In the days leading up to boarding my flight to La Guardia Airport (LGA), it almost seemed as if it actually wasn’t happening. Until I looked up on 3 a.m Saturday night and counted two and a half hours of sleep before I had to leave to board my plane at the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport (CLE). My flight to LGA was completely taken up by a wonderful nap, that seemed to tack on another hour to the light amount of sleep I had gotten over the night. When my plane landed in Queens, is when it finally started to feel real. My classmate Julia and I met each other in the airport and caught a Lyft to the Belvedere hotel, in Manhattan.
It was in this Lyft that I caught my first ever glimpse of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, and New York in the wintertime. Even in the daylight, I must say it was truly breathtaking. As we pulled closer to the hotel, more classmates; Josiah, Ally and Hannah met Julia and I outside. After we got our bags checked, the 5 of us took our first venture into the city. Using Yelp, we found a quaint little restaurant called “The Melt”. They had few different sandwiches and chicken tenders. At this point, the feeling of being in New York became a little more real.
We returned to the hotel, for some time to freshen up before the evening’s activities begun. Our first stop was to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It was quite the somber location. The memorial was breathtaking, even when it soaked us with water from the basin when the strong winds hit during our group picture. Getting the whole class wet before we entered the museum, a truly picture-perfect moment.
One word I can use to describe the 9/11 Museum is heavy. The whole building is laden with grief and sadness. Each exhibit seeming like it tugs at your heart strings a little more than the last one.
I am so excited to get this week started. I am especially anxious for our visit with the Marshall Project. Ever since We Are Witnesses was assigned in JRN 101, I have had a heavy interest in the Marshall Project’s work. So, to be able to have the opportunity to visit and sit down with the company’s editor-in-chief on Wednesday is going to surely be an unforgettable experience.
