As Shania Twain Once Said: "Let's Go Girls".

The anticipation leading up to something you've known about and looked forward to all school year is intense.

Saturday, May 8th, I spent most of my day on my feet taking pictures at the Minidome at ETSU for both graduation ceremonies. My boss for my APS job wanted me to snap some pictures, as well as get some content for Instagram and Snapchat. I did this with the knowledge that the next day I would be leaving for New York at 3 a.m.. I thought it was impossible to be more exhausted. Wrong. Just wait.

I went to sleep around 12:30 a.m.. I slept on the couch at the Wesley House because I had to be moved out of my dorm by the 4th. I tossed and turned throughout the night, anxious to just be on a plane and in New York.

May 6th

My alarm rang throughout the living room, and quickly without hesitation I silenced its beeping. The house was still quiet. We had an hour before we had to leave for the Asheville airport. I tiptoed softly into the kitchen, peering out the window frequently to see if anyone was awake or at the Wesley building. That's where some other were staying and our meeting place. Callie, another friend of mine going on the trip, woke up not long after me. I sat down at the table in the living room, bags packed, and ate some Cheez-Its to fill my partially empty stomach. Was it nerves? Or was I just missing the ETSU food already? Hallie woke up around 2:45, and we all carried our baggage next door to meet the others. It should be noted that it is pouring rain at this point.

The Wesley building is basically just an exterior of glass windows, and I stared into room with a sense of defeat and weariness. I had a drawstring bag on my back, a duffel bag in my left hand, and my luggage in my right. We made it inside, and Penny, one of our head leaders, briefed us on our airport plans and outlined the week. Afterwards, we divided in the cars we were taking to the Asheville airport. (We flew out of Asheville rather than the Tri-cities airport.) Another Wesley member's family (Zach's) gave us rides. I was with Hannah and Zach on the way there. The thunder, lightning, and rain left me a little uneasy getting there, but it ended up being okay.

Our bags were checked and weighed in reservation groups, we went through security, then waited to board our Allegiant flight. Being the group that we are, we played this game called the hand game. It's hard to do justice with words, but I'll try. Essentially, a group of people sits in a circle, arms overlapping. One person starts the game by tapping one of their hands on a table/surface, and that tap is supposed to travel in one direction by each hand that is lined up to the other. If someone taps their hand twice, the direction of the tap reverses. If you flinch when it's not your turn or forget to go, you're out. The looks we received playing this game on the ground at the terminal was great. But the glances and weird looks phased no one, and perhaps even encouraged us.

All thirteen of us got seated and situated. To my disbelief, not only did I get a window seat, but I got to sit next to my friend Hannah! One short nap later following takeoff, we already made it to the Newark airport.

The first order of business when we landed was getting something to eat, or, in my case, drink. Because I mean who doesn't want a large Dr. Pepper from Wendy's at like 9 in the morning? Our tour guide for the week was supposed to promptly meet us at the airport once we arrived, but as things happen in New York, he ran a little late due to traffic issues. NYC Mission's guide for us did eventually arrive, and when he did he led us to the AirTrain ticket machines to purchase a ticket to get out of the airport to get to the subway. Guess how much that was? LIKE $13.00. But, alas, we paid for it. The stress had already intensified for our group to stay together. On the AirTrain we were in different parts and Hana Lee and I (the only ones in our section) had no idea what stop to get off at. I mean I might have had a vague idea, but I wasn't confident. Another woman in our section told us where thankfully. We weren't even in New York yet, but it was cool to be zooming through Jersey, seeing places like where the NJ Devils play. The trip was starting to feel less like a fantasy and more like something I was actually about to be a part of.

We switched subways about four times, and each time left me feeling more and more tired. Carrying all this baggage up and down stairs took a toll on my stamina. A lot of those transitions are a blur now. But it being my first few times on the subway, I was scared and confused. I didn't know what was socially acceptable and what wasn't and could feel the attention of locals being directed towards us.

Sinai Pentecostal Church was our home for the next week. Our guide let us in and led us upstairs to the room we'd be staying in. The pastor and guide both gave us briefings about the area, church, mission program, and themselves. We all fought to stay awake then since we had been up for so long. Then, Kumar, our guide, directed us to Koronet Pizza for lunch. I have never seen such big pizza slices in my life. We shared two large pizzas on benches in the median between Broadway and the street that runs parallel to it. Kumar shared more about his own testimony and life story as we ate. It seemed to go on for an eternity. I started to take notice of the recurring taxi ads by then, and how many of those double-decker bus tour things really exist.

We went to the grocery store, or a couple actually, to get food and supplies to get us through the rest of the week. There's no Kroger's or Publix's like back home. One place we went to was mainly in Chinese and also had smaller quantities of what we needed. The group of us tasked with getting groceries frantically searched the premises for items to check off the list with little luck. We had most of what we needed and headed back. (Side note: the amount of fruit and vegetable stands and stores in NY is astounding. I kind of love it.)

