Monday in the Big Apple

I'm so behind. But I am still thinking about this trip, so I must do it justice with a blog post. 

Warning: This post may contain a picture of a certain "Naked Cowboy."

Monday morning, I headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Sarah to check out the museum I've heard so much about! I love this museum and I can't wait to wander around the Met again someday.

We had a lunch break at Shake Shack (surprise surprise) and then I tackled the museum solo for the rest of the afternoon. 

The Assyrian Royal Court

I can't wrap my mind around the intricacy of this ceiling carving

Crossing the Delaware

Inside the Temple of Perneb

Temple of Dendur - A temple that we saved from an overflowing river in Egypt and now gets its own room

Frank Lloyd Wright room - I am fascinated by FLW as an architect and as a person, so this was a delightful, accidental find.

Armory

old piano

What an awesome museum.

Sarah and I applied for the lottery for "Newsies." I don't have any luck when it comes to winning things, so I was thrilled that Sarah was there with her luck, especially since she won the lottery! The boys were adorable.

c/o Sarah

While we were waiting for the show to start, we wandered around Times Square. 

The Naked Cowgirl was...gross

Love this girl!

We got these cupcakes and sat on the tckts bleachers and people watched.

My mom's only request was that I eat street vendor roasted nuts for her. Can't complain.

We were starving after the show, so we headed to Serendipity 3 by way of Radio City/Rockefeller/NBC Studios. I had to try their frozen hot chocolate (howww does that work?), which DOES live up to the hype. Late night dinner in the city with Sarah? I'm all over that.

Rockefeller

"Prometheus, Teacher in Every Art, Brought the Fire That Hath Proved to Mortals a Means to Mighty Ends." If you ever want multiple explanations on what that might mean, I've read multiple papers on this statue, so let me know.

Trump Tower

This restaurant in a word? Fabulous.

c/o Sarah

But wait, there's more! Stay tuned.

What do you get when you combine a guitar and a fish? A happy girl.

I'm the happiest that I've been in awhile. Not to say I wasn't happy at the beginning of this year, but I'm particularly happy now, you know what I mean?
I'm getting paid to do what I love to do and I can do it at home or wear jeans into the studio. I finally feel validated for my talents. Someone recognizes that I am capable of doing a good job and they offered me a position. I can't begin to tell you what a relief it is to officially be employed, even if it's just part-time for now. [For those who haven't heard, I'm teaching piano at Guitarfish, a music studio in Tigard and Hillsboro] I am near family and close friends and in a city that I can't stay away from, no matter how hard I try.

To my friends who are transitioning from school to work or from job to job or going through any other life transition, I want to let you know that life will get better. You may feel confused and overwhelmed. You may be thinking that you shouldn't be so stressed when life has so many opportunities right now and you should just be grateful and make a decision. I GET that. And I had some amazing amazing people who had so much patience with me and looked me in the face and said, "Michelle, it will be OK. It feels like the end of the world, but I promise it isn't." I am here to be that person, if not in person, then virtually, through this blog. Imagine me holding your shoulders and saying: "Hey. It really feels like the end of the world. It's OK to cry about it. It's OK to take a break from job hunting and going out to eat some froyo. Hey. Ask for help and then let others help you. Ask for advice, but realize that you are ultimately the source of your own happiness. You know what is best for you, so do what will make you happy, not for validation from others. Things will eventually get better." Now imagine me giving you a big fat hug. Now go get some froyo.

I am eternally indebted to my friends and family who put up with my antics and panic attacks and I'm grateful that they are still my friends after all that haha. I would be in an asylum (and still unemployed, to boot) right now if it wasn't for you. Thank you thank you thank you. Also, I know I've said this before, but I'm too stubborn to learn the first time: God knows me better than I know myself. He is so patient with me and knows what I need before I even realize that I need it. Thanks be to Him.

Life is good.

And Oregon is beautiful!

