Monday I woke up and went to Heidi's house for breakfast! It was delicious and I love Heidi.
The rest of the day I deep cleaned my room and packed for NYC.
NEW YORK
Tuesday we met at 5:30am and got in the vans to start a our drive to the city. Now.. no one told me that the Big Apple was only 6 hours and 45 minutes away!
Maybe that was a good thing..
The drive was hilarious. We tried to sleep but we were also crazy. I love the people here and I love how fast all of us just click.
With stops and traffic we got into our hotel around 3:30-4ish. We got checked in and then a group of us headed to times square for pictures and dinner. We found this little bakery. It was kind of a crazy night and I think all of us were frustrated by the time we got to our first show.
We stopped at the Disney store and when you ride the escalators the whole thing is Tangled themed!
Confession time. I really don't like Fiddler on the Roof. When I heard we were seeing this show I looked it up on Broadway.com to see what this production was all about.
Well. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Oh my goodness! They put a very small modern twist to the show which I thought was beautiful. The set was one of my favorite things I have every seen! They had a pit in the back of the stage that set pieces would come out of or characters would walk out of. It gave me chills! The cast was amazing. I loved the person that played Tevye and Hodel. They were just stunning. I loved the costumes and everything! We were all just blown away! I would highly recommend this!!!
The next day we woke up kind of early and ate breakfast at the hotel. We stayed at the Sleep Inn in Queens. They have the best complimentary breakfast I have ever had.
We headed to Times Square to buy tickets for an evening performance. We ended up going to the actual theater and getting rush tickets for Something Rotten. It worked out perfect.
I saw this and became very depressed.
When we were in Times Square I was figuring out where to go, when the guy behind Kat in this picture, asked in a beautiful Australian accent if we needed help. I didn't but I obviously said yes. He's my future husband.
I would like to take a second and thank my Dad for teaching me how to use a map. I never got us a lost. I was known as the navigator.
Buying rush tickets!
We headed towards the public library when we found one of the bakery's from Cake Boss! I bought one of their famous cannoli's.
The Public Library. It was the prettiest library I had ever seen.
We wandered around there for a while and then headed to Grand Central Station. We ate lunch at the Shake Shack there which was delicious as always.
We then headed to the Lincoln Center to watch The King and I. We were pleasantly surprised to walk out of the metro station to see the temple! It was a wonderful surprise.
It was hard to see the matinee performance of King and I because that is a very long show and 3:30 is nap time. But I thought it was beautiful. If I could wear every dress Kelli O'Hara wears, I would be the happiest girl in the world. She is so elegant and enchanting. She was my favorite part of the whole show! I also loved the dancer who played Eliza in the whole dance story part. We met Kelli O'Hara after and she is just so lovely and generous. We saw the understudy for the King, and we talked to him after and he told us how lovely Kelli is to work with. I love that!
We sat outside the show for a bit and then headed into Central Park. We were spoiled rotten by the weather. It was just gorgeous!!!
After that we headed back to Time Square. We looked around the Broadway Bookstore for a while and then went to Something Rotten. My tickets ended up being on the front row. That was fun!
I had flashbacks to when I saw Once via rush tickets and sat on the front row. Good times.
The Kat Gardner box
Something Rotten was absolutely hilarious! I loved sitting on the front row to admire their costumes and the detail on the set! It was incredible! We had a partial view because the stage is so high, but it was still wonderful. I thought the music was awesome and super creative! I don't think a smile left my face the whole show. I had prime view of the conductor and he was putting on his own show, mouthing every line. He was just so happy! We saw the Understudy for Brian Darcy James which I was very upset about at first... but no worries. The guy we saw was incredible. We are getting married on Saturday.
After the show we went to this pub where Kat was promising us the best mozzarella sticks ever. She made us walk 12 blocks, but she was right. They were awesome! I must remember this place.
The next day was the perfect Lauren day. I told some people of this bookstore I really wanted to go to, and a lot of them got really excited. So we went to The Strand. It is like a 5 story bookstore! It was beautiful. We spent a few hours there and quite enjoyed ourselves. One of the exciting surprises is that they have The Fault in our Stars bench!
After that we ate at this place that is in Europe that I've ate at before. It's called Pret A Manger. We took our food and ate on the steps of Union Square. Caleb then had to run to Barnes and Noble (I think he is worse than I am).
Then we headed to the Met.
Here is my conclusion about the Met: It is completely unfair how much art is in that building.
Its super overwhelming, and crazy, and big, and its hard to get around anywhere because none of their maps make sense and how they have set up the art makes no sense. Its very frustrating.
Like.. what museum has a replica of a 1800s house and a french palace...?
But its art. Art is beautiful.
At one point I saw this Pissarro painting that I have always seen in text books. I looked at it and whispered, "I wonder what they are saying?"
And then I started to cry.
Yup.
This was one of two times tears sprung from my eyes.
