The Big Apple has many tastes

It has come to my attention that many great experiences have occurred within the last several weeks, but nothing has been written of it. 

My bad. 

I really don’t know where to start. But here’s a few photos I snapped that will explain some of the things I’ve done. 

This is one of my favorite places to have dessert. Ever. If you ever have had a bad experience with rice pudding, which let's face it..that would be everyone, then I encourage you to try this place. It will change your life.










This is a view from the High Line, a public park built on a historic freight line in lower Manhattan. There are two artists spray painting this mural onto a side of a building. Incredible!







For Memorial Day, the boys and I decided to hit up a Mets game. What an awesome field. It's right next to La Guardia airport, so you get to see the planes take off as they fly overhead.






One evening we toured the World trade Center Memorial. It was a somber experience to say the least. Thoughts of the OKC bombing flooded my mind. You could tell this was a sacred place for many.

This little gem is nestled in the Brooklyn Museum (One of the coolest museums I've been to). They had everything from mummies to feminist art. Let's just say that walking through a feminist art exhibit with one of your BYU professors isn't the most ideal situation you want to be in.












Of course we walked the Brooklyn Bridge. That was a fun night. Once we made it to the Brooklyn side, we noticed this awesome carousel down by the river. As the carousel being one of my favorite rides, I booked it there...only to find out that some 75 year old man was having a birthday party and reserved the whole place to himself. I guess if you're that old, you can do what you want.











One Saturday we found ourselves at Rockaway Beach, about an 1 and a half from where we live. Once we finally got there, the weather was slightly overcast. Boo. But, that didn't stop us from having a little fun!


















On another lovely Saturday, we ventured out to the infamous Coney Island. Except, it's kind of like every other boardwalk. Minus the fact that the first Nathan's Hot Dog stand is here.

Yesterday we hit up the BBQ Block party/ festival at Madison Square Park. It smelt SO GOOD. Ribs, mac n' cheese, potato salad...you name it. Definitely a good choice there.

And last but not least....Central Park. 

I love this place. 

I think New York City surprised me most by the vast amounts of green in and around the hustle and bustle. You can really find peace here. 

Which reminds me of something a dear friend said to me this week. More about this on my next post. 

Taking a bite out of the big apple

So...life in New York. 

I’ve been here for one full week and it feels as if we’ve been living here for a month. I’m going to try and write my experiences and adventures these next few months as I begin life after college living in a closet (basically) and working for free (basically). 

My room. Takes me back to my freshman days. 

I wish I could recall all the hilarious and not so hilarious things that have happened since we’ve been here. 

A few worth mentioning would be:

• Getting a free can of soda from Aladdin the street vendor from Egypt. 
• My co-intern barfing twice at lunch with my boss. (Sorry Whit)
• Asking for a Diet Coke at a restaurant in Little Italy and the waiter replying "Are you from Utah?"
• Ordering a $30 appetizer from that same restaurant without even knowing it. 

By the way, for those of you who do not know, I’m here with about 30 other BYU students/ recent grads interning and we all live in the same building. I roll with about five or six PR kids when exploring the city. 

Continuing on, here are a few of the things I’ve done thus far:

Went to Target in the Bronx. Come on, we know Target is a staple for my survival. 

Times Square. Those guys who try to reel you in to going to a Comedy Show are really annoying. And that is a picture of cheesecake I got from Junior's. GO THERE. 

Koronet Pizza. THE BIGGEST slice of pizza I’ve ever had in my life. And only for $5. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Definitely going to have to come back and explore. I only made it through the first floor!

Doughnut Plant. That one on the left is pistachio glazed. Lord help me. 

We've also been to Chinatown, Little Italy, Rockefeller Plaza, Chelsea Market (LOVE), and probably several other places. I like being able to take my time visiting everything there is to see in New York.

As far as life besides eating and being a tourist, things are going well. I miss my family and friends from Oklahoma and Utah like no other. Realizing I won't be home for the summer is somewhat of a letdown, but I'm determined to make the most of it here in NYC. At church on Sunday, one of the speakers said that when she moved to NYC in her twenties, she wrote a letter to her mother and said, "It looks like everyone took a bite out of the big apple and spit it back out." I'd have to agree with her on that. 

All in all, I can't complain. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I know I'm going to learn and grow so much from it. And seeing this on my way to work everyday is going to help that. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Manhattan Temple.