Rose Garden

Pioneer Square w/ street band

Cook Park

Cook Park

View of West downtown from OMSI

Summer Music

Good grooves. It's all about girl power in this music post!
http://youtu.be/CGyEd0aKWZE

Another country song? What is happening to me?
I mostly just love the snarky in this song. She's got sass.
http://youtu.be/7yg05svXp98

And I'm probably late on the draw for this one, but it's a goodun. Plus the historical nerd in me is fascinated by the events at Pompeii (refer to my post on the Getty Museum visit last year).
Plus PLUS, I would date that looker of a lead singer. Mmm.
http://youtu.be/F90Cw4l-8NY

Have a great weekend, my loves! XO

A Sunny Sunday in NYC

I'm finally catching up on my NY adventures!
That Sunday, Sarah and I went downtown to see the World Trade Centers 9/11 Memorial. I think it was a beautiful design idea and it was touching to see it in person. They made square fountains in the outlines of where each of the twin towers used to stand and the water cascaded down into two levels. They put the names of each of the victims on the rims of the fountains, including the victims in PA and the Pentagon and the attack in 1993. This visit only validated the fact that New Yorkers are tough and resilient and therefore are a good representation of America. #GodblessAmerica

Freedom Tower/World Trade Center 1

Shout out to Sarah for being such a trooper and walking around NYC with me in a boot. 

 I've had a few friends secretly take pictures of my hands because I touch things when I talk. Sarah and I were talking about 9/11 and the whole time I was absent-mindedly tracing this name while we talked. Sarah secretly took a few pictures while I did that and I've gotta say, that right hand is great pianist form ;)

c/o Sarah Motley

Sarah and I walked over to the nearby Trinity Church to see what it is about and found Alexander Hamilton and John Fulton's graves. 

oooldd graves. always reminds me of my stay in England.

They were having a service, so we stepped inside and listened to the impressive organ playing that filled up the vaulted ceilings.
We walked over to St. Paul's, the church where firefighters, policemen, and volunteers rested and slept during the clean-up post 9/11 (it's right across the street). It became famous for this and the fact that it was hardly touched from debris. It now houses the banners and supportive gifts from around America and the world for those who helped.

gift from the people and Mayor of London on the year anniversary of 9/11

c/o Sarah

We attended our own services in the prettiest LDS chapel I've ever seen on the UES.
Then we had dinner along the outskirts of Chinatown with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

We headed over to Washington Square Park where we people watched and enjoyed street performers. We walked a little bit through NYU's campus, too. I had always wanted to go to school there. And seeing the Greenwich Village surrounding it, I now wish I had! Sarah and I walked around the Village and I decided that if I ever get the chance to live in NYC, it would be in this area. Totes adorbs.

I didn't take any pictures of the Village because I was too busy loving it in person.
But wait, there's more!

What I Did in NYC Besides Eat Cupcakes

What I love about the East coast is the fact that you can hop on a bus or train and be in another awesome city in 6 hours or less. I hopped on a bus and hung out in NYC for the weekend with my good friend Sarah. Let me preface this post with a reason why I wanted to visit NYC (besides to see Sarah, of course). I have Romantic notions of places. We're not necessarily talking romantic like kissy kissy, but like capital R Romantic like everything is lovely and beautiful and amazing and ideal. NYC I think has gotten the worst of this silly habit of mine. In my mind, NYC is magical.

Guys, I love NYC.

DAY ONE -- SATURDAY
I hopped off the bus in SW Manhattan and Sarah lives in UES so I had to make my way across town, which was cool since I was able to see Madison Square Garden and the Empire State building.

Manhattan from the bus before we went into the Tunnel

ESB

I met up with Sarah and we went to linner (dunch?) at Shake Shack because I have an obsession, apparently. Then we had cupcakes at Little Red Hen Bakery.

I headed off to a solo tour of the Guggenheim even though I'm not a huge modern art fan because I've always wanted to see the rotunda design of the building. Ironically, they were putting in an installation in the rotunda and it was closed. So no rotunda.

Sarah entered us in the lottery for "Newsies" tickets, but we didn't get them so we tried to go see "The Great Gatsby," but they were sold out. So we got Magnolia Cupcakes and those AWESOME cookies from Levain and went back to her friends' sterotypically NYC adorable apartment and ate NYC pizza and watched "Midnight in Paris."

Before that, we walked around by the Lincoln Center/Met Opera House/Ballet and the LDS Manhattan Temple. That's a beautiful building nestled in a big city!

More to come! I love NYC! Have I mentioned how I love this city? I just love this city.