Welcome to New York City and the US of A!
Last week as a very special week for me. My good friend "S" and her boyfriend ("M") came to visit me in New York City. "S" and I have known each other for about three years now, and we met back in 2009, when I was studying abroad at University College London, in the UK. It's funny, S and I didn't really becomes friends until half-way through the semester, but I am sure glad we did.
S (a history major like me) and I were in a class together called, "Violence in the European Age of Extremes." It was an advanced level history seminar course that looked at the role of violence in European culture from about the 18th century up to the 20th. It was a really interesting and eye opening course. We looked at things like dueling, domestic violence in Victorian Britain, pograms in 19th/20th century, war, flying aces in WWI, the Holocaust, brutal imperialism....you get the picture. Depressing at times, but truly facinating.
Anyway, I don't even remember how it happened, but I think I struck up a conversation with S before class one day, and we started to get friendly, meeting for coffee regularly before class. Next thing I know, we became good friends. I was so sad to leave her when my time in London ended, but I soon reunited with S, when I returned over the summer to conduct research. In fact, S was like my research assistant. It was so so so much fun!
Since then, although we live in different countries, we still keep in touch via facebook mostly. This past August, we were fortunate enough to reunite in London, since my parents had surprised me with tickets. I think of London as my home away from home, and being able to see S was even better! I finally got to meet her boyfriend, M, too in August!
Finally, after years of begging her, S came to visit me in New York City! We had the most marvelous time together. She and M had never been to America, so this was a super special trip. Even though they were only in the city for 5 days, we made the most of their time. Luckily, due to President's Day, some of my classes had been canceled, leaving me with more free time than usual. Similarly, knowing that S and M were coming, I made sure to get ALL my work done over the weekend, so I could spend time with them carefree! Everything worked out perfectly.
S and M arrived Sunday evening. I met them at their hotel and we all went uptown for dinner. Seeing S walk out of the elevator was just surreal and amazing. I adore her and have missed her dearly. I gave her and M the biggest hugs!
Although it was freezing cold...in fact, freezing still doesn't accurately convey how cold it was that night, the three of us walked to the restaurant, "Nick & Toni's." This is a family favorite. S and M's hotel was located at 56th & 7th, whilst "Nick & Toni's" is at Broadway & 67th. Sure, we had a bit of a walk, but we did manage to get some sightseeing in, which is always a plus.
I showed S and M: Central Park, Columbus Circle, one of Donald Trump's many buildings, the Metropolitan Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, and Julliard. Not bad, considering they had only been in New York City for a few hours.
"Nick & Toni's" is a little Italian bistro and the food is delicious! My parents and I have been coming here for years. It's small and quaint, but the menu is superb. After walking in the freezing cold, the three of us were delighted to sit somewhere warm and allow feeling to return to our limbs.
For dinner, M ordered pasta, S ordered a white mushroom pizza, and I ordered braised beef cheeks with polenta. Sooooo good! There are a moment of culture shock when S asked me what a "white pizza" is. It seems, in London, this is a foreign concept, as all pizzas are made with marinara sauce! When I explained that a white pizza is simply made of cheese, no sauce, S was both shocked and intrigued. She couldn't get over this idea. Although the pizza was certainly foreign, she loved every bite!
Dinner was so lovely. S and M told me about their flight and what they wanted to do in New York, whilst I helped them plan their daily schedules. I give these two credit, they had a lot that they wanted to do, and they seemed keen to complete their mission!
After dinner, we ventured back into the cold and walked back to their hotel. I dropped them off and from there hopped on the subway and headed home. Tomorrow, we had a busy day planned!
S (a history major like me) and I were in a class together called, "Violence in the European Age of Extremes." It was an advanced level history seminar course that looked at the role of violence in European culture from about the 18th century up to the 20th. It was a really interesting and eye opening course. We looked at things like dueling, domestic violence in Victorian Britain, pograms in 19th/20th century, war, flying aces in WWI, the Holocaust, brutal imperialism....you get the picture. Depressing at times, but truly facinating.
Anyway, I don't even remember how it happened, but I think I struck up a conversation with S before class one day, and we started to get friendly, meeting for coffee regularly before class. Next thing I know, we became good friends. I was so sad to leave her when my time in London ended, but I soon reunited with S, when I returned over the summer to conduct research. In fact, S was like my research assistant. It was so so so much fun!
Since then, although we live in different countries, we still keep in touch via facebook mostly. This past August, we were fortunate enough to reunite in London, since my parents had surprised me with tickets. I think of London as my home away from home, and being able to see S was even better! I finally got to meet her boyfriend, M, too in August!
Finally, after years of begging her, S came to visit me in New York City! We had the most marvelous time together. She and M had never been to America, so this was a super special trip. Even though they were only in the city for 5 days, we made the most of their time. Luckily, due to President's Day, some of my classes had been canceled, leaving me with more free time than usual. Similarly, knowing that S and M were coming, I made sure to get ALL my work done over the weekend, so I could spend time with them carefree! Everything worked out perfectly.
S and M arrived Sunday evening. I met them at their hotel and we all went uptown for dinner. Seeing S walk out of the elevator was just surreal and amazing. I adore her and have missed her dearly. I gave her and M the biggest hugs!
Although it was freezing cold...in fact, freezing still doesn't accurately convey how cold it was that night, the three of us walked to the restaurant, "Nick & Toni's." This is a family favorite. S and M's hotel was located at 56th & 7th, whilst "Nick & Toni's" is at Broadway & 67th. Sure, we had a bit of a walk, but we did manage to get some sightseeing in, which is always a plus.
I showed S and M: Central Park, Columbus Circle, one of Donald Trump's many buildings, the Metropolitan Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, and Julliard. Not bad, considering they had only been in New York City for a few hours.
"Nick & Toni's" is a little Italian bistro and the food is delicious! My parents and I have been coming here for years. It's small and quaint, but the menu is superb. After walking in the freezing cold, the three of us were delighted to sit somewhere warm and allow feeling to return to our limbs.
For dinner, M ordered pasta, S ordered a white mushroom pizza, and I ordered braised beef cheeks with polenta. Sooooo good! There are a moment of culture shock when S asked me what a "white pizza" is. It seems, in London, this is a foreign concept, as all pizzas are made with marinara sauce! When I explained that a white pizza is simply made of cheese, no sauce, S was both shocked and intrigued. She couldn't get over this idea. Although the pizza was certainly foreign, she loved every bite!
Dinner was so lovely. S and M told me about their flight and what they wanted to do in New York, whilst I helped them plan their daily schedules. I give these two credit, they had a lot that they wanted to do, and they seemed keen to complete their mission!
After dinner, we ventured back into the cold and walked back to their hotel. I dropped them off and from there hopped on the subway and headed home. Tomorrow, we had a busy day planned!
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