NYC

Oh my goodness I loved New York City. I am so grateful for friends like Kami that push me to go new places and try new things. I have great desires and intentions to be adventurous, but I usually need a little shove to make things happen. 

Kami arrived on a Wednesday afternoon just before the BIG snowstorm. We spent Thursday pretty much snowed in, and most of the day I worried and hoped our trip to New York would still work out. It did, and although there were a few hiccups, it really went very smoothly.

We took a bus from Union Station in DC to Penn Station in NY.

Right before the bus ride began, the driver complained to us that someone had used the bathroom and peed all over the floor. He was very upset. I think he scared all of us, because not a single person used the restroom for the whole 4 hour drive. Luckily we stopped at one rest stop because, ahem, Kami and I are both pregnant remember.

I got so excited when I saw this sight from the bus.

Our hotel had a modern and Japanese flair to it, and it was awesome. The room was really small, but that wasn't a problem at all. It was just a couple blocks from Times Square and ended up being in a perfect 

location.

That first night we went to a  few places including Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, and also inhaled some incredible bread pudding at Magnolia Bakery.

 By some stroke of crazy luck, we scored discounted Newsies tickets hours before the show...on Valentine's Day no less! We were on the 7th row. I just loved every second of it. 

 On Saturday we took one of the bus tours that takes you all around and you can hop on and off when you want. It was so nice to be doing New York with someone who is also pregnant. She understood the eternal dilemma of needing to drink lots of water but not wanting to need to use the bathroom every hour. She understood when I would say, "This is the fastest I can walk" as I sometimes practically limped down the street. And we could complain to each other at night that we were so, so tired and our legs and feet hurt. 

It snowed quite a bit on Saturday. There were moments when we were really cold and just needed to find some place warm, but for the most part it was awesome and added to the New York experience. Looking back (which is always easier than being in the moment), I don't think I would have changed a thing.

We did a little shopping in Chinatown...

The 9/11 Memorial was really something special. There were two pools set in the footprints of the original Twin Towers, and thirty-two foot waterfalls spill down into them and then keep falling into a center "void." The names of the victims (about 3,000) are inscribed in bronze around the edges of the two pools. I am so glad we went.

Not the best day to view the Statue of Liberty, but I loved seeing it nonetheless and also Ellis Island. I can't wait to go back there someday.

In the later afternoon it started to snow quite a bit. Perfect time to shop! We hit a few stores while it was really coming down. 

The trip went by so quickly, but I also feel like we saw and experienced so many things in such a short time.

We took the train back to DC and arrived at Union Station a little after 2:30 am. We were so pooped. By the time we got home it was about 4 am, and I had maybe slept 20 minutes on the train. I'm already itching to go back to New York City...I definitely have at least a little city girl in me.