhose in a public restroom cubicle without touching the floor with my bare feet), lunch at my first ever Shake Shack (I don’t understand the hype), and that was all just during the day. At night, we had dinner at the Famous Famiglia’s Pizzeria (I do understand the hype of NY pizza), saw Chicago on Broadway (Ah-maze-ballz), and topped the night off with a trip to Top of the Rock. Holy date night, Batman!

The next day, we woke up to rain in the forecast. After looking for a somewhat cheap, possibly entertaining museum to check out, we headed to DŌ for a brunch our adolescent-selves would be proud of; cookie dough served like ice cream. If you ever find yourself in NYC and get a hankerin’ for something sweet, I highly recommend making a stop. After fueling up on sugar, we walked a staggering 22 blocks (in the rain) to the Museum of Sex. It sounded interesting, the reviews were pretty funny, and I found a Groupon- SOLD!

About the Museum of Sex- Was it entertaining? Yes. Was it informative? Definitely. Would I go back? Nope. It was one of those one-and-done experiences that could never be replicated. After learning that koala bears can contract chlamydia, Ring Snakes have orgies,  and some porpoises like to use their blowholes for other purposes, I figured it was time to see another part of the city.

We headed to the 9/11 memorial, saw the holiday market in the Oculus, then took the train out to the river to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. From there, we made our way to Brooklyn so I could capture this shot:

The next morning, we woke up, packed, stopped for a New York bagel with schmear, and headed for our train back home.

And that was that. We came. We saw. We ate. We went back home and spent Christmas with family. Overall, it was a fun trip. Would I go back? Let’s just say I’m not in any real rush.

 

9/11 Memorial

Union Station

View from Top of the Rock

Rockefeller Center

Great show!

In the heart of the city

Another view from Top of the Rock