June 4th Spending

Total spent...$26 about. Not too shabby for spending the day in NYC!

I had a blast and came home totally exhausted, we departed from the school around 7am and returned a little before 9pm. The long day would be exhausting enough, but add in being on your feet, walked for blocks, and running up flights of stairs, not to mention keeping up with the kids...you get want I'm saying. We ate lunch around 10:30 since you aren't allow to bring food or drink onto the ferry to the islands. We hit up Liberty island, followed by Ellis.

I grew up a small town country girl, and yesterday just proved to me that I still am. I don't know how people survive in the city! Seriously! I had high anxiety and was just on sensory overload all day. I'm sure they have studies out there, but I would love to see one on life expediency for country/city living. I could feel the stress and the hustle and bustle just by being there a few hours.

I've been into Philly a few times, so I wasn't in total culture shock, but I did get a kick out of everything going on...even the birds! You'd think I've never been to the Jersey shore with the pictures I snapped of all the pigeons!

We grabbed some fries and drinks on the island since we had eaten so early and were totally starving!!! The cool thing is that they are totally going green, and their ketchup containers were made entirely out of plants, and they boast how the water bottles are 100% PET and 100% recyclable. Schweet! It was so cloudy out that most of my pictures of the city line are anything but clear. Either that or they have people from our group in it, and I don't feel comfortable posting pictures of the kids.

When we finally got back to main land, we were greeted by many street performers...which I've never seen before (am I sounding sheltered yet?)
On the bus ride from Battery Park into the city the driver pointed out ground zero to us. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn't what I saw. Just hearing some of the teachers and parents talking about it and remembering the day brought back a flood of emotions. Although my emotions were probably still high from standing in the building on Ellis island wondering what it would have been like 100 years ago when my great-grandmother came over all by herself.

Please excuse the glare off the bus window.

Once we were dropped off, we went straight to ESPN Zone for some dinner. Sadly, the fries on the island filled me up, and all I wanted was a salad, which they didn't have, so all I got was a strawberry milkshake, which was amazing by the way! Oh, and so were the TV's they had in the bathroom! We were comped $20 for food, so between the 2 stops we only spent $14. Hubby also grabbed a Starbucks coffee before we boarded the bus for another $2. We walked from 42th down to F.A.O Swartz on 58th and basically back. There's so many fascinating buildings and bright lights and signs that I feel like it would take me forever to take everything in!

Shoe shining?!!!??!? I thought that was only in the movies!

Does anyone know why they might have tons of matching lawn chairs in the middle of the street?
Harry Potter out of legos! We also got to see the big piano, but they had a private party and wouldn't let us in. Oh well.

Oh, and the final $10 spent? Well who can't go to NYC and not stop by the street vendors? I bought 2 pashmina shawls because I've been dying to get my hands on one, and who can beat $5?