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hello

Welcome to my blog! Joe and I currently live in Colorado with our dog, Lily. We love to document all of our adventures. Thanks for stopping by!
xo

New York City 8.17.17 - 8.20.17

New York City 8.17.17 - 8.20.17

I am so beyond blessed. See previous post about my ridiculous amount of blessings.

Just how blessed, you ask? I spent my 30th birthday weekend in New York City with my beautiful momma!

See? She's so pretty. And I'm so blessed.

We landed late at night on Wednesday and checked into our hotel in Midtown a little after midnight. I told her I wanted to see as much as I possibly could, so a few hours of sleep later and off we went!

//day 1
9/11 memorial and museum, brooklyn bridge, battery park, staten island ferry (saw the statue of liberty), china town, little italy, times square at night, and oh so much food.

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//day 2
in which i turned 30, and did exactly whatever the hell i wanted to do:

  • slept in rather than standing out in the rain for the today show like planned.
  • ate the most scrumptious nutella strawberry pancakes i've ever had.
  • walked outside the today show window in the later hour and waved behind them like an idiot (there is video proof)
  • walked by radio city music hall and took the obligatory tourist selfie
  • went to old st pat's cathedral (everyone who knows me knows how i could spend all day in a cathedral just sitting and staring. or walking around silently to take in every single little detail)
  • said a prayer for the next decade of my life.
  • walked into saks 5th avenue thinking i would buy something.
  • realized i was too poor for saks 5th avenue and left
  • walked down to grand central station and told my mom why it was famous (because justin timberlake danced down the stairs in the main hall duh)
  • went to ny public library and stood in the place that carrie realized big wasn't coming to the wedding (and shopped in the gift store of course)
  • had sushi tacos for lunch, and the nicest waitress ever sang "happy birthday" to me all by herself
  • got our hair all done up (drybar i love you)
  • went back to the hotel to take a nap (!!!)
  • but instead watched the real housewives of nyc reunion on my laptop in bed while eating a cannoli and then power napped for 20 minutes
  • had a steak at the palm for dinner
  • saw HAMILTON
  • cried tears of nerdy-history-teacher happiness through HAMILTON
  • cried tears of sadness when HAMILTON was over
  • walked through times square at night again. in heels this time.
  • took my heels off on the walk home and didn't give a shiiiiit about it
  • laid down in my hotel bed and scrolled through all the facebook messages i received and cried tears of gratefulness
  • hugged my momma goodnight
  • also, it rained all day so we bought ponchos for $5 a piece and only wore them once. so...there's that.
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//day 3
slight hangover (either from wine or just too much food, i'm still not entirely sure)
nbc studio tour, top of the rock, too much shopping in the nbc gift store, truffle pizza at bagatelle for lunch, the highline, chelsea market, washington park and the arch, villa mosconi for appetizers and wine, little italy for gelato, wall street, first capital building/site of washington's inaugural address, trinity church, hamilton's gravesite, fraunces tavern for dinner

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//day 4
mass at old st pats (incredible homily in the wake of charlottesville), LOVE statue, and a stroll through central park before heading to laguardia

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We were so sad to leave NYC. I know I can speak for my mom when I say that we both were blown away by how much we fell in love with the big apple. I'm a mountain girl! I like the quiet and nature. I thought NYC would be cool - see the stuff, check it off the bucket list - but I truly loved the city that never sleeps. I cannot wait to return one day!

Thank you so much to everyone that wished me a happy 30th! Entering a new decade has never felt so grand ;)

xo,
Jaclyn

p.s. This final photo I snuck of my mom in St. Patrick's on my birthday. I don't think she's seen it yet, but if you're reading this mom, I think it's the most beautiful photo of you. Deep in prayer, speaking directly to our heavenly father. I am so lucky to have you as my mom and best friend. Thank you for the absolute best birthday weekend ever. I will never ever be able to repay you for it all.

Rocky Mountain National Park 9.10.17

Rocky Mountain National Park 9.10.17

Thirty.

Thirty.