There are about a million and one reasons why I love New York City, but I'm only going to talk about a few of those reasons today. I've been to New York a total of three times in my life since I was about 13. The first time I went to New York, I went with my grandmother and we had a blast. We visited Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and had a fabulous dinner at a restaurant I can't remember the name of. The second time I went, I was with my mother, as she is an actress, and she had an audition somewhere near Wall Street. We literally drove into the city, went to her audition, got pizza, and went right back home. It was a short trip but nevertheless I'm so glad she took me. The third time I went to New York was last week for Christmas with my Godparents. We had an amazing time. I absolutely love Manhattan and this was my first time actually exploring it. From Fifth Avenue to Times Square to Harlem I couldn't get enough. It felt like home to me. Shows and movies like "Gossip Girl," "13 Going on 30," "Home Alone," and many more helped to shape my vision of the city and it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. New York is smelly, crowded, you can't feel the sun because the buildings are always blocking it, and everything is so expensive, but it is perfect for overly optimistic people such as myself. Now I don't plan on living there, but working there is definitely a goal of mine. If you have any travel advice about where to stay, places to go or how to get around NY, please feel free to share!

Love, Chantay