Mid-Way Point + NYC

Wednesday

Today, Andres, Ivette, and I were a part of the same group for the Next-Gen Hill tour for rising seniors from Washington, California, and Oregon. Although it was really hot outside and we had to be dressed in business professional clothing, it was really nice to speak to students from similar backgrounds as mine and give them advice! Especially with the student from Washington who was interested in attending the university I currently attend. The students were able to speak to Senators and Representatives from their office, which was a great experience, and I took the opportunity to advocate for the HEP/CAMP association as well.

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Saturday

The HEP/CAMP people and I had a very loaded day, which started very early. We caught our bus at 8 am to NYC and landed in Midtown, so the first thing we did was try some bomb, but unfortunately, overpriced tacos. We then got to walk on something known as the Highline and saw the infamous giant pigeon, and while on the way to Koreatown, we ran into a street market with so many amazing items and food.

After a lot of shopping, we decided it was time to head over to our hotel and check in, where we met up with a friend, Isabella, who was essentially our guide for the day. She showed us so many nice spots in NYC that I wouldn't have known of if it wasn't for her, which I am so grateful for. By the end of the day, we were all so tired from walking, but we made sure to hit our last spot, which was Times Square.

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Sunday

Supposedly, we were gonna wake up early and get coffee, but we had been so tired from the day before that we didn't leave our hotel till around 11. Unfortunately, we didn't have Isabella accompanying us today, so I had to put on my tour guide shoes. We began by going north to Astoria, where we got breakfast and got to explore a bit. We then headed over to Central Park to visit, followed by going to Dumbo, where we found another street market which had really cool things to see.

Our last stop before leaving NYC was Chinatown, which felt a bit hectic and hard to navigate, and by the time we had actually gone to do something, it was time to head out. Although we did a lot less compared to the first day, we still did get to see a lot, and this experience taught me how well I am with navigating areas new and unfamiliar to me. Also, I tried a chopped cheese which was fire!