About a week ago, my mom asked if I could take her best friend's daughter back to New York this weekend. Realizing that it would be New Year's Eve and my boyfriend and I could celebrate in Times Square, we jumped at the chance! After waking up at 4:40 a.m. on Friday, we finally arrived in Brooklyn around 4 p.m. That night, we traveled on our first subway ride through Brooklyn and Manhatten to visit one of Richard's friends from the Air Force. Coming back around 10:30, we finally saw our bed around 12:30. Needless to say, we were exhausted.
Waking up on New Year's Eve around 9 a.m., I was ready to get started and on the move. This was my first time in New York City and I didn't want to waste any time. Richard, on the other hand, wanted to continue sleeping. We got out the door around 10 a.m. and after walking for roughly 10 blocks, Richard remembered he left his Metrocard back in the apartment. Our first setback of the long day. So we get back to the apartment after 10 blocks again, and we can't get the door open. Setback number two. Thankfully, someone was home to let us in. We get the Metrocard and we go on our way.
Fast-forward to roughly 1 p.m. and Richard and I are sitting near Radio City Music Hall, enjoying lunch. We're watching people in costume taking pictures, people selling 2017 gear, and just watching people. We start walking around, guided by Google Maps, trying to find the gates where we will be locked in until 12 p.m. on 7th Ave. We get there and start looking for a bathroom since we know we won't be allowed to leave later to find one. After about 45 minutes of this struggle to find a free one, we are successful! That we will consider our ultimate setback, however, by the time we got out, we realized no one was being let into the gates. We stop a police officer to find out where we will need to go and he set us straight.
When we get where we needed to be, it's PACKED. I'm talking like 200,000 people forced onto one side of the block. It was a mad house. We find a few other police officers and ask them where the security check is. We are pointed in a few different directions. After a few minutes of thinking, we realize that we will be checked, with a wand, and we won't be allowed to enter the gates: I have 2 external phone batteries and Richard has his E-cig, powered by a battery. This had us devastated. It's roughly 2:45 p.m., by the time we get onto the subway back to Brooklyn, drop our stuff off, and come back, we won't make it back into the security line to be in the gates by 6 p.m.. We were so excited to see the ball drop in person. Still determined to find a place to see some celebration, we wandered around the city for a few more hours.
Fast-forward to 6 p.m.. We just spent about 2 hours talking to a lady we met, also trying to find a place to see some excitement. We have just parted our ways, and Richard and I are eating in Andrew's Coffee House. It was pretty good, the best part of our miserable afternoon. But we are still cold, tired, and upset. We decide to just head back to the apartment and watch it live from there. When we get down into the sub, my zipper to my coat pocket is stuck. I mean like, it won't budge in either direction. This pocket is currently housing my wallet and Metrocard mind you. After roughly 10 minutes of struggling, I bust out into tears. I'm cold, tired, sore from walking, devastated and just want to get home. I'm now wet from tears and covered in snot. Thanks to Richard, we ripped the inside of the zipper apart, got my wallet and Metrocard and make it back to the apartment around 9:30 p.m..
All was not lost though! We had a great time staying in; I popped popcorn, Richard and I shared a bottle of wine, and at 12;00, we got our New Year's Kiss! Even though it seemed like we had a horrible day, we still had fun. We got to see things we have never seen before, experience the rush of the city, and just explore together! It's currently Sunday, New Year's Day, and we are spending the day sight seeing before we leave tomorrow. If this is how 2017 is going to go, I can't wait to see all the things we'll experience this year!
