Goodbye, NY! Hello, DC!

Oh, hey, there, errybody.

So, yesterday was our last day in New York City.

I've never been sadder.

But before we left, we woke up around noon.

Then decided to see what the whole hubbub was about with Soho.

It's cute and we enjoyed some of the best iced coffee we've had in a long time at a place called Cafe Duke. And then we picked out our apartments....but really.

Then we thought is would be fun to go see the Statue of Liberty.

We hopped on the Staten Island Ferry, then we realized we were on the wrong ferry. But then we saw that Liberty Island wasn't even open because of the renovation needed after Hurricane Sandy. So, that was a bust.

Benefits from this experience:

- We got to see the Statue of Liberty from afar.

- We got to ride the Staten Island Ferry

- We got stranded on Staten Island...

- AND GOT TO WORK ON OUR NEW YORK ACCENTS
...which are getting pretty good. Your welcome.

Then I spent the rest of time in New York talking about French cinema and the European Union with a Frenchman, while Hannah talked about TV shows and broadway shows with a Puerto Rican actor.

We also sang this song WAY too many times...

You know you're in New York when...

New York really is the greatest city in the world. I don't know what it is. I mean I am a TOTAL LA-girl. I love that place. I can't explain it, but I love LA. Hannah, grew up in SF and is a total San Fran girl, but for some reason, both of us fell in love with NYC this past week. We have both come to the conclusion that there's just something about New York that is just special. Quotation from Hannah, "I don't know what it is. I mean, I love San Francisco and DC, they feel like home to me, but there's just something about New York that tops them both."

Things about New York:

- EVERYONE we talked to, met with, chatted with, sat next to on the subway - was nice, friendly, and helpful.

- The city is SAFE. Yes, I am sure there are places that are not the safest of places, but the locations we went to - which was EVERYWHERE on Manhattan - the community life is bustling. I personally had so many woes of being in NYC because of so many stereotypes people throw out, but in reality, I have never felt safer in a big city in my life.

- The city really NEVER sleeps. I mean Hannah and I grew up in residential areas. Then we went to school in Irvine. And we all know that everything in Irvine closes at 2 in the afternoon. Noon on weekends. :/  ...Except for the Albertson's on Campus.

- We finally found a good piece of NY pizza from Sacco's Pizza. We had two pieces each. And then we ate some cheesecake. From Juniors.

...Our bodies hated us.

- SO many other things we love about this place...

But now we have left...

New York didn't want us to leave.

The weather was hot, humid, and not the most pleasant, but it was still sunny, and in the evenings, a nice breeze would brush up. Today, rain poured down on us. It was a genuine mission to get to the subway. Take the subway. And get to the bus stop. It also doesn't help that we stayed up until the sun rose and got only 2 hours of sleep. So being tired, hungry, and wet made us even more reluctant to leave the city.

Don't worry, New York, we'll come back. We have to give these other cities a try, right? Don't worry, you'll still be number one in our hearts.


And then we got on a bus to come to DC.

That bus was late.

And then we got stuck in traffic.

For two hours

So, a four hour bus ride,

Turned into 6 hours.

:////////

Thanks, Megabus!


And now we're in DC.

This is our hotel. Seriously. We paid nothing for it.
We lucked out on this one.

Hannah lived here from September to December doing an internship program called UCDC. She loved it. It was one of those experiences that really changed her, for the best. She learned so much about herself and what she was capable of and so many experiences that she shared with DC still remain. Since she's been back from DC in December, all she's ever talked about is how damn amazing DC is. I love Hannah, but sometimes I wanted to murder her when she talks about DC. You remember that girl from "The Magic School Bus" who always said "At my old school..." - that's Hannah - but with DC. But now that we've arrived I have realizes something about this place, which I think can provide commentary on most cities.

Hannah has been OBSESSING over this place called Shake Shack. It's a trendy little chic-modern burger joint. We saw a million of them in New York, but Hannah didn't want to eat there because she HAD have us eat at the store in DC. I thought, "Why? It's the same burger, right?" but then sitting there with Hannah in the Shake Shack in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC I realized that every place that we live, visit, or spend time in provides its own experiences that is special to each person. For me, the Shake Shack burger was delicious, but it definitely wasn't what Hannah hyped it up to be. She even asked me if she hyped it up too much. I was honest, and told her how I felt, but, that still doesn't mean that this restaurant and my opinion of it changes the life Hannah lived when she was here. The Shake Shack is a representation of her memories, her life, her growth, and strength as a young adult. Similarly, the location we are currently in is VERY bougie. I mean, this is how the rich people live. No wonder everyone gets mad at DC. The smallest part of the city is like living at Versailles, while the rest of the city lives on the streets. BUT this is where so many amazing things happened for Hannah. And I can respect it, 100%. I love LA, and most people don't. I love it because I have had amazing memories with my family and friends in this city. New York provided Hannah and I with everything we had hoped for AND MUCH more. Maybe others don't like NYC because of the experiences they had, but that will never change how Hannah or I feel about it.


It's all about perspective. And how you want you make those memories.

I've only been in DC for a five hours, but I am excited to see this place and gain my own experiences. I'm going in with no expectations, so DC make me proud, bro.