Wendy and The City!

Well, I don't even know where to start! A mini-break from the blog so I could go on the most amazing, spectacular vacation I could have ever dreamed of!

New York City, NYC, The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps!!  I would say this trip turned out to be one of the best weeks of my life.  I love for husband for planning it, and I really can't thank him enough (though I'm sure he'll figure out a way for me to repay him!).

I'm sure I already rambled on enough about this trip already, but it seriously was at the top of my bucket list.  I really never thought I would ever get to go, and I was more than overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we got to do.

We hit every section of Manhattan including a very sketchy trip to China Town to get some very awesome (but fake) Coach & Prada purses! Todd got so excited with all the action that he got involved too and got himself a might-fine "Rolex".  We looked like royalty walking around with all of our 'name brand' stuff (and walmart tshirts! LOL).

It did teach me a lesson though...there are so many knock-offs in that city that even bums on the street had Prada sunglasses.  It really put into perspective for me that while it's fun to have, it's not as 'special' to me as it once one. Like a big eye-opener that life isn't about the "stuff"....especially when everyone else has the same stuff!

I'm reading Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth (like 10 years late, I know) but I had just started reading about peoples obsession with stuff and this quote stuck to me....

"As a spiritual practice, I suggest that you investigate your

relationship with the world of things through self-observation"

I was desperate to get the knock-offs. It was a must-do on our trip. Society says I must have the nice purse! But I noticed that as each day passed in NYC, my 'Coach' purse seemed less and less special. The first day I wore it, I was like "look at me and my awesome COACH purse".  I made sure the logo faced out, and wore that damn purse with all the pride in the world. Then I realized nobody gave a shit about my coach purse, because they had one too! Now, don't get me wrong...I will never EVER refuse a good name brand purse (I'm not dumb) but it's like you struggle to get that big thing that you MUST have and then when you get it, it doesn't seem so special anymore.  So then you go...uh, probably could have saved some money and went to Walmart!

I have a REAL (seriously) Prada bag that Todd bought me a few years ago.  From the moment I got it, I was almost terrified to take it out of the house.  I didn't want to get it dirty, or break the zipper, or worse...lose it!  It was a big deal to get it. I'm not even sure why because most of my clothes come from Walmart or Reitmans, and most of the time spending $20.00 for a pair of pants feels like a complete rip-off.  But OMG I love my Prada purse!  But such weird relationship I have with that friggin thing. It's REAL (honestly!) but I feel like when I use it in Halifax people are going to think it's fake (because I'm usually in my walmart tshirts and jeans!).  I almost feel like I should carry the receipt around to show people! (See!! SEE!! It's REAL!).  And on the flip side, now that I have a fake, I feel like people know it's fake and I'm kind of ashamed of it?! I don't know....blame stupid Cosmo magazine.  I want what I can't have and then when I have it I don't want it anymore!  In the book he mentions how everyone strives for the biggest/nicest home or car, or PURSE...but when EVERYONE has the same...where do you go from there?  In the end, you either strive higher to keep stroking your ego, or you begin to realize that your 'stuff' doesn't really matter.

Either way, I'm still super happy that I have my bags...but I think my constant drooling over them may soon disappear.

Back to the trip!! We saw a Broadway show, Cirque du Soleil, a comedy show. We saw them filming Gossip Girl. I got to see The Naked Cowboy, and a random dude in the streets with an 8 foot snake. I really could live there. I'd only be able to afford a cardboard box, but hey, who needs 'stuff' like a house anyway?!

We went to the Museum of Sex (fun!), the Guggenheim (boring!!), and the Museum of Natural History (neat!).  We went to the top of the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. Saw the sets for SNL, Dr. Oz, and Jimmy Fallon.  It was a BLAST!!!!!

We laughed, we cried, there was even a fight or two (or three) (or four). We were sweaty and sore, I lived on muscle relaxers for the week and could hardly see my feet through the band-aids. 
I really couldn't have asked for a better trip or a better husband to do it all with!