Surrounded

This photo is of my BFF from Texas who visited a couple weekends ago. You know, Tessa's mom? (I feel sorry for my friends and family, not only is my life an open book, but, "Hello, I'm going to blog about you too!") Just kidding, I think I do pretty well, don't I?

With my friends visit to NY I got to see the city through new eyes again. It makes me like where I live because sometimes, quite frankly I hate it. We had the perfect fall weekend - cool apple cider, pumpkin frozen yogurt, time spent sitting in Washington Square Park, shopping at H&M and walking the blocks around my neighborhood in Yorkville. It was good fall weather: chilly enough for a jacket in the early morning and evening yet, surrounded by sunshine during the day.

Although I know I've experienced alot during my three years in the city, I feel like there is so much more I want to do and see and know before we leave. Yes, I've won tickets to a Broadway Show in the lottery (front row, West Side Story), been published, gotten (another) tattoo, been a hair model in a magazine, lived in Manhattan, written a novel (that still remains untouched... completed, not finished). I have had the opportunity to meet so many great people from all over the world. But still, there are things that I'd hate to leave the city and never do. Like:

1. Ride a double Decker Gray Line bus- I imagine that the view from the top is nicer than my day-to-day sidewalk view.
2. Go see a jazz musician performance at Birdland
3. Attend a Friday night dinner at Natural Gourmet
4. Shop, eat and take in the real China Town- Flushing, Queens
5. Spend a day in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
6. Bronx Zoo
7. Run the NYC Half Marathon
8. Attend the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center
9. Stand in line with a million tourist to have pizza at one of those famous NYC pizza places
10. Have my photo made with The Naked Cowboy.
Oh, and 11. Pay to take a nap.

I don't want to leave NYC for about 23 hours out of each day. For that other one, I wonder what the heck am I doing here again? Then I think about the books and the magazine and the beautiful people that surround me and the amazing tattoo artist I discovered and I'm okay. Even though I miss that Tessa & her momma.