Spontaneous NYC Adventure

It's not ideal that James has to travel basically every week, but when his company pays for me to fly out to him instead of him flying home to me...and he's in NYC...that is a purty sweet dealio.

James is currently working in The Big Apple and on Thursday during my physics class I got a text from him saying "pack your bags baby, you're flying to New York tomorrow." Needless to say, I have no idea what else my professor said after that. Something about a Broadway musical I think....

My mom was a nanny in New York and I have often heard her talk about how much she loved the feel of the big, bustling city. When my parents met it was because my dad went out to New York to meet my mom (they were set up by my great aunt and uncle), so that's one reason I've always wanted to go.  I'd never been before, and after serving my mission in another BIG city (Buenos Aires, Argentina) I wanted to see a comparable city in the US.

All that being said, I was so excited looking out the plane window as we landed that I almost cried. I jabbered and jabbered with my cab driver about all I wanted to see and do and eat and asked for his suggestions. And I snapped lots of not-so-bueno pictures out the windows:

I met James at his office and we walked to our hotel. It smelled just like Buenos Aires; sweet roasted nuts, perfume, and cigarette smoke permeated the air. It looked like Buenos Aires; skyscrapers on all sides, honking cabs and buses making up the majority of  lane-disrespecting traffic, crowded sidewalks, restaurants and stores everywhere calling you in with their music, lights, and fashionable manicans.  I got totally mission-sick in the most wonderful way. It helped me realize that my mission was real and not just a dream. I used to live in a city like this. I felt like I was supposed to stop and contact everyone and quit gawking at everything.

We ate at Shake Shack, the burger joint suggested by my cab driver and most everyone on yelp and HELLO it was so delicious! My dessert was a concrete chocolate custard with marshmallow cream, peanut butter, and chocolate-covered pretzels.

Then we walked through Times Square, which I'll admit is NOT just like Buenos Aires....it's a totally amazing sensory overload bomb!! No picture does Time Square justice, but of course I took a million anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday we got lunch at a delicious halal food stand that had a bigger line than anywhere else. $6 for a HUGE dish of bright orange rice, chicken, lamb, salad, pita bread, and yummy white sauce and hot sauce.We walked all around Central Park and then like another 30 blocks to our Broadway Musical experience with NEWSIES.

 

 

Bet you've never seen a picture like this before.

I love to kiss my husband, especially after several failed attempts at a good picture of my face head-on.

After much eye rollage when James turns on Newsies at home, I am now hooked.

I know it looks like NY pizza, and technically it was made there, but this is definitely not the pizza people rave about. Guess we'll have to go back and find the rul dul.

Now's probably an appropriate time to tell you that I lost my phone in New York City, since I realized I didn't have it right after I ate this pizza. I definitely stressed out about it and James of course was calm and patient as always. The next day after church we called Nederlander Theater where we watched NEWSIES and it was there so we just picked it up. And that was a happy moment.

On Sunday we went to church in the chapel that shares the Manhattan Temple and that was awesome. :) We took a subway to Brooklyn and then crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. And then we ordered room service to finish off the night.

About 1/3 of the ward was visiting at church.

 

You can see the new World Trade Center in this pic.

Manhattan Bridge...I believe

Statue of Liberty....I'm sure.

 

 

This Argentine flag made me happy.

As did Uncle Jack's, which is a steak house owned by the most annoying guy with the greatest NY accent on the Food Network Channel.

Totes yum.

This morning James and I didn't want the fun to end, but we flagged down a taxi and I left just as quickly as I came. And lucky James gets to stay for the week.