The Big Apple

 3:00 a.m.

 And Gregory Beck.

Oh goodness I was excited. I'm a small-town girl who had the opportunity to go to New York to sing in Carnegie Hall among Forte Tenor, Nathan Pacheco and Nick Pitera - no ungodly hour could compromise with me into forcing my little brother to take the first selfie of the trip together (does it count as a selfie if two people are in it? I'm going to justify this and just say "no"). And we were still on the Bronc bus.  

The Wonderful Delta.

I haven't flown in ten years - yet I wasn't careful enough to restrain from taking a bagillion airplane pictures. However, I did leave a little time to actually look out the window myself- not strictly through my phone screen. Between staring aimlessly out the window and sippin my first class glass of champagne, I did absolutely nothing else.

There's also the slight possibility that the flight attendant could have given me a ginger-ale in a plastic cup, by accident.

Whoops. Selfie #2. But it's cool because I'm 39,000 feet above the Earth.

Oh look - Sierra is doing exactly what I should be doing. Better take a picture, and continue on not doing homework.

If beautiful was ugly, then I'd have to say that Lake Michigan was exceptionally ugly.

Security did a poor job of letting photo-bombs onto the plane.

First Look at New York.

A good day to land at JFK.

Queens.

We drove through Queens on our way to the Holiday Inn in Brooklyn. It was a nice way to ease fifty-two Montana high school students into the New York culture - complete with the traffic chaos, and our first look at a public drug deal. Aside from it's rough edges, I admit to admiring Queens' town character. 

Somewhere in Brooklyn

View from room 701.

Three days from the day when we arrived (also when this picture was taken), the Fred and George of the trip told us four girls rooming together on the seventh floor that each night, they had taken the stairs onto the hotel roof and dropped things off of it. It's New York baby - I guess you've got to take any chance you get to throw the hotel breakfast food items off of the top of a building. 

For the first night out on the town - we ravished the delicacies of the Chelsea Market. They literally had every food "genre" you could image (besides candy pie .. I promise that I checked - but I guess that's not a real thing yet). So, I tried lobster for the first time!

But first, on our way we passed this alley-way rave party.

The geniuses of the Chelsea Market included the Doughnuttery - you order the type of doughnut that seems pleasing, and he'll make it for you fresh. Right before your eyes. 

Chelsea Market cheeses. Do you like cheese? My favorite's Gouda. 

Ah - the overpriced delectable chocolate bars of New York city. The most expensive "food" item that I bought throughout the whole trip. But the chocolate sales guy was too nice to say "no" to ... either that or the fact that he gave me a discount for being from Montana.

... because you can't sell macarons without having them in every color of the rainbow. Gets me every time.

Spices galore. I saw so many spices, that I came to the point of deciding that they had to have made up some of these. Or maybe I'm just very uncultured when it comes to spices.

Once we thought we were done viewing the wonders of the Chelsea food Market - there was a cleverly placed Anthropology clothing store by the door, just in case you wanted this saucy cocktail dress, like me. Then they stab you in the heart with a $300.00 price tag. Plus tax. 

So I had to put it back - but not without this pitiful selfie. 

P.S. - don't park your bike in Anthropology. They'll create a jenga-like book trap for you to tackle before you can get your bike back.

Lengths of elevated garden paths atop the buildings of New York City. Too romantic to handle. 

The Google building.

Oh hey Lauren Conway. 

Here's my friend Annie being all cute and chasing her dreams.

Next stop: The Empire State.

Day Two

Adam might have fallen asleep on the subway on our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Authentic instruments.

Van Gogh's "A Blind Man's Meal"

The Greek Court

Chuck Close at his finest (this a painting, not a photograph).

My favorite piece in the whole museum: The Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin. Love the piece just as much as I love it's history.

Then there was this guy just doing his thing...

<3

You can't leave the Met without seeing Perseus with the head of Medusa.

Mmmmm the Victorian Suite. Let me live here please.

After we left the Met, we started to make our way to Times Square.

...and we just so happened to be in a Zicam commercial with the cold monster.

Times Square, Ladies and Gentlemen.

If you want to strike rich in Times Square, be like one of these mysterious people who dress up in costumes, let you take a picture with them, and then follow you for the rest of forever until you empty your wallet for them. Welcome to America.

Shout out to this girl who almost got us a run-in with the NYCPD!

Honestly- this musical may have been my highlight of the trip ... <3 <3 <3

That and sprinting like the wind through Times Square with our bigger-than-necessary shopping bags.

Once

This picture may or may not be illegal ... but I'm not quite sure.

Arthur Darvill. Should've kissed her, man.

This man is mad on the strings.

I don't see why Times Square can get their Bobbies on a horse, when we can't even do this in Montana.

Selfie #5 - in case you were wondering.

Every song lyric in the musical ^

And this is officially my new favorite song.

Day Three

New World Trade Center.

White shoes in NYC.

9/11 Memorial. Loved signing with my choir "Of Thee I Sing, America". Never knew we could bring people to tears - bless the families of the fallen.

The only thing left standing after the attack is this pear tree - it no longer bears any fruit, yet instead uses all of its nutrients to stay green all year long.

Rahma Salie and her Unborn Child.

The Statue of Liberty

Manhattan Skyline.

No chance of telling that these kids are tourists.

Last Full Day in the Big City

Carnegie Hall.

So lucky to have been on this trip with my little brother <3

Whoops- Annie is actually Marilyn.

Last night on the town with the lovely Emma.

Hey - we just sang in Carnegie Hall.

Nathan Pecheco . Absolutely amazing. We sang the chorus parts with his solo on the song "Prendi I Miei Sogni", and after our first rehearsal he decided to let us sing with him on "O Holy Night" as well. He's such an inspiration and talented vocalist. 

Nick Pitera. Go look him up on YouTube. 

Got stopped about five times to have people tell me that they thought I was Lorde. 

Sad to leave the Big Apple, but I was ready to come back home to Montana. Plus I was reunited with this gem of a best friend. 

Loved my days in New York City.