NYC DAY 2

Day Two!

Starts off with pumpkin steamers from starbucks (obvi)

Top of the rock for my favorite view of the city. 

7 million pictures (too bad I brought the worst lens so the majority are old fashioned iPhone pictures)

Non stop selfie sticking!

Magnolia’s !!!!!!!!!! I dream about that banana pudding!

A subway ride to brooklyn that just about does aunt brette in/my mom almost gets punched by a scary lady .

High expectations for DUMBO. Wasn't as cool as the pictures.

A very LONG, COLD  wait outside for brooklyn’s award winning pizza.

A walk across the brooklyn bridge (so pretty).

Double decker bus ride back to time square. It was CHILLY! (When I packed for NYC the weather was saying it would be around 67 degrees. I packed sweaters and boots and ONE warm coat just in case it got cold at night. um it was around 48 degrees. So that one coat was worn every day and beanies + gloves were purchased along the way -_-)

Dinner at Virgil's where I had the most amazing mango salmon! 

& sleep. so much sleep.

now READY. SET. PICTURE OVERLOAD! 

NYC DAY 1

I'm really the worst when it comes to blogging. I use blogger as my journal and print books so my future family will have a hard copy of our adventures. This means my posts are LONGGGG because I try my best to preserve every memory! Sorry friends, here comes a lengthy series! ;)

 (right outside of one of my favorite places in NYC, the plaza hotel. I can't go to NYC with out stopping for a picture)

When Jordan received his interview invitation to Columbia’s Dental school in NYC we immediately called my parents to see if they wanted to come with us and make a weekend out of it. 

Once they agreed we thought we should see if anyone else in the family wanted to go.

We asked my aunts and uncles but I really didn’t think anyone would be able to come.

They all have little kids and its so hard to get away.

Luckily for us, my mom’s two brother’s and their wives agreed to join the party.

We were missing some but they were all there in spirit.

We had the BEST weekend together!

Everyone flew in at different times and on different days so the first day we were all scattered.

Aunt Brette and I started our morning by dropping Jordan off at Columbia so we could see the school. We took the subway and aunt brette liked it way more than she thought she would. haha

Once he was in his interview, we cabbed to brunch where we had the BEST ORANGE JUICE! It was amazing! The pancakes were really good too! 

Then we wandered up 5th Ave. We hit central park and it was the PRETTIEST day I’ve ever seen. Seeing central park in fall was so amazing. I’ve only ever been in summer and winter.

Later in the day, Jordan finished his interview and the rest of the gang started rolling in. 

We ate at a yummy Italian restaurant with great company.

Then we headed to a broadway show.

I’m a major broadway lover and eat up any show I can see.

When I went to look for shows for this trip there were really only two shows that I was interested in/hadn’t already seen- finding neverland and an american in paris.

I decided to buy tickets to neverland for the first night and try to get lottery tickets for the other. I was really crossing my fingers that the rest of the group liked my pick.

THEY DID!

You guys, if you ever get the chance to see finding neverland DO IT! 

I was so blown away!

There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience and I had chills so many times.

After the show the girls couldn’t even talk about it with out tearing up!

I’m on the plane home listening to the soundtrack right now and I’m still getting chills!

After the show we ate some yummy cheesecake at Juniors! We sat outside and FROZE! (we didn’t know what was about to hit us!)

(we started calling her "grandma" because of her scarf on her head)

That was the end of our warmest day in NYC! This city never disappoints!

COLUMBIA

One night months, and months ago, Jordan and I sat and decided which 13 schools he would apply to for dental school.

We decided that he would apply to ALMOST all west coast schools so we could stay close to family. The only 3 schools that he applied to that were not on the west coast were the 3 Ivy Leagues, U Penn, Columbia, and Harvard. 

In the months since we have thrown the idea around of moving to one of these schools if he gets in.

This last weekend we spent exploring and interviewing at 2 of the 3 (still waiting on Harvard. Could they please decide ASAP?!)

NYC is my favorite city in the world so I got to tag along.

I'm so incredibly proud of Jordan! He works so hard and is so dang smart. Any of these schools is lucky to have him! I'm so lucky to go on this adventure with him!

After his interview he felt so good and ready to see New York for the first time! 

U PENN

We are currently on a whirlwind of a trip for Jordan to interview at dental schools.

We started our trip off by flying into Philly so Jordan could interview at U Penn. 

We arrived to Philly at 1 am. We were exhausted and ended up only getting 2 hours of sleep that night because of the time difference.

Somehow Jordan managed to pull it together and was ready for his 6 hour interview.

