the city that never sleeps

          During school vacation two weeks ago, my mom took Diana, our friend Galaxie, and I to New York City for a few days, between Christmas and New Years. I have mentioned my love for NYC various times, and I love being in Manhattan during the winter. All of the department stores are beautifully decorated, and the smell of roasted chestnuts only adds to the holiday charm of the city. It was extremely warm for December, and the weather was perfect when we arrived, though it rained for most of the second day. 

exploring NYU (me, galaxie, diana)

          I spent entirely too much money on clothes and other things I don't need or have room for in my closet, but New York is a great place to shop, as well as eat. My parents have already taken my sister and I to all of the major tourist attractions, mostly when we were younger, so it's nice to be able to focus on immersing myself in city life rather than waiting in line for an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building.
          Overall, it was a wonderful trip to New York City, filled with bargain hunting, frozen yogurt, and plenty of walking, and, as always, I can't wait to return.

ladurée macaron and chocolate shop (diana, galaxie, me)

                One of the new things we did this trip was visit Ladurée, a bakery famous for their macarons. Macarons are small, round cakes, and are currently a fad in the U.S. They come in every flavor imaginable (I tried dark chocolate, caramel and fleur-de-sel, rose, and black-currant violet), and are very expensive--I paid over ten dollars for four, but they are delicious. Ladurée is especially famous because their only other locations are scattered across Paris, besides this one on Madison Ave.