Hey everyone!

I’m currently typing up a quick post back in my hotel room back at Pod 51 – one of the cutest minimalist-inspired hotels I’ve ever been to. It’s located on 51st Street in Midtown East. While the rooms are small, they’re meant to instill a “living with less” type mantra as space is reserved solely for space NEEDED. Plus, it’s really close to a bunch of tourist attractions such as Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the United Nations Headquarters – the main reason why I came! (Lovin’ the easy accessibility of a subway station too!)

Some of you may already know my enthusiasm for social justice and health equity. Amidst our tense political climate, I find it fitting to come to NY this year to attend the UNA-USA Members’ Day at the UN HQ. I’ll be sure to do a post on it after tomorrow for those interested in helping out with the UN Global Goals! We will be focusing on displaced populations and discuss call to actions.

Anyway, it’s my first time in New York and well, let’s just say our first night here was… interesting? Got into a car accident in our Lyft on the way back from JFK. I definitely learned a thing or two about NY drivers – basically, note to self – don’t even drive here. Despite the accident though, I’m loving NYC! Here are my top takeaways –

• This city NEVER sleeps. There is always SOMEONE on the street. Taxis everywhere. Love it.
• The people here love to HUSTLE. I was riding the metro last night, and literally every single person had a book in their hands. They don’t waste one second; talk about maximizing potential! (Post on this soon? Hmm…)
• Coffee is an essential – not just in LA. I love the abundance of cafes + bakeries. I wish I could try every single one of them. #TeamCoffee. Wait, jk – who am I kidding? #TeamCaffeine (just don’t overdo it)

So many tourist attractions here but so little time. I want to explore Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, but I doubt I can get to everything in the short time that I have. One day maybe I’ll explore more, but for now, I’ll settle for the big attractions. Maybe, I’ll come in the summer next time because umm, 30-degree weather is probably going to take some heavy acclimation!

My mom + I were diggin’ the geofilters, so I tried to capture most of it throughout the city. Thank you, Snapchat & your geofilter creatives! 

It just seemed right to have ordered seafood on the island. I mean, those crabs + lobsters took a lot of work, but hey, we have to get in an upper body workout somehow, right?! *sneaky face emoji here*
+any New Yorkers out there? I’d love some tips for my future trips! PS – How do you guys keep up with all of those subway lines?! WAY TOO MANY, whoa. (Quick story: we had to run into the first 5 cars of the train to get to South Ferry. We were not aware that ONLY the first five cars were made available for that stop. Imagine the sight of us sprinting at the train station. HA!)

Quick tip for newbies like me – Have a subway map ready to go. I took a screenshot of it on my phone, which was super helpful, but a printed version wouldn’t hurt either! Also, don’t be afraid to ask for directions! I think I’ve asked 5 people already! (Oops!) And if you’re looking for travel essentials, here’s my previous post!

Until next time, loves! Here’s a quick recap of how our day went today and I’ll be sure to post a full itinerary filled with my favs once I’m back in LA xx