We walked around the campus in the wee hours of the morning and it was BEAUTIFUL! 

It was a different kind of campus than I was expecting.

I'd turn a corner and it would be the most picturesque campus. The old buildings and greenery were just what I was envisioning for this ivy league campus.

But then I would turn another corner and I was on a busy street with tall buildings. 

So really you get both of best worlds. 

Plus, these fall colors are unreal! The east coast knows how to do fall right!

Jordan's interview felt eternal. I had nothing to do and I was a little nervous about wandering too far outside of the campus. (Will Smith makes it pretty clear that West Philadelphia isn't exactly a great neighborhood haha). I kept myself pretty busy, though. I read for a while in starbucks, walked the campus, wandered the book store, grabbed my mcdonald's diet coke, ate at the cutest cafe, and even saw a movie.

Funny story:

When we realized that there was a movie theater on campus I knew that I would see something to kill time and keep warm.

Since I was running on VERY LITTLE sleep, I decided I would use the movie as a good two hour nap.

When I got to the theater, the only movie playing during jordan's interview was hotel transylvainia in 3D. -_-

I really didn't want to spend $10 on that but I decided it was worth it to rest since we hadn't even started our crazy weekend. 

I sat down in an empty theater and closed my eyes...

until I heard a crazy homeless lady walk in. She must have snuck in because she didn't have 3D glasses.

SHE SAT DOWN RIGHT NEXT TO ME!!

In an empty theater.

THEN she starts laughing uncontrollably!!

By this point my nap is shot and I'm a little nervous she might stab me... kidding. kind of. 

About 20 mins later Jordan calls me and tells me he is done early.

$10 down the drain! haha

So once Jordan was done we had the afternoon to sight see before taking the train to New York. 

We hit the liberty bell

Then we went to the place where they make coins. 

We took a tour through independence hall.

Ate an AMAZING Philly Cheesesteak!

And we couldn't leave Philly without walking up the Rocky steps.

I was such a fun day but we were ready to head off to NYC for more!

HOME IS WHEREVER I'M WITH YOU!

Sunday afternoon Jordan and I took a drive up into the mountains while we listened to conference.

The leaves are just barely turning colors and it is beautiful.

Jordan goes up into the mountains all the time for work so he showed me where he takes his water samples.

It was really cool to see it in person.

While we were driving we talked about how insanely beautiful Utah is and how much we have grown to love it. 

We laughed at how a little over a year ago we pulled out of my parents drive way in CA and I literally sobbed for 4 hours straight. 

I had lived in CA my entire life and I loved it.

I HATED the thought of leaving my parents and brothers. 

But I was a newly married woman and I knew that I needed to do what was best for our new little family of two. 

I told myself on that long drive to Utah that this home was only temporary. I'd survive.

Well, I actually THRIVED.

Living in Utah has been the ultimate blessing. 

We are LITERALLY surrounded by family. We have been blessed to live with/under my aunt, uncle, and cousins who have welcomed us in with loving arms. At any moment I can call family to hang out. I love that I get to see my cousins walking home from school and honk obnoxiously to embarrass them. So many memories have been made since we've been here.

There is a different vibe in Utah. The people are so kind. I have friends at the tire shop, Sam's Club, and the car wash. I mean, come on... :)

Jordan is in the thick of Dental school interviews all over the country. In the next couple of months we will have a major decision to make. At this point, we really don't have a plan and all these schools seem so far and scary. 

I just need to remember that last year Utah was that scary place. 

If there is one thing I have learned it is that home is wherever Jordan is. We will thrive wherever we decide to live. 

But hey, if it is CA or UT I won't complain. ;)

Home is wherever i'm with you, Jordy boy! Lets pick a good one! 

THE FAIR

Saturday afternoon we headed for the fair.

This was my first time at the fair (my mom says i've been before but I don't remember) and man, oh man, was it fun!!

My uncle was able to get a ton of tickets so the whole family went.

 Carnival rides kind of freak me out so Jordan and I just bought few tickets so we could go on the ferris wheel and maybe a slide. Somehow I managed to get suckered into a flying tea cup ride with the "big" cousins tho. It was super fun, but I felt 100 years old. I was so dizzy.

A lot of my aunts and uncles went on that torture chamber. NO thanks!

The kids were in heaven! I was in heaven as soon as I started eating!

This corn on the cob was the best thing thats ever happened to me. Jordan and I want to start making it at home.

I got my fair food, Jordan got his. All he wanted was a fried snicker bar. He loved every bite.

Thanks to this guy for getting us tickets!

It was such a fun day at the fair! I will go back every year just for the people watching and food! Worth every penny!