Hello friends! It’s that time again. The world’s worst traveler has set off on another adventure, this time to New York!
Jeff and I take three days to go away together for our anniversary each year. Usually we rent a condo in Durango where we spend our time laying around in our sweats, watching movies and eating junk food. This year, for our 27th Anniversary, we decided to get out of our rut and go some place new and different. New York is pretty different!
Our day started at 4:00 am at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Albuquerque. We had driven to ABQ the day before so Jeff could get a flight physical for work, and so we wouldn’t have to leave our house at 2:00 in the morning to catch our flight, which was at 6:00 am. Neither of us enjoys being up before the sun, so we dressed and packed up with very few words between us. Since Jeff had TSA pre-check (which he lorded over me a bit) and I did not, Jeff dropped me at the airport and I went to the counter to check my bag and stand in the security line with the rest of the suspicious characters while he parked the car, rode the van over and breezed through the security line reserved for special people. Once I was through security, I made a bee line to Black Mesa Coffee, slurped down enough caffeine to unlock my tongue, and the day started to look up.
Our flight left on time, we changed planes in Dallas, and we landed at LaGuardia only twenty minutes behind schedule. Jeff got on his phone and ordered a Lyft and we wound our way through the airport to the parking garage where our driver was waiting.
By the time we got in the car, it was around 4:00 pm – rush hour! During our hour long ride from the airport into Manhattan, Jeff and the driver discussed every aspect of the cost of living for a young immigrant from Bangladesh, trying to get ahead driving for Lyft in New York City. Jeff’s advice after hearing what this young man’s expenses are every month? Move!
We reached our hotel in mid-town, the Marriott Pulse on W. 37th, got checked in and found our room. Nice place, even if the room is a bit on the small side. We were discussing what we might go out and do, and switched on the tv (mostly out of habit). Every channel was broadcasting that a major thunderstorm was settling over Manhattan. A peek out the window showed us rain was coming down in torrents. Great! Given those circumstances, a short nap seemed to be in order. Soon the rain stopped and our tummies were growling. We had not eaten a proper meal all day, so Jeff looked up what our dining options were in the surrounding blocks. We settled on a place called Tonchin one block over. It is a ramen restaurant. If you’re like me, the only ramen you’ve ever had comes in a bag with a little flavor packet and is a culinary staple for broke college kids. I can report that there is a version of ramen that is elevated so high above those little dry noodle packets they are not even in the same stratosphere! Jeff and I both went with the waitress’s recommendation, which was an excellent decision. She brought us each a huge bowl filled with those familiar looking noodles, but they were swimming in a brown broth that was so yummy I wished she would bring me a mug of it to drink. Joining those noodles in the broth were large pieces of pork, mushrooms, shallots and half an egg. My advice to anyone reading this is don’t turn up your nose when you have the opportunity to have ramen! You’ll love it!
Walking back to the hotel, we passed a bakery and, well, we felt it would be wrong not to go inside. Minutes later, we emerged with a bag containing an Adagio for each of us. An adagio is a disk the size of a hockey puck made of chocolate mousse with a passion fruit center. How do you pass that up? Well, you don’t!
Back in our room, we contemplated going up to the roof top bar for a drink, but couldn’t work up any real enthusiasm for the idea, so we sat on the bed eating dessert while watching The Voice. We had to keep up tradition at least in a small way. Then, it was lights out.
More to come!
Lori 
❤