NYC & D.C. (our beloved cities)

New York city. 

I'm sure many of us develop a love/hate relationship when one visits for the first time, but for the most part it truly is a magical city in which loathing it would be impossible (at least for me). If you hate it...you'll end up loving it even more after you leave. Trust me.

Visiting the city for the first time thirteen years ago was a dream come true for me. I thanked my brother in law for living in Connecticut so that we could have an excuse to visit so that we can come to the city! Although I was a bit overwhelmed by the tall buildings, mumbling voices, construction noises echoing off the street, and endless honking I fell in love with it. We loved it so much that we took the express train to Grand Central from Connecticut to the city three days in a row. 

New York City is so magical that in spite of the hustle and bustle, and endless noises you end up loving it after one leaves. The adrenaline builds up, and helps guide you as you step foot into the city. It truly is a different experience going for the first time, but if you have a love for crowds, broadway, lights, culture, variety, good food, and diversity then you'll have no problem taking in all of the action and energy this city has to offer. Some of us could possibly live here too, and some may never want to come back. That was their "once in a lifetime" "been there seen it" "never going to go back" "marked that off my bucket list" kind of attitude. I personally love it, and luckily for Ceyda...she thought it was pretty cool too!  

The crowds, and lights at Time Square were a bit overwhelming to her, but nonetheless we walked and walked all over the city with two kids in tow, and one riding in the stroller. Yeah...a stroller in Times Square where the streets are super crowded. Smart huh? Well...Noah was asleep, and holding him all night long was not an option so I had to use that stroller (luckily it was a small one). 

We had gone to a carnival over at Governors Island earlier, and being there all afternoon wore the kids out. Noah fell asleep, and because we only had one stroller, Jon gracefully took Celeste and put her on his shoulders, and I could tell she was mesmerized by all the lights. Made him miss the girls when they were little. 

Times Square never surprises me. You see all kinds of characters...weird, and not so weird. We always look forward to see what new "characters" we'll see. We searched for the cool ones and ran into these Disney characters, and one of my favorites...Madea (not a Disney character).

We grabbed some grub over at Bubba Gump, and watched Forrest Gump on the tube while eating. The food here was delicious. 

I was a bit disappointed though being that they didn't have Dr. Pepper as a beverage, but that was cool. You'd think they would being that Forrest Gump drank like 15 of them in the movie. 

We maxed our time out as always in the city, and headed back to Jersey to await Ceyda's next adventure on the east coast! For the most part...she loved New York City!

*****

Capitol Hill is one of the most classiest, and savviest places in the world to visit and live. I love D.C. and I couldn't let Ceyda go home without taking her to see some of the attractions here. Her main love was visiting the White House. 

and taking her to eat at one of the best authentic BBQ restaurants near the city.

This is the place to eat some tasty BBQ. Haven't had good brisket this good since Texas! Even Noah ate some, and this boy can be one picky eater. 

The past few days with Ceyda have truly been wonderful, and I'm so grateful that she came to see us. I know that I'll be catching up on a lot of zzzzzz's when she leaves, but seriously...I will miss her!