We spent three hours in the Met. Im grateful I was with a group that let me wander and do my thing but also wanted to spend time there.
The last half hour we all went a bit crazy though. I think we were so tired from walking around.
Conversation we had about this painting:
Lauren: Caleb, what do you see when you look at this painting?
Caleb: I see a dancer.
Lauren: Kat, what do you see?
Kat (sarcastically): I see a commentary on the downfall of our society.
*Lauren stands up to go look at the description. She sits back down on the bench.
Lauren: Its a birds eye view of the artists dogs running along a river...
HAHAH!
Here is my future job. I would love to give tours!
I loved looking around at everyone taking in all the art. I loved to see which paintings people were taking such interest in and I wanted to know what about that specific work of art intrigued them and why they loved it.
Lauren=Art Nerd
So what do you do when you have been walking all day and can't feel your feet?
Walk through Central Park.
We ended up kind of wandering a little lost and out of nowhere this lady asks if we needed directions. She was crazy and decided to lead us to the metro station.. haha!
We sat down on a bench close to the edge of the park and just kept laughing. We made Caleb find us a dinner place and off we went. We ate at this italian place called Bellini. It was amazing! We had this pizza with peaches and bacon and cheese. And Basil.Never forget the basil! It was heavenly.
Then we went to the cafe that is in the movie You've Got Mail. Its called Cafe Lalo. It was super cute and I got mint cheesecake and it was so picturesque. I was in heaven. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip!
We rushed off to the Theatre to see our last show called She Loves Me. This is based off the same thing that You've Got Mail is.
I really enjoyed it. The set was incredible and Zachary Levi was the lead. He is a beautiful human being. The music in this show is super cute and its a wonderful and fun love story. The last ten minutes before intermission really didn't fit the feel of the rest of the show. It was super weird and made me just confused at intermission. But the second act picks up normal again. That was really my only complaint.
I adore New York City. It will always hold a little piece of my heart. Thank you to Mom and Dad who let me go! It was very much needed!!!!
*******
The next day we got home about 5:30pm and it was so beautiful outside. I ran into Kaylee and we sat and talked for awhile. I took a shower and then developed this craving for orange juice. So Kaylee and I went to the store and bought a very college meal: Orange Juice, Hot pockets, chips and artichoke dip.
We then watched You've Got Mail. (Obviously).
I love this girl.
Saturday I got a few things done but just relaxed.
Sunday it was just beautiful outside. After church I went and sat on a rocking chair outside Main Hall.
(Shout out to my sis who I love!)
I love the hustle and bustle of the city, but this tiny town where I live is everything. Its my home.
Maybe that was a good thing..
The drive was hilarious. We tried to sleep but we were also crazy. I love the people here and I love how fast all of us just click.
With stops and traffic we got into our hotel around 3:30-4ish. We got checked in and then a group of us headed to times square for pictures and dinner. We found this little bakery. It was kind of a crazy night and I think all of us were frustrated by the time we got to our first show.
We stopped at the Disney store and when you ride the escalators the whole thing is Tangled themed!
Confession time. I really don't like Fiddler on the Roof. When I heard we were seeing this show I looked it up on Broadway.com to see what this production was all about.
Well. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Oh my goodness! They put a very small modern twist to the show which I thought was beautiful. The set was one of my favorite things I have every seen! They had a pit in the back of the stage that set pieces would come out of or characters would walk out of. It gave me chills! The cast was amazing. I loved the person that played Tevye and Hodel. They were just stunning. I loved the costumes and everything! We were all just blown away! I would highly recommend this!!!
The next day we woke up kind of early and ate breakfast at the hotel. We stayed at the Sleep Inn in Queens. They have the best complimentary breakfast I have ever had.
We headed to Times Square to buy tickets for an evening performance. We ended up going to the actual theater and getting rush tickets for Something Rotten. It worked out perfect.
I saw this and became very depressed.
When we were in Times Square I was figuring out where to go, when the guy behind Kat in this picture, asked in a beautiful Australian accent if we needed help. I didn't but I obviously said yes. He's my future husband.
I would like to take a second and thank my Dad for teaching me how to use a map. I never got us a lost. I was known as the navigator.
Buying rush tickets!
We headed towards the public library when we found one of the bakery's from Cake Boss! I bought one of their famous cannoli's.
The Public Library. It was the prettiest library I had ever seen.
We wandered around there for a while and then headed to Grand Central Station. We ate lunch at the Shake Shack there which was delicious as always.
We then headed to the Lincoln Center to watch The King and I. We were pleasantly surprised to walk out of the metro station to see the temple! It was a wonderful surprise.
It was hard to see the matinee performance of King and I because that is a very long show and 3:30 is nap time. But I thought it was beautiful. If I could wear every dress Kelli O'Hara wears, I would be the happiest girl in the world. She is so elegant and enchanting. She was my favorite part of the whole show! I also loved the dancer who played Eliza in the whole dance story part. We met Kelli O'Hara after and she is just so lovely and generous. We saw the understudy for the King, and we talked to him after and he told us how lovely Kelli is to work with. I love that!
