The big apple. The place everyone around the world aspires to travel to, where dreams come true. A city filled with five star restaurants, soaring skyscrapers, scenic parks and waters, and people crawling everywhere. Lively and spectacular, ever since I was a child I dreamed of going to New York City. Some of my favorite shows “How I met your Mother” and “Friends” all having taken place in the city of dreams. I envisioned my future self living in the big city, I loved the city and its hectic nature, I wanted my life to take place there. However, I was yet to actually go to New York and venture the city myself; I rarely travelled outside of Massachusetts. A place that had been on my mind almost everyday, I would finally visit for the first time during my spring break. 
The night before my travels, as I went to bed I was giddy with excitement. I was extremely eager to finally tour the city, I was unable to sleep. I only thought about all the places I would visit, food I would taste, and the sights I would see. I wanted it to be 5:30 in the morning so that my cousin Jamie would be in my driveway and we would be on our journey to the city. I closed my eyes finally, got my mind off of New York, and finally crashed to sleep. The next couple of days would be the best days of my life, I thought to myself.
I woke up to the loud, repetitive sounds of my alarm and sprang out of bed in excitement to leave the house. My cousin would arrive any minute, so I had to hurry. I went downstairs brushed my teeth, brushed my hair, and cleaned my face. I then grabbed my heavy bag from my room and took it into the kitchen. I sat at the kitchen table browsing through instagram on my phone, awaiting Jamies arrival. Soon 10 minutes later, she called me and told me to come outside. I bounced up from my seat and quickly clutched all my bags and luggage. I ran out the door and placed my bags in the trunk and sat in the front seat, her car smelt like the beach and through the speakers played “Empire State of Mind”. Jamie played it hoping I would notice, which I did and it got me even more into spirit than I already was.
“Are you excited or what!?” Jamie exclaimed.
“I can not wait to get there, how long do you think it will take us to arrive there?” I asked curiously.
“Maybe three to four hours,” Jamie sighed, “but we will be their before you even know it! Do you want any breakfast? I am starving.”
“Oh definitely! Dunks?”
“Yes, I have been craving a Big N Toasty, so good.”
When we arrived at the Dunkin Donuts drive through, I ordered a caramel iced coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and my cousin got her indulgent big n toasty and a iced coffee as well. We chowed down my bagel was crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside, the cream cheese was lightly spread over the bagel and it was delicious. When I took my first sip of coffee I got a rush of sugar and caramel, I squeezed my face from the sugar rush residing in my mouth. We then went on our way to New York, traveling through Connecticut. During the car ride, I started to get tired in the near beginning of the trip. I passed out, reclining the seat backward.
I awoke from my nap and looked out of the window I saw a bright vivid sunrise. The sky faded from a light blue to pink to orange, looking out of my window I saw a large bridge above a body of water.
“Where are we? Are we close?” I asked Jamie.
“Almost there, we are entering New York now!” Jamie answered in excitement.
After a while of listening to the same pop songs overplay and talking about the Bruins, we finally reached the George Washington Bridge which was filled with cars trying to enter the city. We entered the city and drove around Hudson river, there were people running, walking their dogs, and biking around the vicinity of the river. Upon entering the city we headed toward Time Square, where our hotel was. There was mild traffic, cars honking and taxis stopping for people trying to catch a ride. The apartment buildings and shops in the area were stoned in expensive brick; the sidewalks considered of fast paced movement, everyone in a hurry to get somewhere. We slowly but, surely entered the city through Time Square. It was my first time on the Broadway streets, I saw the Toshiba clock which stated the time, 12:47 pm. The ball dropped their every new year and below the clock and all around the area were bright, flashing lights with ads displayed on them. Stores, restaurants, and shops were everywhere with livid signs to attract customers. In the center of Time Square, people were walking around and there were street performers and cartoon characters in costume all looking for one thing, money. Tour buses were everywhere with speakers spreading their knowledge about the city. My eyes didn’t know where to look, their was so much to look at I was in a frenzy.
