Blogging From the Past: NYC

This is a travel blog. It’s not necessarily just a Rachel Goes to London blog, especially since I haven’t left yet. It’s mine anyway. I make the rules. Muah ha ha. So I’m going to talk about some traveling I did earlier this year. Because I can.

A good friend of mine goes to Barnard in New York City (fancy, right?) and I've been dying to go see her (and, you know, New York) for a while. I finally got to go this year, courtesy of my lovely parents and a well placed birthday. It was a super short trip, only three days, but still SO MUCH FUN.  I was very intimidated by the whole idea: traveling by myself, navigating the subway (as mentioned, I have a fear of public transportation. Is there a word for that?), trying not to look like a tourist. As with most of my fears, it was unfounded. 

My lovely host (pictured left, with me) took me on a beautiful walking tour of NYC that reminded me of why I like to drive. I think we walked something like forty blocks, with detours through Central Park and 5th Avenue (to see the Plaza because Eloise!). We walked past Times Square and 30 Rock (I had a Tina Fey moment) and while I didn't particularly feel like a Native New Yorker, I felt okay. Better than I thought I would. 

I also got to see Zachary Levi (Chuck! Tangled! Thor 2!), who is a beautiful, beautiful soul, in his Broadway show, First Date, which made me laugh and cry, like all good things should. There was a certain song that had a, um, Jewish flair, we'll say, that my friend trio, Jews and Gentiles alike, nearly died of laughter while watching.

AND AND AND I rode the subway like a pro! My deep-seated fear of public transportation was served a temporary eviction notice, because-shocker!-using the subway is not actually that hard. In fact, it's pretty basic. It gives me hope for the tube in London. 

More pretty pictures:

30 Rock!! I want to go to there (again). Liz Lemon is my sprit animal and possibly also the incarnation of my adult self.

No trip anywhere is complete until you go to the bookstore. I believe my friend posted this to Facebook with the caption, "This is what a 20 year old look like."

In the Arms & Armory section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, standing next to my preferred suit of armor. Because I'm not a princess. I'm a khaleesi.

View from Central Park!

My trip to New York was definitely a big step towards my goal of Independence and Confidence. I did it all by myself, planes, trains, automobiles and all.  It also have me an appreciation for the city, an environment I've never really been in much. It's something new and exciting, what I'm always after.