Being my first full week in New York, I wanted to get to know the train system a little better, and decided to explore different parts of the Downtown area. Public transportation, for me, has never really been a difficult idea to get the hang of. When moving to college, and going into Chicago, hearing different colors lines, versus bus numbers seemed confusing, but I eventually got the hang of it! Now that I am in New York, all of these lessons learned have provided a much easier and smoother transition. I live my life based off the alphabet, colors, and simple numbers! Thank goodness for an awesome kindergarten education. :).
Now, lets take some time for the weekly review:
MONDAY
Lazy Day!! After a busy week of service in Philly, and a busy first weekend in the city, I decided that I wanted to take a day that would involve just about nothing. Being that I am now in community, I woke for Morning Prayer, and then decided to go back and take a short nap :/. Also being in community provides cooking responsibilities, so my roommate Stephanie and I walked up to the local grocery store, and got to experience that while buying food for our respective days of cooking. To say the grocery store was an experience is an understatement; the aisles could barely fit 2 people standing back-to-back, let alone trying to push a cart down it to find what you needed. We eventually played tag-team, and one person would go down the aisle and get whatever we needed, while the other one would stay with the cart! It worked out rather well...
What I learned from the grocery store/food experience: Florida Avocados taste nothing like Haas Avocados, or any other type. I decided for my meal, I was going to start simple, and make tacos with chips, salsa, and guacamole. Needless to say, the guacamole was extremely sweet, and there was no helping it.
TUESDAY
Central Park...well, part of it. I believe I found the non-park part of Central Park, but still was able to walk around, and see some of the beautiful sites! I can't wait to go back and explore more of the park!
What I learned about walking around all day, and forgetting to check the weather: BRING AN UMBRELLA WITH YOU EVERYWHERE! The first step towards being able to bring an umbrella with though, is to purchase and own one. That is the one item I have been holding out on, and now have given in to purchase ASAP! Seeing as my time in the morning is spent on the Subway, and afternoon home, the weather can change during my hour and 15 minute ride to work, so having one with me is always handy. I've also got to find one that will last me through at least the first year, so I don't create a scene from Mary Poppins in the Bronx or Brooklyn area. Ha.
WEDNESDAY
Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center & NBC Studios!! What an awesome place. We began our day walking around the area these buildings were located, and then going inside and checking them out as well. I hope to get back and see some fun shows at Radio City. Currently, Cirque de Solei is performing a show there, but once Christmas time arrives, I can only imagine the fun shows! Rockefeller is almost the same. I was slightly disappointed not to see a large Christmas Tree or Skating Rink, but then reminded myself it was the beginning of August, and still 90 degrees outside (I promise, I graduated college, and have some common sense).
Seeing the NBC Studios area was also pretty cool! I now know where to go when I want to get on the "Today" show...before school starts I am determined to make my way down there, and see it!! Across the street is the Observation Deck for Rockefeller Center, as well as a large store, filled with all NBC show merchandise. My favorite section included the tv show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (yes, the dots are necessary) with all of the different t-shirts and quotes, as well as coffee mugs, notebooks, etc.
As a treat to ourselves, Stephanie and I walked back down to where we were last weekend (Shubert Theatre). Across the street from where we saw our awesome show, there was a sign outside for the Harry Potter Traveling Exhibit! New York City was its last stop on the tour, and we figured why not check it out! It was well worth the price of admission! :). We began our tour of the exhibit with a demonstration of the Sorting Hat, moving on to a room that highlighted Harry and his friend's life over the past "7 years". It was then time to free-walk throughout the exhibit and see all the different displays. They included the costumes seen in the movies, as well as props, set pieces, and decorations. It is crazy to think I grew up with the characters, yet, their clothing is so small! It must be nice to always purchase clothes from the children's section. Ha. After exiting the exhibit, we couldn't say no to what we saw outside the gift shop...
...that's right, CAKE BOSS!! Though it is not the actual store, it is one of only 5 or 6 smaller cafe's that he distributes to! I ordered myself a Red Velvet Cake with an awesome cream cheese frosting, as well as one of his famous Cannolis! Man what a treat that was! :). After enjoying such awesome desserts, I put it on my list to now go, and visit the actual store where he does all his delicious treats in New Jersey!
THURSDAY
Today was a day filled with tourist-y activities, but also it was a day, that was much calmer than the rest. I began my day finally going into Brooklyn, and seeing for myself my working area for the coming school year! We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhatten, and got just part of our daily exercise for the day! (The new picture background for my blog is of the Brooklyn Bridge that I took myself...maybe I should become a photographer. Ha) It was then on to Pier 17, filled with little boutiques and shops, and after enjoying lunch, we made our way towards Ground Zero.
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| A local artist created the New York Skyline out of melted rubble and steel after the attacks on the World Trade Centers |
Before making it to the site of Ground Zero, we stopped at St. Paul's Chapel, which is across the street from the World Trade Centers. The moment we stepped inside the chapel, there was a somber silence that filled the building, that I had never felt before. When the towers fell, St. Paul's was the location for volunteer firefighters, police officers, and rescue teams to come and recover for just a few hours, before going back into the rubble to find people. To see the signs posted around the Chapel, and pictures of people who are still missing to this day was very emotional. I didn't want to feel like I was rushing through, but to be standing in there too long started to get to me, and I felt no other emotion but to cry. It was then onto the site of where they are building the Memorial Park, as well as the new World Trade Center. Still an eeriness to how quiet it was, but yet, respectful. It was then onto an adventure to find Battery Park. I had heard about Battery Park, and the sphere that was placed in the park, with the eternal flame, to represent the World Trade Centers, and never forgetting. We found this park, and to see the sphere was magnificent.
FRIDAY
Another Lazy Day!! :). After such a busy and draining week, Stephanie and I decided to take another lazy day, and just sit around the house preparing for the busy year we have ahead of us! Tonight, we went out to Greenwich Village for dinner at John's Pizzeria, a famous, local pizza joint, and then headed home to prepare for yet another busy weekend!!
Stay tuned to find out what I am going to enjoy this weekend, as well as many more adventures throughout New York City!
Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.
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