Wednesday, April 15, 2009

New York: To and Fro

Easter Break was spent beyond the green grass of Peace College. My friend Natasha and I went to her home in New York City and it was nothing short of pure awesome. The road trip began as many do, with constant scanning of the radio to find the perfect road-tripping station of music and the often annoyance with the TomTom's yelling "LEFT LEFT LEFT" if we didn't turn quick enough off of an exit ramp. The excitement of the trip was amplified when a car was slowly creeping ahead of our car on I-95 Northbound. Because I love looking out of the window on a car trip, I couldn't help but notice not only the car but the two gorgeous men that were piloting the vehicle. The humor of the situation increased as their windows rolled down and so did my own. Numbers were exchanged and moments later I was making new friends. Apparently the Marines stationed at Camp Lejune had a holiday as well and many of them were heading home to New York for the weekend. Many hours later through traffic jams, tunnels, toll booths, gas stops, and occasional rain we made our way into the city. As soon as we arrived, I could feel the different energy of the city. It's exhilarating. Natasha's parents had take-out sushi and red wine waiting for us when we finally met our destination, a meal of championship. Considering we had arrived in New York around 11 pm, It is even more amazing that I didn't stumble into bed until around 6 am the next morning. The next morning really began in the early afternoon and I spent the day with Gratz and several renowned Pilates instructors doing a photo shoot. It was a 7 hour event, but it was amazing. Much of the day I was talking with the Art Director of Pilates Style magazine about the design work I do as a student and my interests beyond graduation. Besides making great connections, I also gorged on smoked salmon, four types of cheeses, rice crackers, grapes, strawberries, champagne, and Ferro Rocher chocolates. The night continued as we went to a friend of Natasha's birthday. The music was pumping so loudly that we could hear it about twenty floors below as we waited for the elevator. Needless to say, it was wild in the sense that the small apartment had about fifty guests and each one that was of age was toting a beer or some other form of alcoholic substance for the majority of the night. I helped myself to Coronas from the freezer and a plate full of homemade food. I danced for hours and hours and by the end of the night on the Taxi ride back to Natasha's home I could barely keep my eyes open. The last full day spent in New York was spent outdoors at a street fair that had vendors selling all types of trinkets and once again, food! Natasha and I tried about 10 different things to eat and I bought a warm hat because of the howling winds that were blowing through the streets. We found a Goodwill in New York after our adventure through the street fair. It was filled with designer clothing from Prada shoes to jackets that cost more in a second-hand clothing store than what I spent full price on the clothes I get from Target and Delias. The evening ended by a trip to the restaurant Serendipity. On the way there, we passed Zac Efron on the sidewalk. Honestly, I was buried in my cell phone when Natasha began poking me and telling me to turn around because the High school Musical posse had just passed, so essentially I saw him from behind, which is still good enough to possess bragging rights. The food at Serendipity was enough to make your face melt off. I had a monstrous cheese burger because most everything else on the menu was expensive and Tash and I shared a frozen hot chocolate, edible proof that God exists and loves us. We went over to Sharon (Natasha's friend)'s house again later in the night and hung out for awhile, this time in a completely different atmosphere than the night before. The next morning was when we left, which was in actuality 2 pm because of our exhaustion and Natasha going through her old room to find things to bring back for her new apartment. The trip back on the road was less eventful than the ride on the way up, despite a few crazies in Virginia and some hardcore jam sessions on the radio. Once we were back at Peace, I was happy and sad simultaneously. What could be more inspirational than immersing yourself into a culture that constantly pushes you to see the visions of other people whether through buildings, dress, art, or food. I'll be going back....soon!

2 comments:

  1. that sounds like an amazing trip. I'm so jealous reading this entry, Bon :-)

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  2. soooo i'm not gunna lie..i'm wayy jealous of you seeing zac efron. and yes, out of your entire post, that is what stuck out to me :)

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