Our New York Tradition

"NYC! Just got here this morning! Three bucks, two bags, one me!" I know not everyone likes Annie so I can understand how cringey that must be, but I couldn't resist. The start of my winter vacation began with a fantastical trip to New York. And the rest of it kind of went downhill. But that's beside the point; the trip was fun! My family and I saw a Broadway show, which I'll discuss more in another post. You'll have to wait to find out which show it was. A Broadway show is too special and exciting to not have its own post.

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Last year we went on this same trip and after we left, I realized how much I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The bus ride, walking through crowds of people, the shops, everything. I just felt that New York was calling me (cringe alert!) again this year. So why not make it a tradition? On top of that, New York is the home of Juilliard, a school I potentially want to attend and I felt that this trip was the perfect opportunity to get a sneak peek of it.There will be a few things I neglect to mention because I'm saving that content for another time. Let's get into it!

We made sure to pay a visit to the Natural History Museum. At first I was a little unenthusiastic about going, but after viewing the different dioramas of animals and touring through a forest habitat, I felt my love for nature and animals awaken (it had been asleep for awhile now). The hall with marine exhibits and the giant blue whale hanging from the ceiling was of course a highlight of the experience.

After a brief browse through the gift shop, I came across this book. I haven't finished it yet, but so far it discusses the intelligence of animals and is really fascinated. I was initially interested in it because I thought it would clarify what I wanted to hear: animals are smarter than we think they are, but it has broadened my perspective drastically and I would recommend it to anyone.

My family and I also took a stroll through the infamous Time Square (of course!). There isn't much to say other than there was an abundance of people and lights. Time Square is just something you do when you find yourself in New York City.

In addition to doing the norm in New York, my family and I viewed the store front windows in the Rockefeller's center as usual and unexpectedly, they were quite an intricate and elegant sight.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting Juilliard. How surreal was that experience! For the past year I've been visiting the school's website obsessively (and I mean obsessively) and then I was standing in front of the school. I visited the school shop  and picked up one of the campus journals. Just for fun. We also wandered around the Lincoln Center. I think this was the one part of New York I had never visited. My parents and siblings can certainly say the same.

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I was feeling a bit uneasy about the environment surrounding Juilliard. After roaming around the most crowded parts of the city for only a few days, the idea of going to school somewhere as crowded as that for four years was an intimidating idea. But the campus was actually more secluded than I expected and I would definitely be open to attending this school.

And that was the weekend! The overwhelming array of pictures is over! This trip was quite enjoyable. Even the bus ride. I found myself listening to my playlist and rather than binge-watching the Star Wars movies, I was reading Harry Potter! I still have to finish the series, but only one more book left! 

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As already mentioned, there were other things that took place that I'll get into more detail about, but for now let's end on this note.The New Year is coming up! A great time to seek redemption! Just kidding. 

Work hard and then kick back and have fun! Live your life to the fullest! The gist of most of my New Years Resolutions.