We entered a parking lot, the cost for parking our car for the three day stay was $800, I looked at Jamie’s facial expression and she didn’t seem surprised, but she was appalled that she would spend so much already just to park. She handed the man her keys and unlocked the trunk, he grabbed our bags and put them on a luggage rack. We hopped out of the car and another man followed us carrying our luggage while the other parked our car. We were on the streets, their were businessmen and women everywhere walking with purpose while holding coffees and talking on their phones. I gazed through the windows of hotels and saw the luxurious lobbies with door men holding the doors and carrying travelers bags. We reached the Marriott hotel, I was greeted by the door man who held the door open for my cousin and I. They carried our bags off the luggage rack and inside the hotel, we followed right behind them. The lobby hotel was dark and luxurious with gray couches and abstract paintings as well as a modest fireplace along the wall. We entered the elevator with the doorman and and were directed towards the room we’d spend the next couple days in. He politely opened the door for us and inside I jumped onto the cleanily kept white, plush beds. In front of the two beds was a giant flat screen TV and to the right of that was a large window. The view from this window was spectacular unlike anything I have witnessed before, below me were cars the size of hot wheels. Buildings stood tall next to me and below them lights and colors were flashing with advertisements. I saw people dashing through the streets manoeuvring between cars and buses. Our journey would begin now.

The view from our hotel room.
It was around one in the afternoon, the day was just getting started and Jamie and I were excited to tour around the city. We started out by grabbing some lunch, so we went into Times Square. As we walked through we were greeted by salesmen and people just looking for some cash.
“Hi mam, would you like to be in a commercial with one of our purses?” a man asked my cousin.
We respectfully walked away from these people and continued to look for a restaurant. We spotted an Irish pub and went inside. In the restaurant there were people at the bar drinking beers and laughing with friends as the televisions played hockey and basketball games. Waiters were running around the moderately busy dining area and I could smell beef cooking from the kitchen and was delighted by the smell. Jamie and I sat down at a small circular table and were greeted by one of the waiters while he provided us with menus. Shortly after, he came back to our table and we ordered our food and drinks.
“Can I please have a Sprite and the chicken tenders and fries, please?” I requested.
“Yes! And for you Ms?” the waiter asked.
“Can I please have a water with lemon and steak tips with mashed potatoes please?” Jamie asked.
“Yes you can! That will be right out!” he exclaimed leaving our table and walking toward the kitchen.
While we waited for our food, Jamie and I talked about what we planned to do for the rest of the day. We decided to travel to Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, shop through Time Square, and walk around seeing where the city would take us.
After about fifteen minutes are food arrived, the heat expelled off our food giving me warmth and I could smell Jamie’s steak which looked dark on the outside and slightly red in the center, it looked juicy and seasoned well. My chicken tenders were flaked with large breadcrumbs and the chicken was cooked to perfection, white and juicy. My fries were large cut and soft, hot and steaming with eat bite I took. As we finished up our meals, Jamie paid the check and left a tip for our waiter.
Navigating our way through my phone GPS, I think it was clear to everyone that we were tourists. Once we arrived at Rockefeller center I saw the array of different flags representing different countries. Along the walkways there were flamboyant flowers arrayed in bundles guarded by gray stone walls. In the center their were columns of fountains with angel and animals statues shooting out water into the pool below it, I could hear the water lightly splash calming me among the hundreds of people all around me. As we walked toward the entrance, I saw the studio for the Today show with Kathie Lee and Hoda. On the white desk lay two glasses of wine and cameras pointing in every direction around the desk, but the set up was pretty small I guess everything's bigger on television though. After passing the studio we entered through the revolving doors and I spun around immaturely many times. Inside this massive building layed black and gold granite walls and floors with shops and stores all around the viscity. My cousin and I went to the NBC shop which was filled with toys and nick nacks for shows like Friends, The Tonight Show, Late Late with Seth Meyers, SNL, and more famous productions. I immediately grasped toward the Friends section of the store purchasing a large black mug that had the Central Perk logo which was the iconic coffee shop in the show. I also purchased a glow in the dark Tonight Show first since I had this odd obsession with Jimmy Fallon at the time. I wanted to explore all the stores, but my cousin rushed the both of us out before we spent more money.
