Finally!! A girls’ weekend. As my trip got closer, on the way to the airport, I realised how weird it was to be on the other side of the airport drop off. My husband is always the one going away for work. I’m used to dropping him off, but being the one leaving, man, that one was more difficult. At least once I was at my gate, the anxiety disappeared and I realised I was ALONE!! YES! Headphones on, I can ignore everyone! Except I’m me, so no. I talked to the first person I met. And let me tell you, she was pretty awesome. She is from Auckland, New Zealand but lives in NYC. Guess what? She also just got signed to Atlantic Records! So yep, I met an up and coming musician, no big deal.
Girls’ weekend: On the plane
The flight is probably the worst part of any trip, the waiting to get there. But if I had to do a 10-hour flight across an ocean and the whole US I wouldn’t want to do it on any other airline. Hawaiian is seriously the best airline to fly with. Complimentary snacks, wine, dinner, excellent staff, plenty of leg room in our lowly peasant class, and personal tv screens. Really the food wasn’t bad at all. I didn’t mind it, plus it’s free!
Girls’ weekend: First night
Getting off the plane was a little bit of a culture shock. It was drab, dreary, and COLD!! I was in a little piece of Heaven amidst the cold, harsh weather!
We booked our stay at a city hotel! We were coming from West Point so we took the metro. We got there, and the views were amazing. There is really little better (like the beach and warm weather would win out) than the city at night. We stayed at the Westin in Times Square for night 1 and had views of the Chrysler building and parts of Times Square. That didn’t beat the uninterrupted night’s sleep, though!
Girls’ weekend: Day 1
The next morning we were able to take our time to get ready. It was another cold day! We packed and headed to our next hotel for night two, the Marriott Marquis in the middle of Times Square. We thought our view from the night before was good, this was indeed the best view you can have!
We started our day at the Shake Shack on 8th avenue, a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and then shopping!! We planned our activities to all be within walking distance so we would limit the cab fare. It worked out well the first day. We were able to explore and shop and make it back to the hotel with plenty of time to get ready for dinner and our show, The Rockette’s Spring Spectacular!
Well, we thought we had enough time. Apparently, all our talking and selfie-taking put us too far back. No big deal, we are calling a cab. Wait, no, we aren’t because there are none available. So what should you do when your reservation is in 10 min, and you are about a little over a mile away? You sprint, of course. Yes, in our dresses, make-up, heels and boots, jewellery, and all! We went to Benihana, and it was delicious, but our server was from Hawaii! He said Aloha, and I thought I was imagining it. I said it back and then stopped because I thought I was being silly. Nope a native Hawaiian in NYC was our server, small world.
At the Radio City Music Hall and then Serendipity
After dinner, we really did have enough time to stroll to Radio City Music Hall leisurely. A longtime dream is to get on the stage there or on Broadway. I was talked out of bum-rushing the stage and sat nicely and enjoyed the show. The Spring Spectacular featured Derek Hough from Dancing with the Stars and Laura Benanti from Nashville, where she plays Sadie Stone. It was an outstanding performance from both them and the rest of the cast. We all thoroughly enjoyed it.
After the show, we walked to our final night stop, Serendipity. The walk there was so pretty. The way the buildings and stores look lit up is something of awe. It was everything I was hoping for and more. We had the best waiter. He was so funny! Each of us ordered something different and chocolate, so we all got to try everyone else’s. Everything was delicious, and we sang happy birthday to T for the second time!
As we reached our hotel, we realised the bar was closed. So we decided to call it a night and hang out in the room for a while. We had made it to 1:30 in the morning, a time we mostly see if we are cleaning or waking up with children. So this was a much better alternative.
Girls’ weekend: Day 2
Our last day in the city was Sunday morning. Tamara’s actual birthday. We split up to take cabs to Central park, where we ate at the boathouse. The brunch was delicious! I got a Pineapple juice mimosa, gourmet mac n cheese (YUMMY!!!!), and the quiche. We also sang Happy Birthday to Tamara for the 4th time.
None of us were ready to leave, but it was time to head back if we didn’t want to miss our train.
Girls’ weekend to an end
This trip was so much fun; Although I do love spending weekends with the family, this was a much-needed trip without them. I spent a long weekend with my best friend ever and forced her to celebrate herself. In addition, I met a bunch of new amazing ladies I hadn’t seen in forever. I cannot wait to do this again; who has a big birthday next?
