The first day of our adventure began on July 18th; a warm summer day which encompassed a ferry ride in the sunshine, a late night chat over bubbly drinks, and lots of laughs to fuel the soul. There were four of us with eager hearts and ready minds, myself, Hope, Laura, and Jessie – each excited to take on the big city on the east coast. The day dragged on as the anticipation set in minute by minute.

     The next day began bright and early (and slightly hungover), as we made our way to the airport in the early hours of July 19th. We took one flight to Toronto and then hopped over to New York City. The trip was long, but the moment we stepped foot into our Airbnb I fell head over heels with the city all over again. There were a few hiccups though, like realizing that my romper I bought for the trip had shrunk, the zipper on the shorts I brought was damaged, and I momentarily thought I left my wallet on the plane. But, I brushed these issues away and we waltzed through the streets of Queens to find ourselves at Olive Garden. So maybe it wasn’t what we expected, but looking back it was certainly memorable.

     Day two in the city consisted of devouring bagels from the Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company, watching a fire happen near the Flatiron building, marvelling at the New York Public library, climbing the Rockefeller Center to get amazing views of the city, experiencing Joe’s Pizza for the first time, and meandering around the always busy Time Square.

     Our third day began with breakfast at Big Daddy’s, a diner-style restaurant which entailed lots of greasy foods and of course, mimosas. After that, we went and walked along the Highline, an old railroad which had been refurbished into a beautiful park above the streets of NYC. Our next stop was Wall Street and a ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty. One bumpy boat ride and an overboard polaroid picture later, we found ourselves at S’mac in East Village devouring skillets of hot mac and cheese. Our final stop of the night was to our first Broadway show, “Chicago”. As someone who had only seen the movie once many years ago, and had never gone to a Broadway show before, I was taken aback by the stunning performance put on by the actors and actresses.

    Day four was our “lazy day” (aka we slept in and left the house in the afternoon). Our itinerary consisted of Dimes Cafe, which is a must try for anyone in love with “hip” food and drinks; a walk around Soho; the B E S T dinner I have ever devoured at a lovely restaurant called Serafina; and a rainy walk and subway home.

    Our fifth day was a little busier. Beginning in Lower Manhattan, we admired the newly finished Freedom Tower and paid our respects to the lives lost at the Twin Tower memorial fountains. Next, we made our way to Greenwich village and saw the infamous Friends building. After we made a stop at Grand Central station and admired the constellations placed upon the ceiling, the hundreds of people passing through, and the many amenities it has to offer. Lastly, we headed to the Bronx to attempt to see a Yankees vs. Mets game. Sadly it got rained out and the re-match was when we would be back home. Thankfully, however, our seats were high up enough that we were sheltered from the rain.

     Our final day took place in my favourite borough, Brooklyn. Brooklyn was where Hope and I had stayed last time and it will forever hold a special place in my heart with the memories from that trip. On our sixth day of this trip, we crossed the notorious Brooklyn Bridge and wandered over to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) which offers what the name implies.

     The day we left we explored the Natural History Museum and a brief walk through Central Park. After that we had the most wonderful and informative cab driver take us to Laguardia where we found out our flight was delayed which impacted our travels heavily. Once we arrived in Toronto we found out that our next flight to Vancouver was going to be in the morning. Despite these setbacks, I look back and laugh. These challenges added to the trip and created more memories for myself and my friends to reminisce on one day, so in the end, we can’t be that mad. Plus, it makes it tradition since the same thing happened last time we came back from New York!

     If I could go back and do it all over again, I would go in the spring or fall instead because the heat was quite unbearable, and it made walking everywhere a tad more dreadful. Otherwise, I have no regrets and am so grateful for my friends and the memories we made.

Until next time,

M.