More New York Reminiscing !

So I did share post about the wonderful 7 days I was in New York City, but it wasn't enough!!! I want to share with you all the little magic moments of my trip. First of all, let me say this: when I travel, as long as there's money in the account, there is money to spend. I don't mind wasting money on trips at all. That's what I'm all about though! Seeing the world and being poor while doing so! (It's more fun that way!)

 Anyway, so this post I will share with you little stories about the wondrous city that.. LITERALLY never sleeps. 

(Disclaimer, I get all mushy and gushy about the city I grew up loving!)

Where to begin!?

So the very first moments of New York City, I was walking around the airport with a full heart. I literally almost stopped walking in a crowd of people and burst into tears! Because I made it. I finally am in the place I have grown up looking at pictures of and saying as a little kid, "One day, I'll be standing on that famous bridge in Brooklyn. And I'll see with my own two eyes Lady Liberty, herself." So you can imagine, I'm a child in a candy store just "ooo"ing and "awwwe" ing at everything my little heart saw. Driving through the city that first day, I was shocked at how green some parts were! It was raining a little bit as well! (My favorite weather!!)  A gift from the City itself!

The next day, we ventured out to the Hudson river for a water taxi tour! (Best decision! You need to do this, to all you future New York Tourists!) So we weren't able to go on Ellis Island due to damage recovery from Hurricane Sandy last November, but I was able to get really close to it and take some pictures! I was mesmerized by her! The tour guide was yelling at us to get back inside the boat so they could leave! But since I was one of the last people to get out there and take pictures, my time was limited. But we were able to snap a few photos together and then I begged my mom to take one last one of me looking out to The Statue of Liberty. (Which is ultimately my favorite picture from the whole trip!)

(Don't mind the messy hair! It was raining and very windy out there!)

The Tour Guide yelled at us to get back inside right as this was taken so I wasn't really posing for this picture.. It was more of a "She's so beautiful!!!" and... "Alright sir.. I get it.. just one more second with her please!!"

Later that night we went to Museum of Modern Art! (MOMA) I knew that my favorite painting by my favorite artist was in this museum long before this trip, but much to my own disliking, I promised myself I wouldn't look up its exact location in the museum so I'd be forced to find it myself. (It's so much more meaningful to find it yourself.. like a bookstore! I find the book I like on my own. I never ask for help even if I've been through every section twice. I find it eventually..) But looking through this museum is seriously a maze! Im like clawing through people.. "Is it in here?! no... ok lets look around then." Next floor. "Is it in here!?!.. No..." so on so forth. (I won't tell you what floor this is on, because I want you to go there for yourself and find it as well.) But after a number of floors, my mom got tired and found a bench to relax. So I was on my own. I finally reached its location. I turned the corner, and there. Right in front of me, staring at me through a sea of people and cameras.. was the painting I'd been searching for.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night."

Look at me! I'm so star-struck!

This entire trip, I kept seeing things or references to movies and shows! I didn't realize how many movies I watched that took place in New York! But I went to this quaint little cafe called, Serendipity 3. Which is a very famous, and VERY small cafe in New York City. This little cafe is where they filmed my favorite movie, "Serendipity" ( A MUST WATCH! ) 

Get the frozen Hot Chocolate! To die for!!! (don't try to eat it on your own. You will have a chocolate rush to last you years!)

Funny little story, while we were waiting in line for a table, these two girls from New Zealand were behind us and chatting with everyone. They seemed to really enjoy talking to these two gentlemen, I'd guess around the same age. Well they called the gentlemen to be seated and they left. Maybe 5 minutes later they came back to the girls and said, "They sat us at a table for 4, and there's only the 2 of us. Would you like to join us?"
They both looked at each other and agreed and off they went! In my head I'm thinking, if they all get married, how serendipitous would that be!
To meet IN Serendipity and meet someone serendipitous!?
AH! <3

I sat 2 tables over of where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale sat for the filming of this movie!

So I got to sit in the same little place and eat the same dessert they did in the movie! In my head I'm playing that scene over and over as we were there!


Another movie reference.. I'll let you guess where this is from.

All you movie buffs should be swooning over this townhouse. I STILL have a hard time believing I sat where the Queen of the 50's and 60's once was. I love you Audrey Hepburn.

And yes. I had to try the door. Of course it was locked.. And before you ask, I also tried to peek through the mail slot! Which someone had covered with cardboard from the inside. There was no peeking inside for me. I was sad, but hey! I got to be where the Queen once was! I was in love!!!



Skipping through a couple of days, (you'd be reading for hours on end if I put everything up on this blog!) to Tuesday, June 11, 2013.

This was the day that we had set aside to just not plan anything and just go. So we got on the subway and made our way over to Brooklyn! We ended up in a artsy fartsy part of town! We wanted to stop by a cute little jewelry store called "Catbird".  I love everything from them! Looking around the tiny store, I got tired of shoving through girls to look at delicate pieces of jewelry so we hopped out of there and walked down the street stopping at each little boutique on the way. We went to Pema, which is a high end thrift store kind of thing.. which is where I found two of my knuckle rings that I use as reminders of personal lessons I learned to do and be while on this trip. A delicate reminder for me of things I want to change and also the beautiful city I carry with me everywhere I go.

 Next door to that was a used book store.
Used books have to be my favorite thing in this world. But I'll explain that in just a second. So we walk up to this book store and what caught my eye was all the books outside the store. We fingered through a couple of good reads and then I stumbled upon a book that promised me that it will literally change my life. It teaches you how to change fear into courage, confidence and creativity. Intrigued, I picked it up and began to read more about it. It's called "The Tools" by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels. I'm only on chapter 3 and already I am seeing huge changes in my life and art. (You must read this!) Used books are my favorite because as I'm reading through this book, I'm finding pages with doggy eared corners and crayon drawings all over some pages. This makes me curious as to who owned this before me; a mother perhaps? Why did those pages marked by a crease mean so much to this person?

We then we ventured down the street where I found a vinyl record store called "Ear Wax"! 

Now,  I don't own a record player but if I did, I'd be buying records left and right at that place! They had everything you could imagine! But I do have a CD player! So I found a CD of a band I had never heard of before and bought the album with out even looking them up! (Which might have been a mistake, because they aren't the greatest band in the world and I'll probably never listen to that CD again..) But it was a fun experiment! But don't fret, I did get a CD of a band I do know and love (Peter Bjorn and John) so I wasn't empty handed! 

I will never forget the last sunset in New York. We were sitting in Chipotle for dinner and the sun was setting over the buildings so everything was a harsh contrast of blues and yellows. It is so beautiful! I will never forget those sunsets and the colors it changes the city to.

This picture (unedited) doesn't even do it justice..
Guess you'll just have to go and see it for yourself! ;)

 Overall, I was devastated to leave New York City but ultimately ready to get back to work and see my friends and family again! So I will never say never to you, New York! I will be back soon enough!

But as the saying goes.. "All good things must come to an end."
 I'm adding, "but not forever."