The next stop in our day was the Empire State Building, the exemplary structure known for its soaring height and intriget detail and beauty. Upon arrival at the building I saw the hundreds upon hundreds of windows and standing proudly, waving in the air in the front of the building stood the American flag. Jamie and I stood in the long line waiting to travel to the top of the building. We stood line upon line upon line going up dozens of floors each time. But finally after long hours of waiting and standing we reached the top of the Empire State building (well almost the top). On the balcony it was windy and pulling my hair in every direction, as I looked down my heart jumped a bit the people walking on the sidewalks were the size of ants and cars looked like hot wheels. I could see the top of the building and apartments which had pools and lounge chairs laying out. On the other side of the building I could see the waters and in between them more cities and bridges. I saw large airplanes launch into the air and fly over the waters. On one side I saw huge rectangular green landscape that happened to be Central Park. Like everyone beside me I took millions of pictures displaying each angle and each sight around the building. It was the most spectacular and lively sight I’ve ever seen.

View from Empire State Building (not my picture).
After we travelled downward through the elevator for what felt like ten minutes until we reached the bottom floor. Jamie and I slowly made our way back to the hotel, and grabbing a bite to eat along the way. We went by an authentic Japanese restaurant, I suggested it since I love Japanese cuisine but I have never tried real Japanese food. We entered the tiny restaurant with people squashed together all throughout the diner, steam rushed out of the kitchen, and waiters quickly paced in and out of the kitchen delivering food and taking orders. Jamie and I both ordered red pork and rice to stay on the safe side and as an appetizer we ordered sushi, it had been my first time. When the Sushi platter came out I was at first apprehensive because I hate fish, let alone raw food. Jamie devoured a piece in one bite, I took a bite of mine and immediately hated it. I could feel the texture of the raw meat in my mouth and it felt unnatural, but out of respect for the restaurant I forcefully swallowed it. I chugged a large sip of my lemonade and felt refreshed. Once our food came out Jamie and I chowed down and left the restaurant heading back toward Time Square
It was now night time, the lights in time square radiated and the energy and hustle in New York persisted. Advertisements shined and played to all the people in the city. I spun around enrapturing it all. Jamie and I went to H&M and the other clothing stores, just simply browsing since we already had spent a lot of money today. In the center of Time Square stood cartoon character mascot and many people taking pictures of themselves in Time Square. Salesmen selling tickets for shows that would take place tonight and everyone filled with excitement and energy. I couldn’t wait to explore more the next day.

Time Square at night. (Not my picture)
The next day Jamie and I woke up bright and early and ready to go, we took the train and travelled to the 9/11 memorial. People surrounded the viscosity of the memorial. The memorial was infected in the ground with names of the victims written in stone. The memorial was placed where the Twin Towers had been, and in the center was a small, quiet fountain. A block or two ahead lied the new World Trade Center, looking up at the reflective glass building, I felt a rush of nerves. Looking straight up it appeared as if the building was falling on me. As Jamie and I walked around we saw the 9/11 memorial museum, Jamie and I both wanted to go in so badly. We stood in the line for hours outside on the windy and sunny day. In the museum their were articles everywhere about the incident and tv’s played news clips from that day showing how unexpected the event truly was. Videos of government officials discussed the issue detailing how our country thought we were invincible, we didn't take any precaution and we knew of this situation and had details yet we did not act upon them. Videos portrayed how this event changed our country and its safety and how bad events like this truly shaped our country.  Their were also vape recordings involving people on the plane and inside the building that left voicemails to their loved ones where it was for some their last time hearing their voice. The museum was a captivating experience, one that I will never forget because it taught me so much about our country, and made me proud of how we came through an experience like that.
