New Year's in the Concrete Jungle

Happy New Year! This past New Year/ New Year Eve, I got to visit New York City for the first time. It was pretty overwhelming but I had some great hosts that made my first experience with the city very palatable. I thought I'd share some of the things that I did.

1. Visit the Freedom Tower. The freedom tower is an observatory located on the 100-102 floor of the new World-Trade Building that was rebuilt. The view was extraordinary and I definitely got a feel for the geography of major landmarks.

Femi, Bunmi, and I catching some sun

2. The Museum of Natural History. I never knew the name of this museum, but once I entered, I quickly realized that it was the same museum from the movie Night at the Museum. I was instantly excited. There is so much stuff to see there and I would definitely go back again.

The lobby area with models of dinosaurs

3. I have never been ice skating before and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go. It was about -10 degrees Celsius but my friends and I toughed it out. We went ice skating at Bryant Park and I'm proud to say that I only fell once.

4. I had my first beef patty with coco bread. Now, the concept of a corner store is so foreign to me.  I grew up in suburban Indiana, where I have to drive at least 5 minutes to buy anything to eat. I have had a beef patty before, but never with coco bread. I was apprehensive to pair carb on carb, but it was really good. If you've never had a beef patty... I'm sorry.

5. Along the same lines of food, I also got to eat some great Jamaican and Thai food. I loved being in a diverse environment where I could find literally anything that I wanted to eat. Northern Indiana is not the most diverse location so I enjoyed the environment especially in Long Island.

6. The Louis Vuitton Exhibit. There was a pop up exhibit for Louis Vuitton and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There was a lot of history on the brand, how bags are made, and designer collaborations that have happened. The best part about it was that it was free!






It was a cold and short trip, but I cannot wait to return and see more of what the city has to offer... especially when it's not so cold.