Ready for a long read?
I will try to keep it as concise as possible.
Christmas- It was incredibly quiet. We didn't decorate, no special food, nada. And you know what? It was ok. I had a minor melt down just because life is changing, but that is part of what makes life interesting. My dad actually preached this Christmas eve, he didn't get sick.
Early January-I went to NYC for the first time. I fell in love with the city. I loved the metro system. It wasn't that hard to learn. I did learn a few important things about myself while I was there. I don't do big groups, or even medium groups when I am in a new city. I prefer small groups or just a few people. I explored at my own pace, I knew as soon as I landed that I would be coming back. So, I only did a few things. Other people felt like this was going to be their only trip and so they did as much as possible.
I found a few incredible places to get coffee, if you stay at the Q4 hostel, there is a place called "Our Café" coffee shop just up the block. Oh My.. It was so good. Better and cheaper than the chain with green straws. They had pastry's that were huge, I wish I had taken a picture. The ladies at the counter gave me some great advice on where to go and what to do.
I saw the High Line, Macys, the Empire State, and Tiffany's.( I had a childhood flashback of when my father and I went to a diamond factory, and I asked how much I could spend, the answer was the same both times $0 ) Of course I saw Times Square, and explored all around there. There are a few places that I want to go find on my next trip. There is a bookstore that I missed :(
I found a fabric store and yes, I did bring home some for my mom. It was massive.
I took the train,(Amtrak) both there and back. I had mixed experiences.
On the way there I had a great time, I was a little delayed, but nothing to complain about. There is so much more room on a train. I could get up and walk, my bags fit with no problem, and it was an enjoyable experience.
On the way home was a different story. It was not as enjoyable. I missed my connection by 15 minuets when I should have had a significant layover. Now, Amtrak did put me on the next train, however, there was no compensation for the delay. I do feel that if a person is that late for a connection because they were delayed on a different train there should have been a voucher or something. Nothing huge, but 20 people missed their connections. I was at Union Station almost 4 hours. I ended up buying snack and Dinner at Union station. If the train had been on time I would have been home to eat diner. I had to continually text my ride to keep them updated. At one point the response to my text was "there are no words anymore" this was after I had updated on yet another delay.
Now, please understand the people on the train were awesome, they were doing their best. My complaint has nothing to do with them. The conductors and staff did their best to help me out. :) Kudos to them.
This is just part 1. School starts tomorrow.
I will try to keep it as concise as possible.
Christmas- It was incredibly quiet. We didn't decorate, no special food, nada. And you know what? It was ok. I had a minor melt down just because life is changing, but that is part of what makes life interesting. My dad actually preached this Christmas eve, he didn't get sick.
Early January-I went to NYC for the first time. I fell in love with the city. I loved the metro system. It wasn't that hard to learn. I did learn a few important things about myself while I was there. I don't do big groups, or even medium groups when I am in a new city. I prefer small groups or just a few people. I explored at my own pace, I knew as soon as I landed that I would be coming back. So, I only did a few things. Other people felt like this was going to be their only trip and so they did as much as possible.
I found a few incredible places to get coffee, if you stay at the Q4 hostel, there is a place called "Our Café" coffee shop just up the block. Oh My.. It was so good. Better and cheaper than the chain with green straws. They had pastry's that were huge, I wish I had taken a picture. The ladies at the counter gave me some great advice on where to go and what to do.
I saw the High Line, Macys, the Empire State, and Tiffany's.( I had a childhood flashback of when my father and I went to a diamond factory, and I asked how much I could spend, the answer was the same both times $0 ) Of course I saw Times Square, and explored all around there. There are a few places that I want to go find on my next trip. There is a bookstore that I missed :(
I found a fabric store and yes, I did bring home some for my mom. It was massive.
I took the train,(Amtrak) both there and back. I had mixed experiences.
On the way there I had a great time, I was a little delayed, but nothing to complain about. There is so much more room on a train. I could get up and walk, my bags fit with no problem, and it was an enjoyable experience.
On the way home was a different story. It was not as enjoyable. I missed my connection by 15 minuets when I should have had a significant layover. Now, Amtrak did put me on the next train, however, there was no compensation for the delay. I do feel that if a person is that late for a connection because they were delayed on a different train there should have been a voucher or something. Nothing huge, but 20 people missed their connections. I was at Union Station almost 4 hours. I ended up buying snack and Dinner at Union station. If the train had been on time I would have been home to eat diner. I had to continually text my ride to keep them updated. At one point the response to my text was "there are no words anymore" this was after I had updated on yet another delay.
Now, please understand the people on the train were awesome, they were doing their best. My complaint has nothing to do with them. The conductors and staff did their best to help me out. :) Kudos to them.
This is just part 1. School starts tomorrow.
