Visitor Time

Okay ya'll I'm just going to pretend it's on purpose that I post every two weeks. I have less than two weeks left in the city and though I swore I would get better about blogging as the summer went on, I failed. Instead of slowing down things seem to get busier and busier each week. My relationship with my phone is even suffering. (gasp, i know right?) If you know me well, you know my cell never left my hand but that is hardly the case these days. I now find myself responding to texts days later because I'm so caught up in the life I'm living here. It's refreshing, actually...maybe I'll bring this habit back to Columbia with me. I'm sure many of you would be very happy :)

This past weekend my whole family came to visit, 3 of the 4 being first time New Yorkers. I loved being reminded of how dazzling this city is when I saw their reactions to things like Times Square. After living here, I've kind of grown to hate that specific location because of the endless supply of tourists and the inability to navigate the sidewalks quickly. But, they reminded me just how breathtaking it really is to see all the bright lights. My dad commented on Thursday night as were walking out of the Broadway show, West Side Story (so good by the way) that it looked like it was still daytime even though it was 10:30 at night.

Maddie, my youngest sister, is like my mini-me so I thought she would be just as in love with this city as I am. She surprised me though, commenting that she could never see herself living here. It made me realize that living in New York definitely requires a certain type of person.The strong willed won't survive here, in fact they will hate it. Getting pushed around on the subway and being surrounded by crowds of thousands of people each day can't bother you. My sisters decided they would be much happier living in the country, which I could never do. So my conclusion is this, everyone has a place that makes them feel at home, and this is mine.

So recap of what I showed them...

Thursday I got off work early to meet them at the hotel. Then I took my mom down to the seaport and we decided which Broadway show to go see. There is was debate between Mamma Mia, Chicago, and West Side Story, but in the end the latter won. By this time is was almost 6 p.m. and the show started at 8 so we hurried back uptown, grabbed some quick sushi and to Broadway we went. The show was spectacular as I expected and I think everyone enjoyed it.

Then we were off to Times Square to take them to the brand new Forever21 store. I'm pretty sure Sarah and Maddie were in heaven. It boasts an incredible 90,000 sq ft, 4 levels, and an endless supply of clothes and dressing rooms. After doing some browsing the whole family was tired from their day of travel and they called it a night.


Friday the weather decided to "rain on my parade" a bit. The plan was to go see The Statue of Liberty but with the rain we decided it wouldnt be worth it. Instead we explored the seaport and financial district, where I live, and took the Staten Island Ferry to get some views of the skyline and pass right by Lady Liberty. We also visited the Wall Street Bull to get the ultimate tourist picture.

Later I introduced them to the wonderful world that is Century 21 (a discount store full of the top designer brands for 70% + off). Maddie ended up finding her prom dress for next year already, and Sarah got some great Paige white jeans. Even Dad found a few things he liked!

The rain had all of us needing a little pick me up so I showed them to one of my favorite spots in my neighborhood, Candy Nails. They offer a manicure/pedicure combo for just $16.75, amazing right?! All of us girls got the combo and relaxed and dad headed home for a nice nap.


Then it was dinner time in Little Italy, my favorite! Though the rain prevented us from being able to sit outside in true Italian fashion, the food was still delicious. It was a much appreciated nice meal after having pb sandwiches and microwave meals as the main staples in my diet for the past few months.

Saturday we shopped down 5th Avenue, explored Central Park, and met up with an old family friend. Oh and did I mention we saw Justin Timberlake?! He happened to be shooting his newest movie, Friends with Benefits, on the corner we happened to turn. Of course, my sisters and I got out our cameras and started snapping pictures. Got to have the evidence!

It was a busy day and we ended up not making it to dinner until almost 11. We had some mexican food that wasn't quite as good as the first time I went there, but Adam joined us and it was a lot of fun. Sarah and I ended up walking home around 3 a.m. after a fun filled night on the town together. I think she is still shocked at how much this city really never sleeps.

Sunday was supposed to be a day at the Yankees game, but again rain decided to change our plans. Instead Maddie and my dad went to see the King Tut exhibit in Times Square while my mom, Sarah and I decided to do a little shopping in SoHo, the best place to shop in the city.

 To finish out the trip, it was cupcake time! Nothing says New York like a cupcake. My family got to experience my the fabulousness that is CRUMBS Bake Shop. We each tried a different flavor with mine being the winner of the the day, the Raspberry Swirl.


There were several other random things we did but that's pretty much the jist of it. I wish I could have shown them more but there is only so much you can do in 3 days. Ive been here 2 months and I still have yet to see everything.

Two weeks from now I'll be back home for one day then it's back to resume life as normal at Mizzou. I'm kind of nervous I'm going to have reverse culture shock coming back. Time will tell.

Until next time,

Allie