NYC
It's the calm before the storm...
the quiet lull before my life and the lives of most people around me completely change. I'm about to graduate college, travel for a month with my best friend Olivia, move to Colorado with Drew, and start working all before the end of September. And before I make it to these milestones or hit the graduation finish line, I still have to write several papers, take exams, and move out of college. I've been doing a lot of self-reflection and been rather sentimental lately, especially with regards to the dwindling days to easily see my amazing sister, Monica.
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Okay, quick(ish) Monica hype sesh: I truly think my little sister Monica Anne is one of the most amazing people to walk this planet. Her saintly, kind, patient, and gentle demeanor radiates the purest kind of sacrificial love. But don't be fooled, she's also a National Champ in Judo (going to Worlds in Italy next summer, 2019! SO PROUD!) which just makes me laugh all the time - she does it all! She says she needs to take her anger out on something and loves hitting people (?!) This crazy juxtaposition of extreme, gentle love with powerful, calculated aggression makes her so special and fascinating. How is this girl my sister? She's also extremely goofy and easy going yet knows how to buckle down on her schoolwork and plan ahead with intense discipline. Basically, she's the coolest girl ever.
I constantly learn from Monica's humility and thoughtfulness while her pure soul motivates me to always be as good of an example to her and our younger brother, Luke, as possible. Going the the same college the past two years has been a blessing. We get breakfast together every morning and, more likely than not, have an afternoon cuddle sesh or evening homework date. You all should get a Monica in your life, or get to know her if you're lucky. I love you Moni.
So, Monica, being as she is, knows I've kind of been into this whole travel/adventure blogging/ Instagram thing and want to get better at photography and photo editing. I've been in search of a starter camera for a while and was inspired by photos such as Ross's and YouTube reviews on the Sony A6000. Earlier in the week, I ordered an A6300 online but was in BestBuy last Friday and saw an awesome deal on the A6000 and snagged it instead. I also am getting used to editing on Lightroom to maximize the look of my photos which has been SO fun. Monica suggested we to do a bunch of touristy-things in New York together, have some much needed quality sister bonding, and take a bunch of photos. See! Like I said, such a sweetheart! In exchange, I took her out dancin' ;)
Tip: to take good pictures (with minimal people in them and better lighting) you have to go early in the morning to take them. We did this Sunday morning for the Top of the Rock photos and still had to battle the crowds. The rest of the pictures were taken on a weekend afternoon, it was so funny trying to snag a open second to snap a picture! :D
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What we did...
I go to college an hour from New York City and don't visit enough. I've been wanting to hit up a lot of the famous spots and we did just that! Growing up, we used to go the city every year to see family, so we have been 20-30 times but still not hit some of the touristy things (or at least not gotten pictures, therefore never happened ;). This touristy vibe was characteristic of this whole weekend's visit.
Brooklyn Bridge
Dumbo
Top of the Rock
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Before I graduate, the next stop in the New York area is on the other side of river: the Sojo Spa Club. It looks so clean, has great reviews, is decently priced, and has the craziest city view! I'll let you know how it is. ;) Have you been? Comment below!
Other Touristy Places to Visit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, September 11 Memorial, Broadway, American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, the High Line, Fifth Ave.
Remember, friend: Savor where you are in life. Balance living in the moment with planning for the future. Everything will always change. Thanks for reading!
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