New York, New York

When you see a plane ticket for $225 round trip from SLC to NYC, and you have a friend who will let you stay at their place, you simply must go to New York! Last weekend was my trip. I left Friday morning and arrived at La Guardia about 6 pm local time. I made my way by bus, subway, and walking to my friend Amber's place. They live in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It was snowing a little bit. Then that night Amber and I went out to a late dinner at a nice restaurant in Times Square. It was Restaurant Week so you could get a 3 course meal at a bunch of participating places for only $38. It was good food and a nice place. Nothing like eating dinner at 9:30 at night. (Of course it was only 7:30 my time.)

Saturday I went with Amber to a Stake Relief Society activity they were having. They meet in the building that has the temple. It was a talent showcase kind of thing where people could display things and there was a performance part too. There was everything from wedding dress designers, models, authors, and scientist who fight TB in Africa, to Broadway numbers, opera singers, a step dance number, a Chinese folk song, and a flash mob done by a whole ward relief society. It was very cool. More church activities should be that cool. After that I took myself across the street to the Lincoln Center to see an opera. I saw La Rondine, a lesser known Puccini opera. It was amazing!!! That night we went to see Mary Poppins on Broadway and took Amber's two oldest kids. It was a fun show. (It was also Broadway Week so you could get 2 for 1 tickets to some shows.)

Sunday I went to church with Amber's family and then took myself over to wander around the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a couple of hours. That place is beyond huge! And so packed. I wonder if there is ever a time when there aren't a million people there? And so great!

Monday morning we took a little walk around Central Park before I headed out. It was snowing again. I was lucky though, Saturday and Sunday where very nice days. Cold, but no worse than we've had here in Utah and there were blue skies! Which we have not had here in Utah for a while. I got home Monday night. It was a fun trip and I'm glad I got to go. Thanks to Amber for letting me stay at their place, to my mom for watching the kids Friday and Monday, and Jonathan for taking them all weekend. I think next January I'll plan to take a trip to Cancun or somewhere warm. :)

What I learned about myself on this trip: I am perfectly capable of going out on my own. I navigated the city and it's public transportation just fine alone, with out fear or worry or concern and I had a good time. I also realized that I prefer to be with someone. I wanted someone to share it with. Someone to say, "Hey, did you see that. What do you think about that?" to. Even if I was on the trip on my own I wish I had someone to send texts to about what I was doing, and someone to tell it all to when I got back, someone who cares what I am doing. I so often have thoughts that I wish to share with someone and no longer have that someone to share them with. I've been sharing most things with someone for 14 years, that's an adjustment. I think the guy I saw on the bus who was very animatedly talking to himself has the right idea. Then you'd always have someone to talk to and share your thoughts with.