I am not sure how my feet will survive 8 more days of touristing.

So I am here. I got here. It was an okay set of travel, just a really long day. The shuttle driver from the airport to LIRR was HILARIOUS and I met this nice guy Chad that was on his way to Brooklyn from Atlanta. It was really cool for me to have these very first experiences of friendliness. Can I just tell you how friendly everyone in New York is? I mean, yeah, there are some scary crazy people in this city...everywhere. But none more than SF, LA, etc. Just different. I think this city is the most diverse city I have ever been in, and I am eating it up. Unfortunately, I am not so digging the hostel thing, but keep reminding myself of how much money I saved. Last night, everyone in my room was asleep when I got in, and it was very awkward even trying to find my bed and clean out my locker from someone else's crap. I was no quiet, let's just say that. I ended up being thankful I brought ear plugs and sleeping pills, it's just a noisy building and my room is right next to the front desk. Unfortunately, those two plus hostel plus alarm clock I think means I am the most hated girl in the room right now. I tried to stay away as much as possible today until my feet swelled and I am about to collapse from lack of energy, and STILL someone is asleep in the room, so it's all dark still and I can't even get into my stuff. I grabbed my laptop since I had to clear pictures from my card (439 since I left SC) and headed up the lounge where I am trying not to collapse and sleep on the couch. I also am still sure I am sick and just pushing through, but I have to. I can't believe how much left there is to see.

Today, I fit in all of Lower Manhattan, which I am sure I will write about at length later, but since this trip is about me and my growing as a person, I think I want to jump straight to the biggest awakening of this trip. I'm a morning person. No really...I am. I like sleep too, it's amazing hobby, I think it's awesome. But, I love watching a city come alive. From home to the playa to SF to wherever, there is something about being out before anyone and seeing it come to life. Today, I left Union Square to a little north of the Bowling Green and wandered around in the damp air, meandering down to the Castle Clinton Monument and the Statue of Liberty. First piece of advice - If you ever plan on coming to New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty, get your ferry and monument tickets ahead of time, get there at 8 o'clock and in line to pick them up and go on the very first ferry out. If you miss Ellis Island, you're still pushing noon. Between 2 security checkpoints, lines, etc, it's a big ordeal, and when I turned around to see the line behind me, I was shocked. Anyway, even though the ferry was insanely crowded, and the line to the monument still seemed long in front of me, I managed to work my way through security faster than everyone but one couple. What that meant is that for a brief moment, I was in the statue of liberty alone. When I walked in the door at the base, I wept. I walked all 156 steps to the pedestal, and came out in full tears. I called my grandmother and told her where I was, I needed to share it with someone at least a little closer to my time zone. I am very thankful I had her to call, I needed to share that desperately. It was seriously life changing.

She is beautiful. As you take the ferry there, you start to think she is so much smaller than you thought, but when you are standing under her, looking at every fold so carefully carved, you realize the undertaking. She is majestic, and amazing. I was so glad that I was there as the sun broke through the sky, gleaming her torch in the sun. As far as moments in my life go, I am certain that this was one of the most amazing. I walked to the lowest level of the pedestal, still free from any other people who seemed to be crawling like ants below. I laid on the ground and stared up at her. I am sure that anyone up at the top at this time may have thought I was nuts. I walked up and I touched the rock that held her up and thanked her for guiding us. I have hundreds of pictures, but this I just had to share for now.













More to come...

Idaho Springs, Colorado: January 2008

Denver, Colorado: January 2008

What a difference a day makes...

Tuesday Morning


Wednesday Morning

Sometimes...when you check in late...you get upgraded...

...I have very good hotel karma...and this view is mine until Friday...





From a corner Junior Suite on the 10th floor of the Parc55 in SF.
Wheeee.

Hi From Denver!

Project 30: Spice Girls in Las Vegas

Task 3/30: See a show in Las Vegas.
Complete: December 8, 2007



Yay! Vegas! It was off to Vegas for 36 hours of fun highlighted by the Spice Girls reunion concert. It was truly one of the most amusing and terrifying flights ever as we thought the plane was going to fall apart and the couple in front of us got into it with the flight attendant and almost had the air marshall called. I was so happy to just be off the plane and in Vegas, but was full of amusing stories much funnier in hind sight. When we got there, it turns out it was fight weekend, rodeo weekend and then for some undiagnosed reason, full of singing rugby players. It was such a strange mix as the casinos played 50% country music and cowboy hats and wranglers were easily spotted within arms distance everywhere you went. Cute boys with accents sung out from every corner of every casino and everyone was shoving boxing shirts down your throat.



We grabbed some food and freshened up in our room to get a true Vegas post-midnight start. The highlight of the evening was my only true Vegas must, cocktails at the Red Square in Mandalay Bay, the fault of my vodka obsession and a beautiful room to relax in elegance. I got to taste the Pomegranate Van Gogh I had been lusting after, and tried a delicious Raspberry lemon drop martini, and we stylishly took in the people around us. We roamed around some more, but bad shoe choices and long work days had us off to our rooms at 3am to recharge for the next night and our true mission.





After we slept and prepped, we headed out of our temporary home at the New York, New York to get some food and go shopping before the big show. I got to eat at my very first luxury buffett at the Mandalay Bay and then we strolled past the Bellagio water show where I got to see a whole one, rather than the tail end seconds in all my previous trips. The water gets so high and it's just amazing to gather around with tons of other people and enjoy it. We pondered what qualifications it takes to be the designer of such shows and what a sweet job it would be. I just want to push the on button once.



We went to M&M World! Now really, there should be more rides in there it is so big. At 4 floors, it blew us all away and we tromped through gazing at the collections of things that it was a marvel that people found need for. There was even a neat dizzy tunnel, and a 3d movie. It was all a bit much for me, and children everywhere, but neat none the less. We did some shopping at Caesar's and the mall at Planet Hollywood and got dressed up in all our new goodies and headed out to the show. The crowd control aspect was unspeakable and I tried to breathe and not punch someone that was invading my space. I had left my camera behind because I was told too on the tickets and ended up being crushed that I had no pictures of my own to show. The girls in front of us passed the time prior to the start of the show by taking camera phone pictures of their bloody new nape piercings and sending them to their friends. I was really grossed out. People watching was it's own adventure as little tiny spice girl clones ran about everywhere screeching and bouncing to the music, including an adorable set of of drag queens.



When the 5 ladies took the stage, the house came down and it was a great show complete with handfuls of set and costume changes, ten male dancers and glitter exploding from the ceiling at the end. I had so much fun after 90 minutes of pop fabulousness, I felt satisfied with my adventure. They rocked their solos and the old hits and flew around the stage with flair. I did not leave disappointed. (...and heir final screen left me amused!) See all my Vegas pictures here. Yay Vegas!

3 down...27 to go!

Self Portraits, Cancun, Mexico, November 2006

More Prettiness, Cancun, Mexico, November 2006

An abandoned building, Cancun, Mexico, November 2006