That's really it for day one. We literally went to bed at like 6 p.m. because we were all so worn out. No one desired to do anything else. Our cots were assembled, lined up, and before the sun was even down, the ETSU Wesley Foundation was asleep in the city that never sleeps.

May 7th

Our first day of service in New York.

I woke up at 6, a.m., but my body wasn't tired. A little sore from the cot and the makeshift pillow I had. But I wasn't cranky as most would be at that time on a normal occasion. I took a shower immediately after getting up in these tiny, square showers where the light flickered on and off constantly. The pancakes I ate later that morning were so filling considered we slept right through dinner. 

We walked to our first work site -- Broadway Community Church's soup kitchen. Patrick, a younger looking guy, greeted us upon our arrival. He instructed us all to put on hairnets and plastic aprons to prep for the morning. Within minutes we were put to work. We lined up to wash our hands and many of us grabbed cutting boards as asked and put them on the table outside of the kitchen. The first task at hand was cutting celery. Patrick told us to cut off the leafy part, slice it down the middle, then chop it into tiny pieces. We finished celery and moved on to broccoli, and one of the last tasks we did in preparation for feeding others was set out cups to place pudding in that was mixed with blueberries.

Our group got a break before the lunch rush started. We went off into a room that appeared to be used as a classroom and sat until they were ready for us to serve. One of my favorite memories from that day is the riddle man. An individual who worked there apparently always asked groups riddles or gave them puzzles to figure out as entertainment. We got a kick out of it. He dropped by and casually mentioned a riddle and walk away to give us time to think about it. During our break we also learned more about Patrick. He was a student on a year-long mission through his church, and he knew someone from ETSU! What a small world. 

We were split up into groups based on who handled which row of tables. My group got row two. Patrick told us the order in which the food was supposed to be served, and then it was showtime. The chef's voice bellowed throughout the large space where the hungry and volunteers alike had gathered. He offered up a prayer that fit every major religion, which I thought was neat. The prayer ended and all us volunteers lined up to get the plates of food to bring to our tables. Each tray had three plates on it. This concept frightened me. You know when something "fits" enough to be mostly on a tray, but part of it is still hanging off? That was the case. 2/3 of the plates were steady, but that one had me frightened. When it was my turn to step up, I accepted the tray and started to tremble slightly. I was not going to drop this tray. Not yet. I focused all my energy on not knocking into someone or something and moved slowly. Even then, that wasn't my biggest concern. How was I going to be able to take one hand off the tray and serve with the other without dropping it? I got to my row of tables and ended up just setting the tray down on the table. There wasn't a lot of room, but I didn't have many options. It was about this time, too, I took notice of the fact that other people who were not in my group were serving those in my row. What once was orderly fell into organized chaos. It was a guessing game to see who had received what part of their meal or if they just ate fast. I got back in line to get my next round of plates until Patrick asked for a volunteer to do dishes. I said heck yes, this is my chance. I wasn't trying to get out of serving, but I truly felt like if I kept doing so I would be responsible for some accident or I'd let it overwhelm me.

So for the rest of the time I spent the afternoon sanitizing used dishes. It was therapeutic in a way. The same motions, same routines over and over again. My fingers shriveled from the constant exposure to water over a long time. Wesley members and church workers alike strolled in and out of the space where I was working. Although the pile of dishes never seemed to vanish, the bucket did eventually become empty. We wiped down every surface in the kitchen, mopped, and put away containers and utensils back where they belonged.

We went back to the Sinai church for a short period of time. Many of us went to Central Park, though. The west side of the park was only like half a mile from where we were staying, so why not check it out? Everything in the park was so green. So vivid. So serene. And we didn't even get to see most of it. I remember looking into the reflection of a body of water, with the greens of the trees and the skyscrapers intertwined, feeling only as if I was peering into some kind of painting. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and had to meet the rest of the group at the subway to go to dinner. As we left, we did see someone who had a Scottish fold kitten.

Dinner was just on the edge of Times Square. We came up the stairs of the subway, and I started to see signs for Broadway shows and just massive ads in general. I was actually near Times Square. It wasn't just pictures of Times Square anymore. It was right here. We got in line for our restaurant, Ellen's Stardust Diner. I only had the faintest idea what to expect. If there was a line just to get in, there must be something good about it. We split up into two groups to be seated faster. While waiting, a few from the group ran into the "I Heart New York" store across the street. Before coming on the trip I asked my friend where the best place to buy souvenirs would be; now I realize why she laughed when I said that, because there are literally gift shops on every corner. We got back in line and were approached by someone trying to sell comedy show tickets. He mainly just chatted with us and talked about his experiences in Tennessee. He said he had been to Nashville and Memphis for basketball tournaments. In addition, he had a friend who played for the Lady Vols under Pat Summit. It was amazing to hear a New York native talk about how Pat Summit's name "made waves" there in New York.