We sat outside the show for a bit and then headed into Central Park. We were spoiled rotten by the weather. It was just gorgeous!!!
This meadow was called Sheep meadow.
After that we headed back to Time Square. We looked around the Broadway Bookstore for a while and then went to Something Rotten. My tickets ended up being on the front row. That was fun!
I had flashbacks to when I saw Once via rush tickets and sat on the front row. Good times.
The Kat Gardner box
Something Rotten was absolutely hilarious! I loved sitting on the front row to admire their costumes and the detail on the set! It was incredible! We had a partial view because the stage is so high, but it was still wonderful. I thought the music was awesome and super creative! I don't think a smile left my face the whole show. I had prime view of the conductor and he was putting on his own show, mouthing every line. He was just so happy! We saw the Understudy for Brian Darcy James which I was very upset about at first... but no worries. The guy we saw was incredible. We are getting married on Saturday.
After the show we went to this pub where Kat was promising us the best mozzarella sticks ever. She made us walk 12 blocks, but she was right. They were awesome! I must remember this place.
The next day was the perfect Lauren day. I told some people of this bookstore I really wanted to go to, and a lot of them got really excited. So we went to The Strand. It is like a 5 story bookstore! It was beautiful. We spent a few hours there and quite enjoyed ourselves. One of the exciting surprises is that they have The Fault in our Stars bench!
After that we ate at this place that is in Europe that I've ate at before. It's called Pret A Manger. We took our food and ate on the steps of Union Square. Caleb then had to run to Barnes and Noble (I think he is worse than I am).
Then we headed to the Met.
Here is my conclusion about the Met: It is completely unfair how much art is in that building.
Its super overwhelming, and crazy, and big, and its hard to get around anywhere because none of their maps make sense and how they have set up the art makes no sense. Its very frustrating.
Like.. what museum has a replica of a 1800s house and a french palace...?
But its art. Art is beautiful.
At one point I saw this Pissarro painting that I have always seen in text books. I looked at it and whispered, "I wonder what they are saying?"
And then I started to cry.
Yup.
This was one of two times tears sprung from my eyes.
We spent three hours in the Met. Im grateful I was with a group that let me wander and do my thing but also wanted to spend time there.
The last half hour we all went a bit crazy though. I think we were so tired from walking around.
Conversation we had about this painting:
Lauren: Caleb, what do you see when you look at this painting?
Caleb: I see a dancer.
Lauren: Kat, what do you see?
Kat (sarcastically): I see a commentary on the downfall of our society.
*Lauren stands up to go look at the description. She sits back down on the bench.
Lauren: Its a birds eye view of the artists dogs running along a river...
HAHAH!
Here is my future job. I would love to give tours!
I loved looking around at everyone taking in all the art. I loved to see which paintings people were taking such interest in and I wanted to know what about that specific work of art intrigued them and why they loved it.
Lauren=Art Nerd
So what do you do when you have been walking all day and can't feel your feet?
Walk through Central Park.
We ended up kind of wandering a little lost and out of nowhere this lady asks if we needed directions. She was crazy and decided to lead us to the metro station.. haha!
We sat down on a bench close to the edge of the park and just kept laughing. We made Caleb find us a dinner place and off we went. We ate at this italian place called Bellini. It was amazing! We had this pizza with peaches and bacon and cheese. And Basil.Never forget the basil! It was heavenly.
Then we went to the cafe that is in the movie You've Got Mail. Its called Cafe Lalo. It was super cute and I got mint cheesecake and it was so picturesque. I was in heaven. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip!
We rushed off to the Theatre to see our last show called She Loves Me. This is based off the same thing that You've Got Mail is.
I really enjoyed it. The set was incredible and Zachary Levi was the lead. He is a beautiful human being. The music in this show is super cute and its a wonderful and fun love story. The last ten minutes before intermission really didn't fit the feel of the rest of the show. It was super weird and made me just confused at intermission. But the second act picks up normal again. That was really my only complaint.
I adore New York City. It will always hold a little piece of my heart. Thank you to Mom and Dad who let me go! It was very much needed!!!!
*******
The next day we got home about 5:30pm and it was so beautiful outside. I ran into Kaylee and we sat and talked for awhile. I took a shower and then developed this craving for orange juice. So Kaylee and I went to the store and bought a very college meal: Orange Juice, Hot pockets, chips and artichoke dip.
We then watched You've Got Mail. (Obviously).
I love this girl.
Saturday I got a few things done but just relaxed.
Sunday it was just beautiful outside. After church I went and sat on a rocking chair outside Main Hall.
(Shout out to my sis who I love!)
I love the hustle and bustle of the city, but this tiny town where I live is everything. Its my home.
