Travel Log: July 4, 2009

I woke up at 9:30AM with the rest of my family, and me, my sister, and my stepdad went downstairs to get breakfast for the whole family. While the omelets and the muffins are all very exciting, I don't think that that is the most important part of this story.

We left on time, all dressed up and ready to rock New York City. The bus was exactly where it was supposed to be. We all climbed aboard and I sat next to David, in the window seat.

The Lincoln tunnel was amazing. I don't know exactly why, but, pretty colors always catch my attention. Maybe I'm really a cat or a goldfish or something. That would explain a lot. Anyway, we drove from our hotel in New Jersey to The City and I was reminded of how much I love it there.


When I sit around at home in Pennsylvania, sometimes I wonder if I could handle NYC. Sure, I always say I want to live there and everything. I say I want to be a writer in The Big Apple! But, would I survive? In Pennsylvania, it seems to scary to attempt.

But, let me tell you something, friends: dreams always seem more terrifying when you are looking at them from a distance. When I stepped off that bus (then took the next few hundred steps through the big ol' bus terminal) and stepped into the city, I was blown away yet again by how much I want to spend my life there.

It's amazing what happens when you reacquaint yourself with dreams.


So, our first stop was Times Square. I love Times Square so much. Maybe I'm going to come off sounding like a country girl, but, the lights and the sounds dazzle me. No, wait. I actually sound more like Bella. DAZZLE'D!

While I was trying to take a picture of the Wicked billboard, a guy walked in front of my camera, so I got a close up of his face instead. Here are the pictures that I kept to prove it:



But, still. We went to the Toys R Us in Times Square and I rode the huge ferris wheel in there for the second time ever with my mom and my sister. We got a magnet of it. Tres chic!

I'm not going to catalogue every step I took, every bite of food I ate, ever breath I took- No. Instead, I'll just say that the play was amazing. I saw my very first show on Broadway (and found out that I will see my second with my best friend in the beginning of January!) and it was every bit as good as I was hoping it would be.

I saw God of Carnage, and after I got to meet Jeff Daniels (he rushed, but wasn't unfriendly. He took my Playbill and held it for a few moments, just looking around him and not at me. I savored those moments, regardless. He signed my Playbill and moved on),

James Gandolfini (he came out last and was all smiles and very sweet in general. When he got to me, he took my Playbill and said 'Hey.' I, of course, froze up because I am a dork. I nodded. That's cool, right? The nod? Then he asked 'How ya doin'?' and I told him 'Pretty good.' Awww yeah, baby. I am hot shit. Then he scribbled on my Playbill with some purple Sharpie. My mom later informed me that the big mark he left was supposed to be his name. I still don't see it. Hmmm.),

Hope Davis (she was really sweet to everyone, even the ones yelling questions and such. She smiled and took my Playbill and signed it with the most care of all of them. Her H is beautifully done),

and Marcia Gay Harden (who thanked each and every one of us who waited for them for coming out and seeing the show. She had to borrow someones Sharpie to sign things and I think she may have broken it. Ah, memories).

The point is, we walked around the city all day and when we got to the theater, I sat down and breathed it in. I breathed in the people around me, the ones I loved and the ones I had never met, and I breathed in the streets outside, the buildings and the billboards.

I sound like such a cliche, but, I want to live in that city. I want to breathe it in every waking second. I want to live it every day, not just on some lucky Saturdays. Someday, I may crave another place, but, right now I love that city and I want to go back every chance I get.

I'm in love with a city. I know, I know. I'm quite the romantic.