I'm Going Broadway!

I wandered myself down to Wall Street today to check out the financial district in all of it's glory. For the first time since I came here, I bought a map after getting off the subway near Gold Street. I also bought myself some gelato and a chicken pie. The buildings here are so tall and pretty. At the end of Wall Street, I walked into Trinity Episcople Church and sat down in a pew to observe its silence and magnificance. Outside they have a piece of art made from a root of a tree that was uprooted in the 9/11 attack. Continuing my walk, I recognized in the distance where the twin towers used to be in between two other buildings. It is really odd to see that gap of space and sky there.

I remember when I was a kid looking out of the taxi cab twisting my neck to see the top of the building as we drove past it through the closed window. We went to the top, and shopped at the bottom. And now it cease to exist.

I walked east to see the Brooklyn Bridge and came across Pier 17. Well it's about time. Josh had said I should check it out, and I never really got a chance until I stubbled on it now. I walked around and bought myself a Yankees baseball cap and sat on top of the pier on a bench and lounge chair to eat my chicken pie. What a view! They have lounge chairs lined up all over the end of the pier...like a cruise ship. You can overlook the river and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges as well as the Brooklyn skyline.

On my way out, I walked into Express and bought myself a pretty dress that I decided I would wear to Broadway that night. And so I went back home (Josh's place)...or so I thought. Nope. I was barely going to make it on time to meet Ryan on Broadway to see Hairspray as it was, but then I took the subway in the wrong direction...for miles. I went deep into Brooklyn almost to the airport. It costed me an hour to go out there and come back. Then run down the street and rush up to the room to change before heading out again. By chance Josh came back in a hurry at the same time to go out for the evening too. We were both in there for all of 5 minutes coming from our separate directions and leaving our separate ways lol. I flagged down a cabbie to take me to the Neil Simon Theater. I was all kinds of frustrated for being late over such a stupid mistake. So I took a second to stand and compose myself before walking up to the crowded front of the theater.

I took a look around for a few seconds to orient myself on where to go (box office), when an elderly usher walked up to me and promptly said "Are you Michelle by any chance, Margaret's neice?" I looked next to me and back at the man. Of all the people in this crowded sidewalk, he was definitely talking to me. I nod and reply that I am, and he says oh great your tickets are waiting for you in the box office and he opens up a door for me. I walk in, wait in line, call Ryan who says he's on the other side of the theater, and and walk up to the window. "Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm here to pick up tickets under Margaret." I take out my ID and ask he wants to see it. He looks at it for a second and says "Only to see where you're from...Yorba Linda huh?" and gives a chuckle. I smile and take the tickets. Everyone here is so nice. Walking through the mass of people, I look for Ryan wondering if I'll recognize him in the crowd. He's leaning against a sign post, dressed up nice with a messenger bag over his shoulder, and engrossed in a novel. Found ya. He definitely resembles the Ryan I remember as a kid lol.

The Broadway show was great. I had forgotten it since the last time I'd seen it ages ago. And instead of fold out chairs on the boucany level, these were first level center isle seats. Prime. At intermission, I went downstairs to the lounge to look for Aunt Margaret. It took a few minutes, but I found her and we all sat down to chat. I totally admire that woman. 81 and choses to work still...she says...they key to staying young is hanging out with young people. I think I get younger hanging out with her! She introduced me to her co-worker who exclaimed that Margaret can really make anything happen (I have no idea what she's refering to), and she gives me a big hug. Consessions are expensive here. $5 for a cheap bottle of water. She opens it up to us and gives us whatever we want for free...popcorn and water. And we head back up to watch the rest of the show. I laughed so much. Goodness I love broadway.

After the show we walked out through Times Square, which was absolutely packed with people at 10:30pm. Of course. We catch a subway from Grand Central Station (I was so excited to see it) to Union Square and grab some dinner at a sit down cafe chatting about life, New York, and catching up on the past decade. We have a lot in common, including being restless in the state we're in (he's stuck in a job and I'm still in school) and wanting to go out and explore the world. We call it a good night and he flags down a cabbie to take me home.

Josh is still awake and he tells me about his Trump Tower experience. I laugh because he decided to stay here instead of there for the night. He says he feels like he's being watched wherever he goes because of all the staff that keep trying to wait on him. Lol.