So it's that time again where I am drowning so deeply in school work that I decide not to approach it at all SO NATURALLY the first thing I have to do in this time is make a new blog post!!! Continuing on from "My Worldly Travels" (hehe), following in our "Order of Most Fun Times" I'm going to tell you all a really detailed account of my experience in New York City.
Rockefeller Center
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| This was one of the first places we discovered when roaming the streets of New York. It was so so so pretty I loved that people were just ice skating right in the middle of New York and the christmas tree was absolutely huge and beautiful and people were having lunch and it was just a really pretty first place to go. 9/11 Memorial |
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| As you may know, I am a very emotional person so going to the 9/11 Memorial was naturally a very emotional experience. An emotional one, yet one of the highlights of my trip. |
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| There are two of these square water memorials which are stood exactly where the twin towers once stood. The border surrounding the water is covered with the name of every individual killed in the attack. |
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| These are the new towers being built to replace the twin towers. I really loved the 9/11 memorial there were many museums surrounding the actual site with personal stories and videos which were extremely emotional. Our tour guides were both personally affected by the attack and shared their personal stories. One of our tour guides had a son who was killed in the attack and she shared her story which was so moving and our whole tour group was in tears. I definitely recommend visiting this site, I was reluctant at first because I thought I would've preferred to go shopping, but it was one of those experiences that puts your whole life into perspective and I'm so glad we went there. |
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| So I actually don't know where this is but we found it on our way to Wall Street, for some reason I think it's City Hall but don't count on me I just thought it was pretty and it was snowing so yay :) |
Central Park
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Ice Skating in Central Park
Cookie ^_^
"The Upper East Side" Gossip Girl much
SO the really really really mega rich loaded people make these statue shrine things as a memorial for their loved ones and put them in Central Park. This guy made one for his wife of Alice In Wonderland and he dedicated it "To my wife for her endless imagination" and I cried daily because Alice In Wonderland is my favourite Disney movie and I just want someone to buy me shrines and dedicate them to me in Central Park, ja feel?
Times Square - New Years Eve
You may know that to be in Times Square to watch the ball drop on New Years Eve you are practically locked in Times Square from 3pm in the freezing cold and have to stay locked in there until midnight... no pee breaks. Since I was with my good old fam they weren't too keen on that idea so we researched and it turns out if you book a restaurant in Times Square you get a pass which allows you entry in and out of Times Square between 6pm and midnight. Although it was a bit expensive, it was honestly so so so worth it.
New Years Eve was the complete and final highlight of my trip. I loved it so so so much. I cried way too much. I saw Miley Cyrus perform AND the most amazing thing happened just before the countdown. "Imagine" by John Lennon started playing and the whole of Times Square started singing and it was one of those moments that restores your faith in humanity and you question how there could ever be bad in the world when such good people and such good atmosphere's exist.
Here's a little overly excited me who was a bit too excited on New Years.
If there is one thing from my trip that I stress you must do.. it's watch the ball drop on New Years Eve in New York. It is a little flustering with all the people but I don't think I've ever felt so happy and seen people so peaceful and happy and just united and it was the most beautiful experience of my life.
Grand Central Station
The Lion King Musical - Broadway
No words. Perfect. Indescribable. I cried. The Kit-Kat was also very good.
Statue Of Liberty
Can we just admire how picturesque this is please
I had this really emotionally soul soothing experience on the Statue of Liberty island because I found this little spot and nobody was there and my family went somewhere so I was like completely alone and I was overlooking the NYC skyline and I had a coffee and I just really appreciate those moments in life
Empire State Building
I had a very entertaining time with the pigeons at the top of the Empire State Building. Which is ironic because I have the biggest fear of birds and every time a bird is within a 1 metre radius of me I freak out and die. Maybe there was something in the air I'm not sure but I am quite proud of my photography skills.
Brooklyn Bridge
Making my way downtown
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE!!! It was one of the cutest things ever there were love locks everywhere and the bridge was covered in messages to and about their loved ones. I kept envisioning myself walking the Brooklyn Bridge with my best of friends and writing messages about each other on the bridge cause hey now this is what dreams are made of (I was actually imagining walking the Brooklyn Bridge with whichever One Direction band member I felt like that day but the friend thing honestly did cross my mind and sounded much cuter and achievable)
SOOOOO i have reached the end of my New York City travels :'(
All in all, New York is just a place that can never be compared with anywhere else. I mean when I first got there it wasn't as if I felt I had just discovered the place I'm meant to be... it was very cold and I was very tired. I'm not going to say New York is a beautiful city because it's just buildings and the manholes in the middle of the road produce this gas that actually smells like shit. I was actually really appreciative of how beautiful Sydney is and by travelling to all these amazing places, while I discovered how beautiful other places are it made me appreciate home so much. Basically narrowing my three favourite cities back down to London, Sydney and New York (how teenage girl cliche of me).
BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG New York has this ambience and this spirit and this vibe that can be experienced nowhere else. Walking the streets of New York and passing thousands of people who all lead their own individual lives in the city of New York is one of the coolest feelings ever. When your favourite shows are How I Met Your Mother, Sex and the City and Friends, you basically have this expectation of New York that is so built up you're expecting to go there and see Carrie Bradshaw's everywhere, or walk into a pub or coffee shop and see a group of friends chilling. I can't say it's exactly like that but my overall view on New York was that the people there and the vibe of it is everything you would expect, it was not disappointing at all and it isn't overbuilt either. It's just not as glamorous. Though, I definitely feel New York is a city that you can only fully appreciate if you were to live there. Visiting and being a tourist in New York is great, but you can never experience what it's like in the shows unless you live there, work there, eat there, laugh there and love there.
Hope you enjoyed this if you did, send me a message or follow me on the links to the right sidebar and thankyou for reeeaaaadiiiing :)
- Soph xxx
