Merry post-Christmas! We arrived back in
Austin after our 2.5 month stint in New York to a house that was left by
two people going on vacation for four days...filthy refrigerator, underwear
left on the dresser and all! As I figured would happen, it's been an
emotional roller coaster getting home and reflecting on the magnitude of what we endured. We continue to feel blessed that we are now 33+ weeks
pregnant and the baby is weighing in at over 5 pounds. It truly is a
miracle I'm still with child (at least that's what our doctor alluded to during our visit today)!
I plan to continue blogging as we limp along to the
end of the pregnancy (and I mean literally limp! I'm in so much pain these days that not only do I waddle, I also limp!). While it's fresh in our minds, Gayland and I have
decided to compile a four part series of posts highlighting the following areas
of our New York City adventure: Transportation, Dining, Lodging and Misc./Entertainment.
Without further dew, here is the first recap:
Transportation
•
DO NOT, under any circumstance, rent a car and try
to drive in Manhattan! No matter how stellar you think you are behind the
wheel, driving should be left up to the professionals and that does not include
you!
•
Horn honking is part of the culture there so get
used to it and consider a friendly "toot toot" a sign of affection or
that you're about to get run over!
•
Don't try to hail a cab between 4-6pm as this is
shift change and unless you're going to Brooklyn, (where their corporate office
is domiciled) you will not get picked up.
•
When you do successfully get into a yellow taxi,
ask your driver where he/she is from. Inevitably, you will meet someone
from a different country every time. This will give you true
understanding of why NYC and America is the melting pot of the world.
Listen to their stories and let THEM tell you why our country is so
great! It will leave you inspired!
•
Ride the subway; it gives you culture, perspective
and it's cheap. Maps are located in every Subway entry way and in every
hotel in the city.
•
The fancy black cars (usually Suburbans or Lincoln
Town Cars) are luxurious and legit but do not take debit/credit cards so have
cash in hand if you plan to travel this way through the city.
•
Pedi-Cabs are as prevalent as flies on a fresh
patty of cow poop in the middle of my Daddy's pasture! They stink, swarm
around you everywhere and we sure as hell would not step into one knowing
better than to do so!
•
And lastly, if you have the time, just hoof it on
foot! This truly is the best way to see the city, meet new people and get
a little exercise too but be warned, what looks like a "few blocks"
on the map is much farther than you think it is. Five blocks to a Texan
is actually more like 1.5 miles!
Saying Adios and Buenos Noches from Austin, y'all!
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