ok so here it is people of the blogging / facebook world...my update on new york city :) what a whirlwind of a business/pleasure trip. it was more of an LSD trip {not that i would even know what that's like but i can imagine it would be electrifying sensory overload and no sleep}...
extreme aiport security at branson airport {strange for an international airport the size of my living room back home and such intensity for a domestic flight}.
snoring obnoxious new yorker passenger.
funny missourian guy who laughed with me at the obnoxious snoring new yorker.
hello atlanta. good to re-connect {lame pun}
flying over the hudson and seeing lady liberty and central park from the airplane window.
hello la guardia.
awesome service from ray the mexican at shuttle services
a shuttle ride to the hotel
weird pakistani shuttle bus driver.
total disorientation. the place is HUGE!
minor secret freak out in the shuttle bus.
the new yorker hotel {just like google earth said it would be}
the view of the chrysler from my room on the 29th floor.
seeing people doing tango lessons in the dance studio below from my room on the 29th floor.
realising i am totally on. my. own. bring me a brown paper bag.
deciding on an early night and just walking to mcd's opposite the hotel {getting into bed 4 hours later}
$1 for a slice of pepperoni pizza. awesome!
souvenir store and another pakistani who asked about my accent and then chatted to me about cricket.
times square.
mtv.
broadway.
the lights. wow. the lights are brighter than daylight.
starbucks in times square.
the people.
the accents.
the energy.
awesome police officers everywhere. heard that there are 40,000 of them in the city?
seeing john leguizamo.
stopping in at a deli at 11:30pm for fresh fruit and parfait.
realising everything is going to be awesome.
spiderman. elmo. posing for photos.
falling asleep to the sounds of the city that never sleeps {and feeling a guilt for being a fader at 2am}
running the last 2 blocks to grayline to meet with ruth and start the tour.
sergei the tour guide from former yugoslavia
manhattan in one day.
trump towers. nyc ballet. central park. harlem. apollo theatre. greenwich village. soho.
i heart ny shirts {cannot leave nyc without one}
pasta at azurro grotto in little italy.
rad conversations with a couple from british columbia and two friends from california.
really irritating tourist from michigan that hooked onto ruth and asked really dumb questions about africa "do you have one president that rules over all of africa? no? so it's a whole bunch of countries and governments?" and "the situation in libya is really bad for you guys, eh?"psh.
wall street. financial district.
statue of liberty. brooklyn bridge. manhattan bridge. gah it's awesome!
ground zero and sergei's stories of 9/11.
coffee and cheesecake at metro cafe.
top of the rock observatory in record time -- that's what a migraine will do.
black cars parked outside nbc studios. i imagined it was bradley cooper inside, prior to his appearance on snl that night.
slow wander in the drizzle back to the hotel and totally passing out.
awake in time to watch snl. weird thinking it was being filmed a few blocks away.
the perfect sunday in new york wandering through the avenues.
introductions to elliot erwitt.
MoMA. too many awe-filled moments. had tears in my eyes standing in front of "flag" and "starry night". all the greats i had studied in school were there.
a south african exhibition {holding back the urge to scream out "i am from here! i am south african!}
pressata @ europa cafe
finally hearing defying gravity live. it was "wicked" :)
hailing a cab.
pre-conference meet up at a rad underground bar.
william the social performance measurement graduate telling me all about stats and validity ratios or something like that. *whoosh* over my head.
happy victory dancing in the elevator.
the best angus beef burger at tick tock diner.
walking the streets of nyc at 8am. people walking to work, walking their dogs, jogging, breakfasting at cafes, starbucksing en route to the office.
welcome to microfinance usa 2011!!!
the most awesome american roxanna sears. so grateful you chose our table at breakfast.
laughing at sign language conversations in times square and central park proposals and climbing kilimanjaro {her stories, not mine}.
cocktails and finger food at 230 5th avenue.
the rooftop and random super kitsch king kong decor and limited access due to a set up for a rolling stones concert. boom!
serendipitous encounters.
starbucks and stumbling across the empire state building. for reals.
day 2 of microfinance usa 2011.
networking networking networking.
more serendipitous encounters.
buying trendy buddy holly glasses i will probably never wear.
almond restaurant conference meet up.
interesting convos. interesting people.
meeting the director of fundraising for accion who is dating an afrikaans guy from stellenbosch. crazy!
pulling an all nighter to catch a 3am shuttle and 6am flight.
exploring all 4 levels of forever 21 and the m&m store.
bumping into jim parsons, ellen barkin, luke macfarlane and lee pace. boom!
fresh strawberry pancakes at 2am.
texting with lori :)
saying farewell to a city i fell in love with.
the city still very much alive at 3:30am. not surprised :)
a morgue-like la guardia airport.
feeling pretty awake but having no recollection of take off or in flight service/snacks...only touch down.
hello atlanta. good to re-connect {argh another lame pun!}
back in springfield, MO.
realisation i will never be the same.
bliss.
memories.
maturation.
bucket list big "tick".
making a promise to return for another bite of the big apple.
x
