nyc // day one.

We arrived at La Guardia airport in NY around 8 AM on a Friday, and we didn't stop until we hopped on another plane to come home the following Monday. That's right, folks...

WE SPENT A LONG WEEKEND IN NEW YORK CITY!

Literally a dream. A. DREAM. I've wanted to visit this magical place since I was just a wee little girl, and it still feels surreal to be on the other side of it. Teesh and I made the #bargeronbucketlist when we were newly married, and this particular check mark is one that I cautiously hoped would happen one day. I still can't believe it actually has!

We began planning and saving for our trip to the city in April of 2019, and the purpose behind it (other than the fact that we've always wanted to go together) was to celebrate all of the financial changes we've made over the past year and a half. Being on this debt free journey has inspired us to dream again, and to believe in ourselves. We know now more than ever that we are responsible for our own decisions, and we're committed to making ones that help us -- both in the present moment and in the future. We don't want to waste our potential anymore like we did not so long ago. We want to be good stewards of all that our good Father has entrusted us with.

I always thought that a trip like this would cost us a lot of money, and I suppose that's why I simply turned a blind eye to my burning desire to go. While it might be taboo to share actual numbers, I'm proud to do so! Mainly because I hope it debunks the lie that you have to have a lot of money in order to have a lot of fun, a lie that I used to believe.

No, we didn't fly first class.

No, we didn't stay in a fancy hotel.

No, we didn't eat fancy dinners.

Why? Because that's not our style.

So, what did it cost for the two of us to spend four days and three nights in NYC at Christmastime?

Less than $1,500!

A third of that total was our flights, a third was our room, and a third was spending money while we were there. We kept up with our spending as we went along, too, so we didn't spend too much too fast. This gave us so much peace of mind!

Now, on to the fun part...a diary of our days!

We walked twenty miles the first day, crossing off about two-thirds of our big list of must-sees before the second day even began. Wahoo! We explored on our own for the first part of the day before joining in on a guided walking tour experience that we booked through AirBnB. By the time we crawled into bed that night, our whole bodies ached. We even had to make a pitstop at RiteAid for Advil, bandaids, and Neosporin. #weold

It was crazy to see so many places I'd seen on a screen my whole life right in front of me, and I smiled all day long. I think that was my most favorite thing of all. And even with our heavy overnight backpacks on from travel, we didn't miss a beat as we proudly and excitedly walked until we crashed!

Grand Central Station // Bryant Park // NY Public Library // Times Square

Rockefeller Center

Radio City Music Hall // Rockefeller Center // Saint Patrick's Cathedral // Tiffany's

Central Park

Manhattan // Central Park // View from the High Line // Outdoor Market

Fearless Girl

Bubble Tea // Street Post // Chinatown // 9/11 Memorial

We loved the High Line!

FDNY //Lights, lights, and more lights // Skyline

We had great weather all weekend, too, which was a real treat. I didn't even wear my hat, gloves, and scarf for most of the first day because of how nice it was. We ate at Levain Bakery (an oatmeal raisin and cappuccino for Anna), a local pizza spot for a mid-morning snack (for Teesh), YaYa Tea for our first go at Bubble Tea, Don Antonio's for dinner, and late-night cupcakes from Baked by Melissa.

We, also, opted for a 7-Day Metro pass for transporation, and we are SO glad we did. We took the Subway A LOT, and it was nice to not worry about how many times we wanted to pay for individual rides. I highly recommend getting one (for each of you) if you are going to be there for a few days and plan to see all the places you want to see. Also, download GoogleMaps because it literally was our best friend for the whole trip. I even told Teesh that I feel like I should purchase a Google product to give them a proper "thank you" for all the times it saved us during this trip. Like a guardian angel. LOL! Buuuuuuut seriously.

Also, I learned that public restrooms are not easy to come by. Annnnnnnnnd if you do find one, be prepared to wait in line at least thirty minutes before you actual get to use a potty. I contemplated just barging into the men's restroom every dang time!

Our first day in the city was probably my favorite day of all, simply because I'll never forget how it felt to stand with the huge buildings towering over me, the bright colors from Christmas at every stop, my man by my side (or, let's be real - behind me as I walked so fast I nearly left him in the dust a few times #newyorker), and the screen come to life before my eyes.

Pure magic!

A list of all the noteworthy places we saw /visited on day one:

Times Square // Little Italy // Chinatown // Grand Central Station // Radio City Music Hall // NBC Studios // Good Morning Amerca // NY Public Library // 9/11 Memorial // Empire State Building // Levain Bakery // DUMBO // Rockefeller Center // Bryant Park // Central Park // Charging Bull // Fearless Girl // Saint Patrick's Cathedral // High Line // Chelsea Market // Hell's Kitchen // Trump Tower // Tiffany's // 5th Avenue // The Oculus // The Vessel // Financial District // NY Stock Exchange // Manhattan

Next up...day two!