Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Mama Mia! I Love NY!

Korrin B.

August 21, 2009 - 7:00 PM

So, it's the first official day off the job. This entire day is mine. Well, mine and Yentl's. Yentl was the photography teacher at Camp ABC. She is from the Netherlands and is going to be my travel buddy until August 28. Sweet freedom in the greatest city on Earth. So, what should we do? How about the Empire State Building, Macy's on 34th Street, and, let's say, a Broadway play?

There is never a dull moment in New York. It is a city full of so much opportunity and excitement. I want to see it all.

After having a bagel at the deli next to our hotel, Yentl and I set off to the Empire State Building. It was only about a ten or fifteen minute walk from our hotel. It was so exciting to see it. I felt, looking around me, as though nothing I was seeing could be real. I felt like I was in a movie set. I was seeing things that I have seen hundreds of times in movies and photos, but here it was, right in front of me. I loved the sensation.

Outside of the Empire State Building, there were tons of people in red coats, holding posters and trying to get us to buy some big package deal to see all of New York. Now, I want to see all of New York, but I am a firm believer in what I call, "getting off the bus." To really take in a place, I think one must get off the tour bus and go on an adventure. Get lost a little. Try a restaurant that no one knows about. I kindly said no thank you to all of the tour guides and headed into the building. There were so many tourists here to experience the same thing that I wanted to, that I must have been hearing about five different languages being spoken. I followed the lines, went up eighty floors with the express elevator, walked six flights of stairs, and then, I opened the door.

Wind rushed through my hair and people moved about all around me. My gaze was fixed. There I stood with a 360-degree view of New York City. I thought of Meg Ryan racing up to find Tom Hanks. They got lucky that day - no crowd. The view was romantic. Yellow taxicabs crawled like ants below and bridges connected different expanses of land. I walked around, taking it all in, breathing. I was finally here.

Something that fabulous could only be followed by the biggest store in the world. It was a store I had seen on TV ever since I was little and would wake up early on Thanksgiving to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy's, if you ask me, is indeed its own "miracle on 34th street." The moment I walked in, I knew I was home. The store is HUGE! The first floor was packed with fabulous purses, jewelry, accessories, make-up, and more. The floors above held the glory of the shoes. Two or three hours later (who really knows?) Yentl and I left the store with many bags. In fact, I believe I had three. I'm just trying to help the economy though, you know?

We dropped our stuff off back at the hotel and prepared for one of those life experiences you always hope to have, but never really expect to - Broadway. I won't lie here. The reason I chose to go see Mama Mia over any of the other plays was because it takes place in Greece and I figured if I couldn't make it back to Greece this summer, I might as well go see Mama Mia. I'm happy I did.

I wore a fabulous dress with fabulous heels and accessories. I felt like I belonged in New York. A well-dressed, big city girl. We walked into the theater after having a nice dinner and sat down to enjoy. The theater was actually smaller than I had imagined it would be. Although our seats were near the back, we still had a perfect view. The music of ABBA and the fantastic movements of the actors soon took over my senses. At the intermission, Yentl and I each grabbed a drink from the concessions. I, of course, had to get a cosmopolitan. It was all so fabulously classy.

After the play, we stopped at a few places to grab some drinks. At one of them, we were quickly informed that Jerry Springer had just left. He had been sitting at the table right next to the one we were now at. It began to pour as we walked back to our hotel. I loved the rain on my skin as I stepped off the curb and waved down a taxi.

I fell asleep with the bright lights of Broadway still flashing in my mind.