This means I got to cross off another item from my 25 before 25 list! Woot!
Side Note! Traveling on holiday's is great. Everyone is in a good mood... perhaps because airlines offer free alcohol during the flight. I saw a proposal every time the plane touched down!
I didn't get in until about 2 AM the night before, so after a bit of a late start, we grabbed some bagels and headed over to the Brooklyn Flea Market. Fair warning... if you ever go, it does look like a building where people are murdered. No worries.
Guys. Guys. This place is Pinterest in real life. Amazing food, cute clothes, antiques, crafts... it was overwhelming. Definitely my favorite shopping experience of the trip! Perhaps ever.
We started off with a Ramen Burger. I guess this is the new craze in the city: It's a regular burger but the bun is made of ramen noodles and a soy sauce. Inventive right? Breck was grossed out when I showed him but I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely give it a try if you get the chance.
We spent the next few hours perusing booths. It was excruciating trying to decide what to buy! Or more accurately what NOT to buy. I ended up settling with this awesome lion mug for Breck and an old fashioned camera for our mantle.
We were walking around Brooklyn when the snow really started to come down, so we retreated back to Kirstin friends Matt's place. He had a great view from his roof, and was nice enough to treat us to some Trinidadian while we waited out the flurries.
We ran back into the city to try for The Book of Mormon Musical lottery tickets, but didn't make the cut. While we were in Times Square I remembered one of my favorite travelers tips... a Sephora stop! Seriously, the next time you're traveling and feeling exhausted and gross, a fresh coat of mascara is all you need to feel 100% better!
Sunday morning meant Sunday brunch with this babe!
After breakfast we headed to the Met. I am a novice when I comes to fine art... but I can still tell my Vermeer and Rubens apart! Thanks for the Art Smart lessons Ma!
Spotted. K sitting on the Met steps, do I spy a tourist daring to sit above her? XOXO Gossip Girl
Did I mention that 60% of my New York experience was centered around food? Next stop Laduree from authentic French macarons. Yes that is a line out the door, yes it was worth it.
I made Kirstin stop in Grand Central with the hope we might spot Brandon from Humans of New York... no luck. ONE DAY BRANDON. ONE DAY.
Kirstin won Lottery tickets for Newsies on Sunday Night! Great seats from only 30 bucks! I only caught myself singing along one time, so I'm counting it as a success!
Monday was BEAUTIFUL! We headed straight for Central Park in the morning. No clue who this guy is.
We found a defrosted spot and sat down for breakfast... and THE BEST chocolate chip cookies I've ever had! And yes cookies are a part of any balanced breakfast.
Of course I needed Shake Shack before I left, so we took a walk up the through the Financial District so we could take a peek at Lady Liberty as we ate.
After a quick trip China Town, we went to warm up at Strand Bookstore. LOVE! Miles of books! And how cute is this? The book recommendations are handwritten by kids, employees, and customers. I ended up finding a Humans of New York book signed by the Photographer and couldn't pass it up!
Kirstin sat down to let me explore... and ended up taking a nap with her little buddy.
That night we went to the New Work Premiere of Saratov Approach. It's the story of two LDS missionaries that were kidnapped in Russia and held for ransom. The director, actors, and the two missionaries were actually present at the opening and held a Q&A session after the film.
And what else would I do on my last night in New York than spend it devouring an extra large tub of bread pudding from Magnolia's?
A huge thank you to KIRSTIN FREAKING GUNN for being the best friend and tour guide a girl can ask for! She started a new job 4 days before I came, carted me around the city all weekend, and then had two more visitors the day after I left. The girl is a machine.
