Our Trip to NY

New York was so much fun!!  I have been wanting to go there forever....when I found out Sione was going to be on the Biggest Loser it was one of the first things that came to my head...all the contestants get to go on the Today Show in New York.  :)   Here's our NY story....it's gonna be kinda long so sorry.

Our trip didn't start out so great though.  First of all, our flight left at 6 am and the show had arranged for a car to pick us up at our house at 4 am!!  I don't think that I've woken up at 4 am since I went into labor with Soakai.  Anyway, we didn't even go to sleep that night since we had laundry to do, packing, and I needed to tidy up my house before we left. (I hate coming home to a dirty house)  So, the car gets here at 3:45 and we're off to the airport.  We go to check in & neither one of our tickets were coming up in the system.  We stand in line for help & the lady at the desk tells us that she can't find either one of us.  Finally she is able to find Sione's ticket, but not mine.  I was really starting to get nervous- I had no idea why mine wouldn't be on there too. Well, apparantely my ticket was for April 6-13, not the 13-16.  What?!?  Why would I book my flight for the week before? I knew the dates & I knew the flight I needed to be on when I booked them.  This is why I hate booking flights & hotels online....it's never the computers fault...it's always my fault.  The lady then tells me that I missed my flight for the last week (really?) and that I couldn't by another ticket because the flight was full.  Then we ask if there was another flight and of course there were no more flights going out to NY for the day- they only fly out once a day.  I was really starting to panic - here I am at the airport all ready to go to NY with Sione and now I can't go at all.  Sione was so nice...he just kept telling me that he wasn't going without me & that we'd drive there if we had to.  :)  So we pretty much started begging the lady to see if there was anything that we could do so she goes to talk to her supervisor (which seemed like an eternity) and she came back saying that they never do this, but she was going to give me a standby ticket & hopefully I would be able to get on.  Hallelujah!!!  I started to feel better, but I still didn't know if I could actually go.  I was praying & praying that I got a seat & then they called my name at the gate for a ticket!!!!  What a relief- I could actually breathe again! :)

We made it safely there & when we landed another car was waiting for us to take us to the hotel.  I could sure get used to cars waiting for me everywhere. Our hotel for the night was right across the street from Rockefeller Center- it was great. We got settled & then we were off to do some exploring.  I made the HUGE mistake of changing my shoes from sandals to some flats that I thought would be more comfortable to walk around in......WRONG!!!  Within about 20 minutes of walking my pinky toes felt like they were on fire.  I had to go buy some cheap flip flops while we were out just so I could keep walking.   They hurt so bad!  I regretted putting those shoes on every minute for the rest of our trip.  Later that day we met up Nicole & Damien (the Red Team) and went to the gym with them. That was my first subway ride---very interesting. :)  We did a Turbo Kick Box class.....not fun with 2 huge blisters and not fun when you have no idea what the instructor is doing.  I'm telling you the girl teaching the class was CRAZY.  She was doing all kinds of crap & doing it so fast that I couldn't even see her half the time.  That was the longest hour of my life.

Just wanted proof of my blisters- I know it's disgusting!

I got me a hot chocolate at Dean & Deluca---the BEST I've ever had.  Any Felicity fans out there--remember she worked at Dean & Deluca.

In Rockefeller Plaza

Our first subway ride

In front of Flat Iron Building- really cool.

On Tuesday we got up bright & early so Sione could do the Today Show.  Wasn't he handsome?! He did a great job....I would've been a nervous wreck, but he was so calm.  It was so cool to wait in the "Green Room" and then see the set (it's a lot smaller that I had imagined).  I got to go out on the set with Sione & stand behind the camera while they interviewed him- I think I was more nervous than Sione was.  It was a lot of fun to be able to go & see how it all happens.  After the show we rested for a little bit & then headed out to see the town.  We hopped on the subway and walked around the city and then eventually found a movie theater.  For some reason whenever we go on vacation we end up seeing movie- like we don't have that home.  Anyway it was fun to see a movie together since we don't get to go very often anymore.

Wednesday we spent the day getting a tour from Damien....including Ground Zero, Times Square, Empire State Building, and Central Park.  Let me just say that this day was A LOT of walking.  I don't think I've ever walked so much in my life & it was freezing that day, but I loved it.  There are so many things to see in NYC.   Oh yeah- I forgot to mention the other hotel we stayed in smack dab in the middle of Chinatown. :)  The internet said it was a hidden gem & they weren't lying.  It was literally hidden in a sea of Chinese stores, but it was a nice, clean hotel &  we couldn't beat the price.

Sione & Damien (our BL tour guide)  in front of Central Park

Empire State Building

Times Square- I wish we could've seen it all lit up at night- next time.

This is us in front of Trump Tower- pretty cool since I always see this stuff on tv.

We had to see the giant piano from Big.

View from top of Empire State Building- again- I would love to see this all lit up at night.

This is a friend of Sione's (Scott) he went to high school with that we just ran into on the street.  Isn't that funny & then I found out his wife went to the same high school as me....small world.

He we all are- Damien, Sione, me & Nicole

This is what the street looked like where our hotel was

Thursday we took a stroll through Central Park & made it down Canal Street to do some bargain shopping before we were headed back to the airport to come home.  I definitely want to go back when we have some more time to really enjoy the city....can't wait!

Central Park Pics....this place is beautiful, no wonder everyone just hangs out here.