NYC = HOME!

We are here, we are here! I see the buildings and the people out on the streets. I taste the street hotdogs and the hot, salty pretzels. The sound of fire trucks and car alarms fill my ears with a calming feeling. I feel the energy of the city from inside this Chinatown bus. I smell… I smell… old Chinese food that probably has been on this bus for a couple of weeks...YUCK. Whatever, nothing is going to spoil my mood right now. We park. We are sitting in the back, and the people ahead of us are taking their sweet time getting off the bus. Don’t they understand..I NEED TO GET OUTSIDE. Finally, people start moving. The guy next to us lets us pass in front of him. I am getting closer to the door. My heart is racing. I want/need to touch the ground and to smell anything else that’s not nasty Chinese food. I get to the door, one step, two steps. HOME!

Painting in my room at home

Yes, I know that I have never lived in New York City, but it is the one place where I feel like I truly belong. All my senses are on high here. Everything just feels right. I am officially the happiest person in the world! Wondering why I feel like this? Long story short… It’s October 2001 at 5:30 a.m. and I am in eighth grade. Suddenly, my mother starts screaming that we are late for school. I am still half asleep walking to the bathroom, when I hear her say: “Don’t put on your uniforms. Start packing, we are leaving to New York!” AHHHHHH! Of course, the first thing that pops into my head was…OMG! The Subway Series. Yankee vs. Mets. We land in NYC and something hits me, hard. It’s the same feeling I get every time I step foot in the city. HOME. Even since then, my family has traveled “Home” at least once a year.

Best Picture of the Trip!

This trip was a Birthday gift from my mom to me. She told me that I could bring some friends and we would spend the weekend in NYC. Kaite, Molly and Jorden made the cut. Haha. Kaite and Molly had both been to New York, but it was Jorden’s first time. We were pretty much all broke, so extreme shopping was out of the question. We decided to do what we have been doing in D.C. for the last two months... be tourist. I really hadn’t done the touristy stuff since my first trip, but it was nice to see everything. We went to Ground Zero to see if anything new was going on. I really wish they would finish the new buildings. After, we decided to go see if we could go see Lady Liberty. The lines were ridiculous! But we got reserved tickets for the following day. We walked from Battery Park to South Sea Port. The view from Sea Port to the Brooklyn Bridge is one of my favorites.

The Girls with the Brooklyn Bridge

Jorden had his first New York City hotdog and I had my...Well...I have had a lot. After enjoying our hotdogs, we went to 34th Street Herald Square and of course the first thing I see is Macy’s…no, no, turn around, Leilani! We walked around (and away from Macy’s), and we went to see if we could go up the Empire State Building..Yah rightttt 30 freaking dollars! After spending the entire summer in D.C. where everything is free, there is no way I would pay that. I guess we have been spoiled! But it was just as pretty from the outside. So, we took pictures and looked like tourist, and then we got hungry. Food in New York has to be my favorite part. We decided to go to the Original’s John Pizzeria in the Village. There was a wait…Duh. But oh so worth it! By far the best pizza in New York City. After three slices of yummy yummy pizza…I needed desert. Only place for desert is Rocco’s, this little hole-in-the-wall Italian deli. God bless their Italian hearts for making the most amazing strawberry tarts in the world. And I have been to Italy.

On the way to Times Square

Night was falling in the city, and it was time to visit Times Square. My first trip to NYC, I saw Times Square at night for the first time, and I believe that is the best way to see it. We all got pretty (minus Jorden..boys don’t get “pretty’) and we headed to UpTown. Have you ever been anywhere at night where there were so many lights it looked like it was daytime? And have you been anywhere at night where there were more people and families walking the street than in the daytime? Well, that is Times Square. My favorite part about Times Square is that there are always people there. No matter at what time! I believe Frank Sinatra was talking about Times Square when he said New York was The City That Never Sleeps.

Jorden and I in Times Square

Leli's Recommendation: Travel. Bus ticket to NYC: $35 round trip. Tony's Bus Service.

Until next time, Ciao!