Time for a Little Relaxation

We had our last trips into New York City for the last time this tour and it was time to reflect upon everything and regroup.

The next stop; Trenton, New Jersey, but first to Pennsylvania to move everything into the hotel.  It was so nice being back in my home state.  Even though we may be on the opposite side, it still feels like home.  It is so nice to see two or three lanes of traffic on the highway at most, instead of five or six.  There is also a change in the atmosphere, but that may just be me because I know only about five hours away, is home.  Oh PA, how I have missed you.

Since it is kind of close to home and college, it was nice to see some friends that are around the area.   It always brightens my day and makes the time go by so much faster.  Always a good feeling when you have support from not only your family and loved ones, but from your friends as well.

It was also time for a much needed girls day!! I must say it always changes from city to city as to what is considered to be our girls day, but these days are almost a necessity.  A chance to clear our heads and just relax from time to time; I mean who can complain about that.

Then, of course, who can forget our dinner experience that took forever.

We were the only ones in the restaurant and it took over an hour for us to get our food.  I guess it was a good thing that none of us had any place that we had to be within that amount of time.  Oh well, we made the most of it and definitely had our fun.  I mean, the Pokemon cards even came out! I didn't even know they still existed, but it brought back memories from when I was younger and how we would trade and collect them in elementary school.

Any how, Trenton was a city that we learned how to stay warm both inside and out, because the arena was very cold in some spots and the temperatures were in reading in the negative digits!! It was also a time to catch up on some much needed sleep and whatever else was pushed to the side the last couple weeks of exploring, unless you were spending all your time in our "real" gym that we had access at the hotel! It was so nice to be able to use real weight machines and not just cardio machines or resistance bands or dumbbells.  There was even a pool, a hot tub, a sauna, and you name it, this gym had it!

On a side note though, I had the pleasure to meet an aerobic instructor that was 81 years old.  If that does not give anyone some sort of inspiration, I do not know what would.  That is just amazing and I can only hope to be that active when I am that age.

Speaking of being active, the Sesame Street Amusement Park was just across the way and would have been a lot of fun except for the fact that everything was snow covered and the park was closed for the season.  Hopefully down the road we will be able to get outside and soak up some sun at amusement parks or beaches.  Until then, bundling up to stay warm and riding out the rest of winter.

Our next stop...the Old Line State.

Last Week in the Suburbs of NYC

It was really strange arriving in the next city and it was till light outside and there were actually restaurants and stores that were still open for business.  We are all getting used to the fact that by the time we make it to the next city after our last show finishes, that most places are going to be closed for the night.  We also are adjusting to having our off days be the most dreaded days of the week by most people who work the steady Monday to Friday jobs.  However, our busy days are most people's off days, so it pays off in the grand scheme of things.

Anyways, we made it to Brooklyn.  This was the last time that we were going to be close to the Big Apple of New York City.  Despite the freezing cold of the polar vortex setting in and the snow that just kept falling, people were still out an about.

I cannot believe that in New York they use two garbage trucks with plows followed by a road-crew truck that is throwing salt.  I really don't understand that or the fact that the city roads are the last ones to get cleared, but it works out in the end.  I mean you learn something new everyday and that was my fun fact for then!

I also rode a subway for the first time too!! So over the course of being back and forth between New Jersey and the New York City areas, I have road my first-ever public transportation bus, train, and subway and they have all been in NYC!!  I guess if it is going to be a first time for something, you better make it one to remember!

Keeping that in mind, the weather didn't stop most people, who were cramming in all that they could and seeing the last Broadway show, or going shopping New York City-style, but not me.  I was off enjoying the sights away from the city and visiting some familiar faces.

Sometimes you just need those days where you have movie marathons or home-cooked meals, or just an escape from the hustle and bustle of everything.  Yes, the city-life is fast and convenient and glamourous with all of the shopping and lights, but I still like my share of quiet time.

Being able to reconnect with friends always brings back so many memories and makes you realize how far everyone has come and who you have become to be.  It also makes you realize where you came from and where you want to go also.

So, we said goodbye to Brooklyn and New York and hello to the next city that will be our home for the week, but not before we had some very yummy food from Shake Shack!!

