My Trip to New York, Thanksgiving-style

I am thankful for the opportunity I had to go out to New York for work. First of all, who can turn down a free trip? I could be going to Milwaukee and still be thrilled. Secondly, it was great to sit in on the meetings on Monday and see what our consultants do. I am also thankful for the post-meetings dinner and drinks we had at the super-posh University Club on 5th…oh how I loved the old ladies in Chanel and men in suits sipping cocktails in a dimly lit pub.

I am thankful for sitting next to the friendliest guy on the planet on the way there. We somehow got to talking about how he grew up in foster care and became legally emancipated when he was 15 and moved out to Utah from California by himself. He has a 9th grade education and now owns a successful IT company. Such an inspiring story.

I am thankful that I got to witness an excellent verbal fight before I even left the airport. LOVE East Coast attitude.

I am thankful that my hotel was the cleanest place ever and that it was so close to everything. I am thankful that I was able to navigate around so easily (thanks to Rachel’s notes!). And I am thankful that I knew how to give directions to the one person who asked me.

I am thankful that years of retail in stilettos has given me such an immunity to painful feet. I am also glad that I always buy my boots a little big, because after 4 days of intensive walking, my normally size 7 feet have swollen up to an 8. In fact, an 8.5 would be even more comfortable.
I am thankful that I got to do everything I wanted to do. I went to the MoMA, Met, and Guggenheim museums. I am especially thankful that I got to sit and observe a children’s tour group in the MoMA—hearing those little kids discuss contemporary art was such a neat experience, it totally put me in the best mood. I am thankful that I also got to go to Sunday mass at St Patrick’s cathedral and see Gossip Girl being filmed, TWICE (is it appropriate to list both of those in the same sentence?)

I am thankful for New York being such a single-friendly place. Never once did I feel uncomfortable hanging out by myself. This also came in handy when it was meal time, as my food consisted of Starbucks, Magnolia cupcakes, hot dogs, Pinkberry, pizza, and McDonalds diet coke…no shame when you’re not worried about how you appear to other people! I am also thankful for Mike at Pinkberry, who gave me the employee discount AND upgraded my small to a large. What a gem.

I am thankful for the helpful concierge, who saved me when my airport shuttle never showed up. He made a few calls and got me on another shuttle at the last possible moment. I am also thankful for the driver, who drove like a maniac and made us play 80’s tv trivia….his wackiness helped to distract me from the huge panic attack I was on the brink of. I am also thankful for the lady at Delta who walked me to the front of the massive security line so I wouldn’t miss my plane…which I caught just as they were ready to leave. Those of you who enjoyed my open letter to the infamous Seattle seat stealer will be happy to know that I got my window seat on the trip there as well as the trip back, AND there was a one seat buffer between me and the other passenger both times—pure travel bliss!