The Bells of New York City Tell Me Not to Go

After all of my talk about songs, packing, places I want to go, etc. You're probably all wondering -

How was New York????

AMAZING.

Many of you probably read my tweets (many of them were "check-ins" on FourSquare):

The city is simply - amazing. If there was any doubt if I was a city girl is gone.

I am 100% a city girl.



At first I was nervous. A friend of mine from college who is from New Jersey once told me that Chicago people hate New York because it was much more crowded. But it hardly bothered me at all. The only times I got a bit overwhelmed by crowds was one night in Times Square, and once at a really busy exhibit at The Met. (However, I always hate crowds at museums and zoos and such. People tend to not notice short people and are really rude so I never get to really see anything.) I also got ridiculously tired walking around, making me wish that Ryan Gosling would have popped out of hiding saying...

Photo source - but I added the "hey girl" part.

Beyond that - I loved all of the people around me.

I loved how from the moment I stepped off the plane I was in the midst of hundreds of cultures, lives, and stories.

I loved how right away I felt at home.

I loved walking down the streets surrounded by buildings and people.

I love how the city gives you a soundtrack of cars, feet on the pavement, street performers, and hundreds of languages buzzing in your ears.

I loved that it was Fleet Week. ;)

I loved how most New Yorkers were much more friendly and helpful than people give them credit for. (But that also might be because I understand city people and get why they are "grumpy" sometimes...)

I loved how in the midst of what seems like chaos you can find little moments of peace and relaxation.

I loved how on Saturday morning a street shopping fair "magically" appeared in front of our hotel.

I loved that I finally was able to step on the street of Broadway.

I loved Newsies.

I loved sitting in the middle of Times Square with the music of the city buzzing around me. I could have sat on those steps for hours.

The only thing is...

I feel like we barely scratched the surface. We did so much - but during those last hours in New York all I could think about was "but we still have to see this, and this, that, and that other place!"

Which just means...

I'll have to go back someday. ;)