The Newsies Make a Stand

We may have just arrived on a short bus ride around the Big Apple to Newark, New Jersey, but soon enough we were all headed back into the big city.  We were making our way down Broadway.  Then, before our eyes, we were there, standing right in line at the box office to claim our tickets and watch the Broadway musical "Newsies".

What a performance! It was so nice to be able to sit back and enjoy and appreciate someone else performing while we were sitting in the audience.  It gives you more to appreciate when you see another production because you are able to identify with the performers and what they are going through as they are on stage.  However, there are sometimes that you do find yourself critiquing the show instead of just sitting back and watching for pure enjoyment.

It amazed me at the age of some of the performers and how they must manage school and their education; I mean two of the youngest are still only in elementary school!

The acting, the singing, and the dancing! I can only imagine how much work went into choreographing this musical.  My favorite part personally was the tap dancing that took place in the Second Act because it was up-beat and everyone took part in the number.

Aside from all of this excitement, there was still more exploring of the big city to do.  So many bright lights and flashing signs.  It really is a lot to take in for a small-town, country girl like me.  There are so many things to look at and I am always looking up or taking a quick picture.   I also experienced my first-ever public transportation bus ride and train ride now going into NYC.  So many first experiences this year so far and many more to come.

See you in the next city!

It is all about how you spend your Days Off - Uniondale, NY

The extreme cold hit again this week and we were back in the Empire State.  While some ventured back into NYC and others took to the malls and shopping around the hotel, others took time to catch up on some much needed sleep.  These last couple weeks have been getting busier and it is going to pick up from here as well.

Braving the single digits that feel like negative temperatures, being outside was for the daring.  I felt like it was better to hibernate and wait for warmer temperatures that came in two days.

After it made it to the balmy 20 degree mark, it was time to go exploring and so nice to see a familiar face on tour.  I will have to say even though I am not around home, seeing someone that I know on the road is such an uplift.  It breaks up the normal routine of not knowing anyone in some places and gives me something to look forward to when I get to a city that I have a few friends or family in.

It is also an escape from the normal sight seeing experiences and places to see and schedules.  It gives me a chance to break free and get a different taste of things.  It is always nice to make new memories and explore the unusual.

Being from a small town and going to a small high school and college; the city life is definitely different from the one-lane country roads that lead to the middle of no where at home.  So, I never thought it would be possible to actually drive downtown New York City in a car, but guess what...that's exactly what we did! So many sights that I may have never seen on foot, I was able to see - the Brooklyn Bridge, the World Trade Center, the Globe from Men In Black, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Citi Field, the Barclay's Center, Brooklyn, and Queens!!

Honestly, as nice as it is to explore all these places, being able to see my friends that otherwise I may never have seen, is even better!

New Year's in NYC or NJ?

While there were some that were brave enough to venture into New York City for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, I was not one of those people.  I gave it a couple days to calm down and clear out; well as much as NYC can do that.  So instead, I chose to go into to the city on the day that there was a big snow storm.  Well, it was good planning away from huge crowds on the holiday at least, but it made getting home in the same day slightly skeptical.  We made it though, and it was a success!  Of course the popular places to see were downtown Times Square, Central Park and the ice rink, the John Lennon Memorial along with Rockefeller Center and the outdoor skating rink there as well.

Even though, NYC on New Year's would have been an experience of a life time and everyone that intended to go into the city, made it to Central Park or Times Square to see the ball drop,  I took a different route.

I also realized that I am to the point now where it doesn't matter where you are for the holiday or what exciting and expensive plans you have, or even what you are wearing when then clock strikes 12 - midnight; it is about how you choose to spend the special day and who you choose to spend it with.

You don't have to be all dressed up and fancy to have a good time because when you are with the people that you are meant to be with, everything else just seems to disappear and not matter anymore.

The holidays don't have to be about gift giving and how much money you spend on gifts, but instead they are about getting to spend time with your family and friends and loved ones.

I will say with that in mind, it was definitely much cozier inside on that cold New Year's Eve night all cuddled up watching movies and the festivities from a distance on the television screen inside a hotel room just across the bridge in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

And of course, there is the midnight kiss... You can't forget about that.  Some were nice, others shocking, and yet others were predictable.  Everyone has their own story for how that all unfolds.

So, here is to another holiday on the road and the next ones to come!