I have been on my fair share of tropical vacations. I love love love cruises, the beach and just basking in the sun. I have grown up in Florida in an average size town, then moved to Orlando for school which was a change. But, let me tell you, New York City is a whole new ball game. It's like its own universe up there. There is so much to do, to see and to eat. My boyfriend and I chose this destination as our post-graduation gift, and we did not regret one bit of it. I could talk all day about all the crazy people I saw, awesome restaurants I ate at, and the best shopping ever but I'll narrow it down to my four top reasons I loved NYC.

1. The Views

Top Of The RockMacKenzie Whittaker

These pictures I took do not even give 1/4 of the credit to this city. The views are unexplainable! I would tell anyone to go to New York City at least once in your life to see the breathtaking views. You can see the skyscrapers with hustle and bustle of the city, or walk a few miles in Central Park and enjoy nature. You might even see some street performers along the way.

2. The Food...Duh

NY Pizza SupremaMacKenzie Whittaker

There was way more eaten during this trip that was documented! I have never eaten so much with zero regrets. I waited for a real NYC bagel for an hour, not once, but two times! We had to go back a second time. I didn't get a picture of it, but I guess that proves my point on how tasty it was. You know the saying, "Phone eats first."? That's hard when the food you are eating is almost irresistible. I walked miles and would go through multiple subway stations for certain food spots we found on Yelp but isn't that the point of vacation? You know you did NYC right when your goal every day is to eat the most and the best food.

3. The Environment

MacKenzie Whittaker

We were clearly having a great time as you can tell from this picture! The environment of New York City is unbeatable. My boyfriend, Dylan and I enjoyed walking everywhere. You get to fully experience a city that way. Every day was a friendly competition to see who got the most steps in. One day we walked almost 14 miles. That sounds so crazy when I say that but honestly, we didn't even notice. Anywho, the walking and the amount of food consumed outweighed each other. We were clearly tourists, but no shame in our game. Think of a type of person, and I saw them in the city. There are people from all over the world, different cultures, backgrounds, careers, and more but that's what makes it so great.

This is just a glimpse of the amazing trip I had in NYC. I wouldn't necessarily consider this a relaxing vacation. However, like I said before this was a great change of pace from my typical tropical beach vacations. I would tell everyone that you need to experience the city at least once in your life. It's a huge world out there.