Flashing lights, electronic billboards, crowded people and a bunch of taxis. Pretty much the definition of Times Square, New York City, about 11 at night and 5 days before New Years Eve. I see all of this from a tinted window in a limo. As I step out the limo I see the whole area clearly and it looks so crowded! I can’t imagine what my day tomorrow will be like when I spend the whole day in the city.

10:00am December 27, 2007 the Westin Hotel. I get out of bed and go to the bathroom to brush my SUPER knotted hair, brush all of the nasty plaque off my teeth, and wash this disgusting airplane smell off of me. I try to think where I am because I am not at home and I finally realize I am in New York City. After being half asleep on the ride from the airport I didn’t really remember the experience I had the night before. But now I do and I finally think of where I am and I am in New York City.

I looked around the hotel room and I don’t see a single glimpse of my bags. All of a sudden I hear a knock on the door and it wakes my mom up. She hops out of bed and walks to the door to answer it. She opened up the door and what do you know a tall concierge man was standing there with our luggage. Thank the lord because I need to get cleaned up!

The concierge man brought our luggage into the room and set it down on the dresser. I grabbed my bathroom bag while my mom gave the man a tip. As I headed for the bathroom my mom decided to go back to bed. I walked into the bathroom and shut the door. I opened my bag and grabbed my shampoo, conditioner, and soap and hoped into the shower. The warm water on my freezing body felt so relaxing.

I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. I got dressed in my warmest jeans, a long sleeve shirt; I would put my wool coat on later when we got ready to leave. I scrubbed my teeth like they were contaminated with a million germs, and brushed my ridiculously knotted hair.

When I stepped out of the bathroom my mom was getting her bathroom bag and outfit so she could get ready to go. I sat down on my bed and watched television until my mom was ready. We both put our coats on and got our phones, wallets and anything else we would need for the day in the city. We walked to the elevator and it arrived soon after I pressed the button. We got on the empty elevator and I pressed the button labeled 1.

Once we arrived at the lobby we walked to the door and stepped outside and then we stepped right back in! It was so cold out there. It felt like Antarctica! “Come on if we are going to the museum we need to get going.” My mom said shivering. “Okay,” I said. We walked outside and this time we stayed outside. We walked all of the way from 5th street to 82nd street. We passed Central Park, lots of shops, and a HUGE amount of people!

When we finally arrived at the museum we stood in the long line and waited to get to the ticket counter. After what felt like forever we stepped up to the ticket booth and paid for our tickets. We walked up the staircase and looked for the Van Gough collection. After about ten minutes of looking we asked one of the tour guides and she showed us where it was. I looked franticly around the room but there was no sign of Starry Night which was the whole reason I wanted to come to New York.

We went back to the tour guide and asked her where Starry Night was and she told us it was at the museum on 11th street. I was furious! We walked 77 blocks to get told that we only had to have walked 6 blocks!

We left the museum and caught a cab back to 11th street. After about ten minutes we arrived at the MMOA or Metropolitan Museum of Art. We stood in another long line and waited to arrive at the ticket counter. Once we finally did we bought our tickets and I practically ran to Van Gough exhibit. I found my dream. Or other known as the original Starry Night. It was so beautiful!

After standing there for about ten minutes I walked around the rest of the museum. All of the art was really beautiful but Starry Night was the best of them all. I ended up buying a book and a t-shirt. My mom told me that we were going to go shopping but it was already six o’ clock and I was beat. I was so tired I could just fall asleep on the hard cement right now! But, after second thoughts I…… won’t!

We walked back to the hotel room and changed into some warmer clothes because it is colder at night then during the day and I took a ten minute nap before we went out shopping. My mom woke me up and I was feeling really refreshed! I was ready to do some major SHOPPING!!! So once again we walked down to the lobby and walked out onto the street. We didn’t have to walk very far but it felt like a million miles when it was this cold!

After shopping-well we didn’t buy anything so looking- we went to eat at this really good Italian restaurant. I had the Chicken Alfredo and it was AMAZING! But it wasn’t cheap! The bill was a whopping-drum roll-sixty five dollars! But my mom didn’t even look surprised and she just paid with her credit card. When the card came back she gave a tip and we left.


We walked back to the hotel trying to avoid Times Square as much as we could because at eight o’clock at night I don’t know how people even moved around because it was so crowded. I had my big fluffy mittens, my warm wool coat and my cuddly boots that were all keeping me warm in this freezing cold weather. Then, at this moment I realized that I had just survived my first day in New York City!