Right after my last final exam of the semester, my sister, a friend, and I were off to New York City for a few days of exploring! We did SO much in the 3 full days that we were there, but here are my highlights!
The last time I was in NYC was just after I graduated from high school, so it’s been 4 years since I was there. Plus, I’ve never been there around Christmas, so it was so exciting to see the city at this time of year! NYC is just so beautiful at Christmas.
NYC at Christmas was everything that I could imagine! Lights everywhere, and the weather was so cold and crisp. I loved it!
North Carolina doesn’t get a lot of snow, so it was so magical to wake up in NYC to a beautiful snowfall! Central Park was especially beautiful in the snow, and my sister and I announced that it looked like Narnia at the exact same time!
I’ve always had a fascination with the Russian Romanov family – especially with Anastasia. I grew up watching the animated film Anastasia – I remember watching it on VCR and then doing all of the research I could about what really happened to her and her family. So it was such a wonderful experience to see the new Broadway musical!
There was never a moment during the performance where I was bored. Each singer and actor had so much talent, and the sets and effects were more impressive than any other show I’ve seen! I especially enjoyed the character of the grandmother’s companion, Countess Lily. The woman who played her had so much stage presence and charisma – she was hilarious!
As great as Anastasia was, the MET will forever hold my heart. I could probably spend all day, every day in museums because there’s just so much to see and learn. The MET has a truly incredible collection of works to see – and so many of my favorite pieces!
As usual, the ancients, like Egypt, Greece, and Rome, were wonderful. Those exhibits are usually phenomenal because they’re filled with thousands of years of history and ingenuity, and the MET was no exception!
I have to say that the Impressionists were my favorite this time around. The MET has the largest collection of Degas that I’ve ever seen – and Degas has been my first love ever since I first started dancing when I was 8! Degas’ sculpture of the Little Dancer has filled me with awe every time I’ve seen it. I was very young the first time, and I remember that a woman standing near me said that it was ugly and I was absolutely shocked that anyone could think that! This time at the MET, I had a few minutes completely alone in the room to look at the sculpture, and it’s one of my favorite memories from the trip!
Van Gogh and Monet are others of my absolute favorites. I had one of Monet’s classic water lily paintings hanging in my childhood bedroom for as long as I can remember!
No trip to NYC is complete without experiencing their bagels! We went to Leo’s Bagels in the Financial District and it was amazing. As you can see from the pure joy on my face, bagels are one of my all-time favorite foods.
I can’t wait to go back to NYC to go back to the MET and see all of the other museums that I didn’t get to this time!
What is your favorite part of NYC?
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