Life as of late has been anything but exciting in my opinion. Awaiting college responses, trudging through senior year and the slush in the NASH parking lot just isn’t cutting it anymore. So, when my mom proposed the idea of a weekend trip to New York City, I happily accepted the offer.

Now, one thing about me is that I do not like change. At all. Going to new places and trying new things has never seemed exciting to me. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m a homebody.

However, recently, I have decided to challenge my anxiety and explore new places. Now, you may be thinking that New York isn’t that far away from Pittsburgh, and you’re right. But for someone with social anxiety and a slight fear of crowds, that’s the place to go to challenge these issues.

Back in late January, my mom purchased four tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway, as my family and I are big fans of it (I had seen the Broadway musical twice before in Pittsburgh). Since New York is a bit of a journey just for a two-hour musical, we decided to make a weekend out of it and explore the concrete jungle as a family. 

Last Friday morning at about 6 am, we set out for the Pittsburgh Amtrak station where my dad dropped us off to start our trip. Prior to this, I didn’t even know Pittsburgh had a train station. The ride was around nine hours with stops, but I must say it was much more comfortable than if we were to take a car. The views were incredible, and so were the snacks from the snack car.

A few naps later, we ended up in New York City in Penn Station around 5 pm, which is about 30 times larger than the Pittsburgh station, so you can imagine I was feeling slightly overwhelmed. In the natural style of my family, we got lost a few times but eventually made it out of the train station as I took my first step into New York City.

I wish my face as I stepped into the city could have been photographed so you could understand how awe-struck I was.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I was used to cities and the hustle and bustle of downtown, but nothing could have prepared me for New York. I absolutely fell in love with the city–the bright lights, the buildings so tall I almost fell backwards looking up at, the fast-paced life. Somehow, it was all beautiful to me.

We checked in at the DoubleTree right off of 33rd Street, which thankfully happened to be right across the street from a Dunkin’ Donuts, which became our morning ritual. Our next task after check-in was to find a dinner spot, which, for four people who had never navigated New York City was a journey in itself.

After a very cold walk, we ended up at Junior’s Restaurant and Bakery in the Theatre District, coincidentally right next to the Minskoff Theatre where we would be viewing Lion King the next night. For someone looking for a place to eat in New York City, Junior’s is the place to go. The inside is very touristy and the staff is very welcoming. The food is some of the best I have ever had, in regards to taste and time from when we ordered to when we were eating. With a milkshake in my hand and a smile on my face, I headed back to the hotel for a much-needed night’s sleep. 

Since we only had one full day in NYC, we were up and on the streets by 10:00am, which for my family is a miracle. After our morning Dunkin’, we decided the most valuable way to see lots of sights in a short amount of time would be to take the TopView double decker bus around the city. Sitting on the top of that bus was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. We saw the Empire State Building, World Trade Center, Wall Street, The Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, and many other landmarks in around an hour’s time. I was practically hanging off the side of the bus, taking pictures and admiring the sights. It was an incredible experience that I would do again in a heartbeat if given the chance.

We got off on Broadway and ate at our second restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe. I’ve been to Hard Rock Cafes before, and this one did not let me down. My family was singing along all throughout our meal and left filled with good spirits, great food, and even better souvenirs.

Our last touristy stop for the afternoon was going up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. We bought our tickets, which included the museum portion as well as the elevator ride itself. Seeing the videos and pictures of the building being built was very interesting to see, as I had never really thought about the building process of buildings such as that. 

The elevator ride itself took all of 45 seconds, and only a few ear pops. The sight from the top was absolutely unreal. I could not describe it any way better than it looked like a painting, an image of one’s imagination that could not possibly be real. Standing on the balcony looking over the city of New York was an image I never thought I would see, but one I will surely never forget.

Gallery • 18 Photos

all photos by Maddie Harris

Our final stop of the day, after getting dressed up at the hotel and a small photoshoot in Times Square, was the Minskoff Theatre to see The Lion King. Seeing a musical in Pittsburgh will never compare to New York, that is for sure.

The theater itself was absolutely beautiful, and absolutely packed to the brim. If you ever have the opportunity to see The Lion King or any other Broadway musical, I will never stop recommending it. I have now seen the show three times and I would see it 30 more at least. The amount of time and energy the performers put into these shows is incredible, making for a fantastic show that will have you smiling, laughing, and singing right along with them.

Of course, the best way to end a trip to New York is to get street pizza. As we walked back to the hotel from the theater, we stopped at Famous Famiglia for some slices. I am not a huge pizza fan myself, but that was probably the best pizza I have ever had. It was a great meal and a great way to end off our trip to New York.

Now it is Sunday, and I am writing this as I sit on the train on my way back to Pittsburgh. Although I wish I could have stayed longer, this trip is probably my favorite of all the trips I have been on. It was full of new experiences all around, from the train to the food to the sights themselves. Seeing landmarks that I have learned about in school many times was a surreal experience and, in a way, motivated me for my life at home once more. I want to travel when I graduate high school, studying abroad in college, and hopefully having a job that allows me to travel. This trip was a first step for me into seeing more of the world and motivated me to keep exploring, seeing, and doing more things.

Although a simple train ride to New York City may not seem like much, it was just what I needed at this moment of my life. I am slowly breaking out of my comfort zone, and I am going to continue to push my limits in order to see more of the world around me. I encourage you to do the same.