New York City is known for its famous landmarks, great food and shopping, and it happened to be the destination of my high school band’s trip in 2016. Even though we were only there for a few days, I made so many memories I will never forget. From playing on the greatest stage in the world, Carnegie Hall, to getting lost on the subway, it was definitely the best trip ever.

It all started off with an 18-hour bus ride. Long bus rides are common when you're in band. Some people find them enjoyable while others do not. I’m definitely not the biggest fan. In fact, I opted out of the bus ride back home, and instead, I flew home with my parents. The bus ride there was loud at some points while oddly quiet at others. Since we left at night, we were expected to sleep the way there, and that was a challenge for me. Out of the whole 18-hour ride, I probably only got around 2 hours of sleep.

One of the best parts of the trip and probably the part that made my parents the most anxious was that students were permitted to go anywhere in the city as long as we were in groups of four. My friends and I found this to be extremely odd because middle school band trips had never been like this, but we certainly didn't oppose. We liked that we had the independence to go wherever we wanted. We could take the subway, walk or take a cab to anywhere as long as we were where we needed to be on time. Of course, for a band student, on time means early!

I was able to go to the fourth floor of Forever 21 in Times Square which was absolutely amazing, but it was brutal to my wallet. I was able to walk around Central Park and take the subway to Grand Central Station and later to the Chrysler building. I had street food for probably the first time ever during that short four day stay. I went to my first Broadway show and saw "Les Misérables." I saw the Blue Man Group which was interesting, to say the least. I saw the Statue of Liberty from afar, and I visited the 9/11 memorial. Making all these memories were great, but they were even better because I did all these activities with my friends.

However, we did have a purpose for being in New York City. That purpose was to perform at Carnegie Hall. The Carnegie Hall. It had been hyped up so much by our band directors, but the experience itself was out of this world. Carnegie Hall was more than some old building, it was a place where music brought people together. I will never forget the time I performed on the greatest stage in the world. It’s something I can say I did, but many others can’t.

The performance itself wasn't that nerve-wracking. I think my nerves were calmed by the fact that I wasn't sitting in the first row. As a flute player, I typically sit in the front row where the audience, and more specifically my parents, can see me. Because we had combined bands, I was seated in the second row. However, my parents being in the concert hall had little influence on how I felt. I was still shocked that I was performing at the one and only Carnegie Hall. The performance itself seemed to last no time at all because before I knew it, we had blown through all three pieces we had spent months preparing.

Overall, the trip was an enriching experience musically. I was able to perform where great performers like Yo-Yo Ma have. I also was able to visit many landmarks and notable places that New York has to offer. If I had the option to, I would go back. Those four short days were the best four days of my freshman year.