Hi there! Rachel here! We have made it to NYC!!!

The trip started out very early, with sharing a bus to Chicago with the New Orleans trip. After making it through check in and security without any big hiccups, we had several hours to kill in the airport. We passed the time with an airport wide picture scavenger hunt in groups of three. The objective was to find different things around the airport, such as a gender neutral bathroom, and take a picture of a group member(s) in front of it. Despite a few awkward glances from fellow airport goers, it was a blast!

The flight went by extremely fast and before we knew it, we were in NYC! Our first stop after getting our luggage was to buy metro cards. We then caught our first bus. The fellow passengers weren’t exactly pleased with our group of 10 + luggage, and a few vocalized their displeasure… we brushed it off with a smile until we were able to get off.

From there we caught the subway, which was another first for everyone! (Well, Danielle our Advisor and I have been to NYC before… but it was a first for most everyone!) The turnstiles were a bit tricky with luggage, but the real shocker came when we spotted the rats in the rails! The subway right went pretty easy, though we did accidentally catch an express train… oops! The extra walk to the West Side YMCA where we are staying was a good chance to stretch our legs for a few blocks.

After a few minutes of freshening up we headed to Timesquare!!! It was approaching dusk at this time so the city lights were breathtaking. We were really in awe of the enormity of the lights and advertisements. We walked around for awhile before deciding on Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. The wait was an hour and a half, but they actually text you when your table is ready, which is a little different. The group I was in literally had to RUN back in order to get back for our reservation! Dinner (and many glasses of water) were much appreciated after a long day of travel and walking.

It’s late here now and definitely time for some rest. Tomorrow we have breakfast where scenes from Seinfeld were filmed and we are also going to Ellis Island. We will keep you updated with our adventures!