Not so big Apple.

So I did it. I went to New York. I saw the sights. I heard the sounds. I smelled the... smells? Yes, I did that too. Those street vendors smell like Heaven. And the subway manholes smell like Hell.

Our trip started on a sour note- the city was pelted by 9 inches of snow Thursday night into Friday morning. The plane was supposed to leave at 10:45, was delayed until 12:45, then didn't take off from Richmond until around 3:30. We barely got there, rode the AirTrain and the subway to Manhattan, checked into our hotel, dressed, and scooted out the door at 7:30 to make our 8:00 Broadway showtime.

The Broadway was the best part of the trip, hands down.

And that's about it.

It didn't thrill me. I wasn't in awe, I wasn't blown away, I wasn't swept off my feet by the grandeur that is Manhattan that is New York City. In fact, I was rather disappointed. I don't know if it was because I was bummed about missing half of a day in the city because of our delayed flights, but I just wasn't feeling it.

It didn't really help that my travelmates and I argued pretty much the whole time. Snap here, snipe there, sarcastic comment everywhere. That really put a downer on my trip. I know I was just as bad as they were, but in my defense (and I can say that because this is MY blog), I'd never seen New York before, and so my questions were genuine, and I didn't appreciate hearing a snide or sarcastic retort to my statements or questions. Moral of this story? Travel alone.

Secondly, it really wasn't all it's cracked up to be. There was no glamour- about the only thing glamorous were the pictures I took of Prada, Gucci, and Ferragamo storefronts on 5th Avenue. Truth be told, it looked a lot like a taller version of DC. Well, been there, done that. DC is prettier- more monuments, more history. There, I said it. The city I couldn't wait to move away from is now the city I prefer.

Would I visit New York again? Of my own accord, no. If I was cajoled and begged, told I'm a bad friend, or that this was someone's dying wish, yes, I would go.

But let me forewarn you- if I go again, I will do what I want to do, when I want to do it, and if you don't want to come, fine. Let me find my way around this place. If I can figure out DC, I can figure out NYC.

That being said, I want to thank my best friend and travelmate for the birthday gift of a lifetime- Lion King tickets. Truly, that was the highlight of my trip and it could not be topped, not in a million years.

Ok maybe Europe. But that's another milestone birthday.

Honestly yours,
Nay