New York, New York

Start spreading the news, it’s my first blog post?! A lot depends on a first entry so with that in mind, I have decided to tell you all about my trip to the fabulous city that is New York! I had always wanted to visit New York (perhaps with the vision of sipping coffee in Central Perk or eating frozen yoghurt on the Met steps being a little too ambitious…) and was very lucky to go with my family in the gorgeous winter season. Whilst the city was chilly, it was everything I was told it would be, and more!

I don’t really know where to begin with this, there was so much that happened on my trip and it went by so quickly that it all seems a blur… I think the main thing to know about the concrete maze is that any food you consume will be forgotten after miles of walking, any money saved will be spent simply through window-shopping down Fifth Avenue and thoughts of being anywhere else will wash away after one look at the city from the top of the Empire State. Our first stop was the incredibly moving, 9/11 Memorial. This is a must when visiting New York, as not only is it a very emotional visit, it’s a big part of American history- it is certainly worth going to see. On a lighter note, a quick trip to Times Square for a typical tourist photo was a necessity, followed by stacks of maple syrup and chocolate chip covered pancakes (I don’t think the American’s have worked on portion control!). After a lot of walking around to get a feel for the city, we headed back to our apartment before going out for a very relaxed dinner. The following day we headed off to Washington DC for a few days to see close friends, but returned to New York a few days later. Eager to get out and about, we headed to Central Park for a chilly but lovely walk, then to 5th Avenue for shopping (an obvious must!) before going to the Rockefeller Centre for a touristy skate on the ice. The following day bought new adventures, including the highlight of the trip, which was the Empire State Building. Seeing New York from above was amazing, you get a true feel for the size of the city and get yet another view of how magnificent it really is. The walk to the Empire State building exaggerated the need for yet another filling meal, and lucky for everyone, the city is packed with amazing places for a bite to eat. We managed to find a cute, traditional, American diner which made the best milkshakes, definitely a must have! Unfortunately, for the last couple of days I fell ill, meaning I was stuck in bed whilst my family went out to enjoy more ventures. I missed out on more shopping, a trip to MoMA and a walk along the High Line (apparently they were all amazing, I just didn’t get to experience this first hand!), which were unfortunately all the things, I was really looking forward to doing. New York has become my favourite place and I wouldn’t hesitate at the chance to go back, hopefully I can plan a trip to go when it’s a bit warmer! G x