Sometimes Missing the Show Means I Had a Great Day
Today was awesome.
After spending days watching the New York weather forecast bounce all over the place—55% chance of rain, then 77% with thunderstorms, then suddenly looking pretty good—I couldn't have asked for much better.
The temperature stayed in the mid-70s, the humidity was low, there was some sunshine, and toward the end of the day we got a raindrop here and there.
That's it.
Apparently, I spent several days worrying about New York weather for absolutely no reason.
And I'm perfectly okay with that.
This Was Why I Came to New York
Yes, I wanted the New York bagels.
Yes, I wanted the pizza.
Yes, I wanted to see what they did to LaGuardia.
And yes, I had plans to see a Broadway show.
But none of those things were really why I got on a plane this morning.
Today was about the people.
I got to spend the afternoon hanging out with friends and people who are basically family—people I've grown up with and known for years but don't get to see nearly as often as I'd like.
We talked.
We laughed.
We gave each other a hard time.
Because that's what you do with people you've known forever.
There are friendships where you haven't seen someone in a long time, but within about five minutes of being together, it's as if no time has passed at all.
Today felt like that.
And Then There Was the Food
Oh, the food.
I also got something I've been missing for a while:
New York City backyard food.
Not a fancy restaurant.
Not something carefully arranged on a plate so someone can take a picture of it for Instagram.
I'm talking about the kind of food you eat while you're hanging around outside with people you've known forever.
Good food.
Good people.
Good conversation.
And absolutely no reason to rush anywhere.
Which brings me to Broadway.
🎭 About That & Juliet Ticket...
Remember that ticket I bought for & Juliet?
Yeah.
I missed it.
I stayed at the gathering so long that by the time I left, there was no chance I was making the show.
And you know what?
I don't care.
Thankfully, the ticket was $49, not the approximately $200 I would have spent to see Paranormal Activity.
Would I have liked to see & Juliet?
Absolutely.
Was spending more time with friends and family I rarely get to see worth losing $49?
Absolutely.
Broadway will be there the next time I'm in New York.
Days like today aren't nearly as easy to reschedule.
I'd make the same decision again.
🌃 A Ride Through Queens
Eventually, though, the day had to come to an end.
On the ride back to my hotel, SpringHill Suites in Long Island City, I got to take some pictures as we headed south on Vernon Boulevard, just past the Roosevelt Island Bridge and toward the Queensboro/59th Street Bridge.
It was one of those rides where I could just look out the window and enjoy being back in New York.
No rushing to Broadway.
No checking the weather app.
No wondering whether I was going to get rained out.
Just enjoying the ride.
And I'm glad I took some pictures along the way.
🌯 But the Night Isn't Quite Over
Now I'm back at the hotel.
There's a street food vendor right outside, which means I have one final decision to make tonight.
Actually, who am I kidding?
The decision has already been made.
I'm getting something over rice.
Chicken?
Lamb?
Combo?
I haven't decided yet.
But something is going over rice, and I'm going to eat it.
Then I think I'm officially done.
This morning started with a flight from Charleston, a completely transformed LaGuardia Airport, an early hotel check-in and a plate of bacon.
It ends after a beautiful day with people I don't get to see enough, great New York food, a Broadway show I happily missed, a nighttime ride through Queens and, apparently, a plate of street-cart food.
I came to New York wondering whether the weather would ruin the trip.
Instead, I got exactly the kind of day I came here for.
Sometimes the plans you miss aren't nearly as important as the moments that made you miss them.
Today was worth the trip.
✈️ I Made It to New York—and What Happened to LaGuardia?!
I made it!
After days of watching the weather forecast go from 55% rain to 77% rain with thunderstorms and then back to almost nothing, I got on the plane in Charleston this morning and headed to New York.
It has been a very, very long time since I've flown into LaGuardia Airport, and I have one question:
What did they do with the old LGA?!?
Seriously.
The LaGuardia I remember and the LaGuardia I walked through today seem like two completely different airports.
It's new. It's clean. It's bright.
There are food options everywhere.
People aren't sitting on the floor waiting for their flights because there aren't enough seats.
And, perhaps most importantly...
I didn't see any rats running around in the drop ceiling.
If you flew through the old LaGuardia, you know I'm not necessarily exaggerating. 😂
This place has changed.
🗽 Now THAT'S a New York Welcome
As we descended into LaGuardia, I was also able to catch a picture of Lower Manhattan from the plane.
That's one of those views that immediately tells you:
Yep. I'm back in New York.
There's something about seeing Manhattan from the air that never gets old.
Then it was time to start working through today's agenda.
👻 Paranormal Activity Didn't Happen
I had hoped to score one of the same-day Rush Tickets for Paranormal Activity.
That didn't happen.
And I'm still not paying around $200 for a ticket.
I wanted to see some ghosts, but not badly enough to have one haunt my credit-card statement for the next month.
But Broadway isn't completely off the agenda.
I got a ticket to see & Juliet instead!
So tonight I'll be heading to Broadway after the party to see something I hadn't originally planned on seeing.
Sometimes those spontaneous choices end up being the most fun.
I'll post afterward and let you know what I thought of it.
🥓 Hotel Accomplishment Unlocked
Next challenge: Could I check into the hotel early?
YES.
That might actually be today's biggest victory.
I got into my room, dropped everything off, and then took care of another extremely important New York travel priority.
I grabbed a plate of bacon.
Because obviously.
So let's review:
✈️ Made it to New York.
🗽 Saw Lower Manhattan from the air.
😳 Discovered that LaGuardia apparently became a completely different airport while I wasn't looking.
🏨 Got an early hotel check-in.
🥓 Ate bacon.
👻 Failed to get a Paranormal Activity Rush Ticket.
🎭 Got an & Juliet ticket instead.
🎉 Party starts at 1:00 PM.
I'd say we're doing pretty well.
And now, after I hit publish on this...
I'm taking a nap for a few hours before the party.
Because apparently my New York itinerary also includes scheduled unconsciousness.
Stay tuned. There is still a lot of Saturday left.