The Sights, Sounds and Smells of NYC

This weekend I went to New York to tear up the town in a 36 hour period. My husband and I like to do this every year or two. We will see a show, eat great food and enjoy all the fun, without the real estate costs. Despite the fact that I've been there so many times, I love that the city has something new to show me every single time.

In Time Square for example, I am now used to seeing the poorly costumed Elmos and Super Heroes vying for your dollars to take a tacky picture with them. But I did not expect to see The Joker with shakily done makeup (scarier than the movie, if you ask me) with eye glasses and a yarmulke. I didn't realize the Joker had bad eye sight and was Jewish! I learn something new every day! Isn't life grand?

I realize that the city has places that smell like urine and garbage even if it's freezing cold outside. I really had only associated that with summer heat before. I was so naive. 

I also forget how loud the place is all night long. I woke at one point thinking there was a fire alarm in the hotel, only to realize that a truck was backing up. For a strangely. Long. Time. Beep. Beep. Beep. It seemed like 15 minutes. In my disorientation, I concede it might have been slightly shorter.

We watched comedy, we saw a show, we visited the 9/11 memorial and we contemplated some truly bizarre modern art. I laughed, I cried, I ate. I even ran into one of my best friends from college. In a museum store. Seriously. It was a filling and fulfilling weekend. In fact, I gained two pounds. Some unexpected things are better than others, alas.

I can't wait until the next trip.