The next stop was the Statue of Liberty and around noon Jamie and I took a boat i the Upper New York Bay travelling through the wavy waters and windy conditions toward lady liberty. The statue stood tall with its minty green color as she stood proudly representing the country. Parades of people took pictures with the statue and doing silly poses: some holding her with their hands, eating her, ir licking her. Jamie and I took the same pictures and sat down in the park enjoying the view and some hot dogs.

View of the Statue of Liberty in front of the city. (Not my picture)
After we headed back into the city and visited Carlos Bakery, not the one in Hoboken. Upon entering there was a Buddy Valastro cardboard cutout and Jamie and I took pictures next to it, both of us are huge fans of the show. In the store I saw teams of baker's decorating and constructing cakes, filling up cannolis with cream, and frosting cupcakes. The store smelt like an array of chocolate cake and freshly baked cannoli shells which was delightful. I ordered a chocolate chip and vanilla cannoli, while Jamie ordered a chocolate cupcake. The cannolis had a hard and crunchy shell with loads of powdered sugar and the creme was so light and sweet its sweet flavors danced upon my tongue.
To finish off the night Jamie and I went to the Madame Tussauds museum which was filled with wax structures of famous people. Their were several different rooms all with different themes. One room had famous bands like BackStreet boys, Spice Girls, One Direction, and many others. The structures looked so lively and detailed it was hard to tell if they were real or not, obviously not though. Another display captured Barack and Michelle Obama and I was able to sit at the desk and pose with the wax structures. Another room was New York themed and had actors like Matt Lawlor and Jimmy Fallon, which of course I posed with. Lastly another room had singers like Beyonce, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Usher, and more. They were shown under a bright light and spot light and looked like they were in the middle of a performance. The wax museum was one of my favorite parts of the trip because every room was like a present, once you opened the door there was a new theme and new celebrities to explore.

Jimmy Fallon posing with his wax creation.  (Not my picture)
Once we got back to the hotel Jamie and I crashed and fell asleep to Lilo & Stitch, my all time favorite movie. I reflected on our short trip and started to get sad, I couldn’t believe tomorrow was our last day.
Jamie and I once again woke up early to savor the rest of the day since we only had half the day because we were leaving in the afternoon. We went to a fancy diner in Time Square and it wasn't too packed which was a good thing. We both ordered coffees and orange juice and I asked for blueberry pancakes while Jamie ordered the steak breakfast which included eggs, home fries, and toast. My blueberry pancakes arrived and I could barely see the actual pancakes it was decked in blueberry syrup and maine blueberries. The pancakes were large and fluffy soaking in all the syrup and blueberry flavor each bite I took, and the blueberries were nice and warm melting in my mouth. After nearly devouring all the pancakes I was bloated and full and unfortunately about to do some exercise.
Jamie and I took the train station to Central Park for our last venture in New York City. We rented some bikes and rode around the scenic park. Paved trails allowed us to travel all around the park in any path we choose. People everywhere: running, walking, skateboarding, biking, and enjoying the nature. Trees of all kinds covered all of the park and large fountains captured the center of walkways. Open fields with grass and flowers freshly grown and people relaxing while reading books and conversing with friends. The fresh air rushed into my face as I biked along with excitement. There were lots of ponds and bodies of water with ducks and swans floating around in it. Their were beautiful stone bridges that stretched across the ponds. Their were playgrounds with families having picnics and children running around and making new friends. Birds were soaring through the air and chirping along the trees. Chipmunks and squirrels running around and maneuvering between people in search food food and nuts.

Central Park Bow Bridge in the Springtime. (Not my picture)
Once we returned our bikes we headed back to the hotel and grabbed all of our belongings. We entered the main lobby and checked out rolling our luggage along by our side as we traveled back to the parking garage. We drove out of the city and through Time Square I gazed at the signs and billboards one last time. I looked at all the people rushing around and taxis rushing to a stop to pick someone up. All the tour buses travelling around and on top of them a speaker talking about his love for the city. After two days of being here I knew I was going to miss it, and I’d especially miss being with my cousin Jamie.