This week, I got the pleasure of going to the Big Apple. While it was definitely not my first time, I had the distinct pleasure of going with my friend Hope who was getting to experience the city for the first time. I was slightly jealous of her getting to see the city with fresh eyes and experience everything for the first time. While we were only there for three and a half days, we acted like we had so much more time than that and tried to cram a week's worth of activities- and shopping- into a few days.

The first day we got there, Friday, was more stressful than it needed to be. We knew it was going to be slightly rainy and definitely not sunny but we were shocked when we pulled up to the Jacksonville airport only to learn that our flight had been canceled. Thankfully we were at the ticket desk the second we got the notification so we were instantly rebooked onto a flight that was flying into JFK, leaving only a few hours after our original flight. We made it just in the nick of time. We had tickets to see the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen that were non-refundable. We made it, and the show was amazing.

The next day was full. of. shopping. My mom and I walked all around fifth avenue and SoHo, hitting all our favorite stores that we do not have in Tallahassee. It was great, and we both stocked up on summer essentials, while Hope- the NYC First-timer- experienced Lady Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial site. We all met up for dinner that evening and then hit the central park. We hitched a ride on a horse and carriage. Our horse's name was Murphy and he took us around the park showing us all the sights and sounds that the park had to offer. Our driver pointed out the biggest buildings and told us the best facts about the park, before dropping us off at Tavern on the Green. I got a slice of their famous "birthday cake" and it made my night.

Sunday, our last full day in the city, we went to Hillsong Church. It was not my first time there, but it did not fail to amaze me. Hope loved it, and if you ever find yourself in the city on Sunday should definitely check it out. Following church, we walked through Times Square to a cute brunch buffet at a restaurant called Butter. It was one of the best brunches I've had in a long time, featuring a wide variety of options and bottomless coffee. That afternoon we caught a second Broadway Musical, this time seeing Mean Girls. We loved this one just as much as Dear Evan Hansen. That night we got dinner, and headed back to our room and sadly packed up our things. Monday morning, before catching our flight, we decided to get in a little last minute shopping and got to visit Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.

I loved every minute of this trip and had so much fun hitting the town with my friend Hope and our moms. I would jump on a flight in ten minutes just to get back to the city, and I'm counting down the days until I get to go back!