A few months ago, my mom called me to talk to me about my little sister’s upcoming birthday. For the past 7ish years, I have missed her actual birthday (Yikes, I know!). This was mainly because I was either starting my first week of school or in the middle of a move. She was always understanding, but I knew she missed having me there. So, I always told her that no matter what, I would make it to her 21st. Well… flash forward to year twenty-one and I’m in Germany! I was once again going to miss her birthday because it was just too expensive to fly home and August was a busy month for us.
But, Mom to the rescue! Megan had decided she wanted to celebrate in the Big Apple (my old stomping grounds) and my mom wanted to give her the best present yet (*wink, wink*) by flying me out to surprise her. After talking it over with Casey, I knew this was something I couldn’t pass up. Plus, I LOVE surprises! And I wasn’t only going to be surprising Megan, but my other sister and family members as well. This was by far the hardest secret to keep for the next couple of months! We discussed scenario after scenario of our plan to execute this surprise. It would all come down to logistics mainly.
After weeks on planning, a long journey over and some sleepless hours, I arrived in NYC and our surprise turned out perfectly. It was an eventful and short weekend, (Yes, I was only there for the weekend. I told you I was BUSY!) but worth every single penny and bit of effort. Thank you, Mom, for the idea and for helping me gain some sister points back!
Where We Stayed
- The Giraffe Hotel – This hotel has nice and comfortable rooms and the staff is very friendly! They have a delicious breakfast and happy hour in the evenings.
Where We Ate
- Hill Country BBQ – Delicious BBQ and cocktails with a fun atmosphere.
- Clinton Street Baking Co. – Amazing pancakes, chicken and waffles, and benedicts!
- Street Taco – Grab a pitcher of margaritas and yummy tacos, but beware, the tacos are spicy.
- Shake Shack – I mean can you really go to NYC without making a stop here? For those that aren’t familiar, stop here for amazing burgers, fries and milkshakes!
- Del Frisco’s Steak House – An upscale restaurant with tasty steaks and side dishes. You can’t go wrong with the lobster mac n cheese, the cauliflower, or the gratin potatoes!
- Vanessa’s Dumpling House – Try the dumplings combo to try each one! These are cheap and delicious!
- Industry Kitchen – Perfect spot for a meal with a view of Brooklyn and the East River. We stopped here for brunch. Try the industry benedict, yum!