NYC: Day One (Saturday)

well, the day has finally arrived... this girl is in New York City!

it all started with one of the best and shortest flights i have ever experienced. even with no hot italian flight attendants (BA rocks!) bringing me treats from first class, Porter was superb. the cappuccino in the lounge, even being made by a machine, was excellent. i may have even had two. and then, the short jaunt between Toronto City Airport and Newark Airport was over before i knew it.

when we got to passport control, wouldn't you know it but their computers were down! i think i waited in line there as long as the actual flight was. (so thankful that one of my most important life laws is that one should always carry a book!)

after i got through customs, and picked up my luggage, which was one of three sitting on the no-longer-moving carousel, since i really hadn't eaten yet, i did what most anyone else would have done, and picked up an Americano at Starbucks. perhaps it did nothing to help the hunger, but when you're happy, hunger matters less.

i am not sure i can write about the fast-paced and whole-heartedly terrifying shuttle van ride to my hotel, The Cosmopolitan... i may need therapy for that one. in the room, i turned the air conditioning, then headed down to the subway, which is right outside the hotel's doors.

i have Paris to thank for getting me over my fear of subways... not that it was actually a fear, more of a lack of knowledge and experience that kept me from doing it. but once you have been laughted at by the french for not knowing how to exit a subway, what other humiliation is possible?!

after getting something to eat, i walked up Sixth Ave. and took all the sites in. sadly, given the highly uncomfortable state my feet were in, i needed to pick up a pair of black flip flops. my first souvenir.

then i walked over the Penn Station, where mom and dad's train was to arrive at 6:25pm. fortunately for me, there was a Borders Bookstore right there at Penn Plaza. that is NEVER a bad find.

finally, the parents arrived, we got their luggage and took a taxi driven by a very nice man from Ghana (who is a much better driver than the shuttle van guy), got them checked into the hotel, and set out to a restaurant close to ours for dinner. by then, it was about 9pm,

the restaurant, Bubby's, was one of the first that i highlighted the NYC travel book i bought last Christmas, and with good reason! the food was amazing, and more than any of us could possibly eat! we will definitely be going back there for breakfast (sour cream pancakes!), and possibly pie, which they are famous for.

then we came back to the hotel, talked about what we would do today for a bit, and then fell asleep.

right now, it is 8:13 am, and i am typing this in the dark in my bed. the parents still sleep. very shortly, once my face stops looking like a pillow attacked it in the night, i will walk down to the starbucks in the hotel, and get me a cup of happy.

then we will see what happens today...