A New York Dream

I am currently sitting aboard a Boeing 747 with 3 hours and 22 minutes left before I hit the pavement in Los Angeles. However, I'm in a funny conundrum because I feel as though I just departed from the true "City of Angels."

What a wonderful trip. New York City provided me with the inspiration and motivation that has been lacking in my life over the past few months. Within minutes of touching down this past Monday night I knew I had come home. Home to a place called Newark. Ok, maybe the Newark Airport isn't really where the magic happened. Driving through Manhattan and walking the streets on my way to meet friends later that night is when I truly felt that NYC is the place I need to be. There is so much life. So much talent. And above all, such wonderful people that all happened to be in the same place at the same time. My trip started with a 3-story hike up to Matt Dorame's apartment, where I would be spending the first night alone as he and Rich were out on a little vacation and coming home the next day. With help from a Labra-Doodle toting neighbor I made the hike up the stairs with 3 bags, quickly changed my clothes, and trotted right back down the stairs and out the door to meet up with two beauties from Orange County. A little Chapman Sorority reunion ensued at a fun eatery over on 28th and Park where we gabbed the night away and caught up on recent events in each of our lives. I tucked into a cozy night sleep and drifted off to the sounds of the city.

One of my favorite things to do in New York, whether I'm living there or just visiting, is to find a cute coffee shop to grab a good cup of joe and get some work done. I was extremely successful! I found a Stumptown Coffee Roasters on 29th and Park that is adjacent to the darling Ace Hotel. The coffee was insane and the scenery, free wifi, and people watching were magnificent. I spent the morning shooting off emails and buying flights for my travels ahead. Very productive in the rainy New York weather. I hit up the apartment again before headed up towards midtown. I had to see good ol' Radio City Music Hall and make sure I knew the train route I would be traveling to get me to the audition the next morning. As per my tradition I was listening to "Empire State of Mind" as I walked up the steps out of the subway and witnessed the classic beauty that is Radio City. I had to just stare at it for a while. I still can't believe I actually performed there. It still feels like a dream.

I walked up to City Center and took a ballet barre to get the body moving a bit. That night, as per tradition again… I met up with the one and only John Boy at Je Bon Sushi in the East Village. Such a delicious dynamite roll and great conversation as always. I hit the sack antsy and excited for what the next day had in store. Compared to last year, I definitely got a lot more sleep before heading into the Rockette Audition. Our call was 10am, so in my own dramatic fashion I decided to leave the house by 8am so I could leisurely grab breakfast and take my time getting to Radio City, but still getting there by 9am. It was such a wonderful reunion! Seeing the girls brought back all the wonderful memories from the season and dancing in the large hall was just a blast. I had a huge smile on my face the entire time I was in that room and was just taking in the moment. I feel like it went well, but all you can do is your best, so we will have to wait and see. Right after auditions a group of us hit up Bill's Bar and Burgers right down the street and indulged in burgers and sweet potato fries! Delicious. I headed back to Matt's, cleaned myself off, and then took the train back up to midtown to see "Newsies"! Thayne managed to wrangle four house seats and we were treated to a wonderful performance by such a talented group of dancers. Voices were lost from all the screaming! Who knew that the day would just keep getting better and better? After the show we met the cast and snapped some pics. I then headed to a nearby hotel where my Odyssey family happened to be staying while shooting a new TV show! I could have cried seeing those faces. The faces of my ODT family, all there (minus some very important people), reunited in the Big Apple! What a day. The rest of the trip consisted of a Sarabeth's brunch with the lovely Serena, followed by a spontaneous shopping spree in SOHO. Then a quick meet up with Phoebe on her coffee break before ending my last night in the city at an Italian dinner with Matt, Rich, and Sarah. Thank you Lasagna on 18th and 8th. You were quite a hike to get to, but so worth every step.

Overall, the Big Apple served me well. I hope to move back soon and continue living my dream as a Radio City Rockette.