Our group was seated first. We walked in, and I could already tell I was in love with this place. The diner was two floors. TV screens on every wall had a graphic that said "Milkshakes & Musicals" on it, and employees were either on the table or up on the second floor singing for everyone within the restaurant "One Day More" from Les Mis. We only caught the end of that number, but I was in awe. The server passed out glasses of water to each of us and took our orders. I was still fixated on the performers. This was the norm at Stardust. The waiting staff sang and performed all day, anything from rock, country, pop, to show-tunes. Sometimes they'd stand on tables, or grab props, or even interact with costumers as they sang. The head honcho of the diner explained that any tips went towards acting, dancing, and singing classes for the staff. Some of the waiters were even hired from there to be on Broadway. How incredible and crazy. Me, being the music lover I am, almost didn't even care about the food now. I was captivated by the electric atmosphere and the absence of any anxiety or doubt that existed within this place. I laughed, sang along, and smiled more than I thought possible. The amount of confidence it takes to perform like that and serve others. I just. Wow. On top of that, the food I did get was amazing. They had waffle fries that MIGHT have beat Chick-fil-a's. Maybe. It wasn't on the cheap side, but frankly, I didn't care. It was worth the experience. The only downside was they couldn't split the check five ways. (It took us longer to figure out, but that meant we spent more time in the restaurant. I didn't mind. ;-))

I met Kaylie outside the diner. I saw her through the window in the diner and my heart started racing. It had been weeks since I had seen her last, I was so excited. I had texted her when we got our food so she could walk down to Time Square to say hey. I introduced the group to my friend, and she walked along with us in Times Square until we went back to the church. She gave us some pointers on what to check out, and showed us the Stephen Colbert theater, as well as the M&M store. Plenty pictures were taken in the heart of Times Square. TS was just like I pictured. It was just like every movie, Instagram post, etc. you've seen of it. Whizzing, blurring advertisements. Bustling people. Scammers and schemers dispersed among the tourists and locals. Food stands, beggars, shouters, selfies. We spent at least twenty minutes watching a dance group perform in the street. I mainly just talked to Kaylie and ate the cheesecake she gave me from Juniors. It was pretty good.

The subway took us back to 103rd Street.

We settled in for the night, Caroline did the night's devotion, and another day was done. Onward.

May 8th

My body I guess hadn't adjusted to the fact I did not get the same amount of sleep as the night before, so I woke up at 4:30 a.m.. I tried to just shut my eyes and go back to resting, but it just wouldn't work. I didn't even know what time it was until I grabbed my iPod out of my duffel bag and turned it on. My phone was on the other side of the room in the kitchen area plugged into the wall charging. No part of me had any desire to walk that far to get it. I listened to a few of the relaxing, calming songs I had on my iPod and dozed back to sleep before I had to get up again anyway a few hours later.

We took the subway to St. Ann's Episcopal Church in the Bronx. Each part of New York has a different aura to it, and the Bronx most definitely differed from where we had spent our days so far. Kumar led us around back and we knocked on the door to meet one of the leaders of the church. It took them a while to answer, so as we waited, naturally we played the hand game again. We tried to teach Kumar how to play. The leader (who I think was the pastor, I can't remember) welcomed us in and invited us to put our belongings in the sanctuary. The sanctuary was filled with beautiful stained glass windows that lined the walls of the place. He allowed us to walk around prior to starting landscaping. I recall Ketura playing "How Far I'll Go" from "Moana" on the white piano in the room. Hallie was chatting with the pastor, learning about the history of the place. This was one of the oldest, still functioning churches in the Bronx.

Another guy showed up, who was on his "off" day, but told us what to do and got tools and supplies out of the sheds behind the church for us to use. Our goals were to plant some bulbs near the playground, pull weeds around the perimeter of the church and close to the kid's garden area, and along the sidewalk.

My group covered the area near the kid's garden. It was Penny, Zach, Callie, Ketura, Ben, and I, at least at the beginning working in that area. I began to pull weeds, tossing them in piles behind me as I went. Between the weeds, though, were shards of glass and miscellaneous pieces of trash. I halted the weed-pulling process and got a trash bag and vinyl gloves on to make sure no one could get cut while trying to landscape. I thought back to Marks, Mississippi.

I thought back to blacktop, the playground, covered in shards of beer bottle glass.

And something weird happened. I thought I heard whistling. I kept listening and sometimes it'd be there, and other times it wouldn't. When I listened intently, I started to make out the tune. It was "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran. It was faint but recognizable. I honestly don't even know if it was whistling or where it was coming from, but it made me smile. It occurred more than once throughout the day and I saw God in that. Even when I was drenched in sweat, already tired, I held onto that tune. The laughter and yelling of children below also carried up to where we were. 

We paused for lunch and gathered around one long, wooden picnic table. A bag of Doritos and Lay's chips was passed around as people enjoyed PB&J sandwiches. 

By the end of the work day, all the other groups had come up to our area to help us finish up pulling weeds and just making it look as good as possible. John grabbed a few of us to fill up watering cans to water the garden. Each of us collected the materials, gloves, and tools and stored them where they were taken from originally.

That night we checked out Rockefeller Plaza. I know we went to the NBC Store, saw where they filmed the Today Show, and much more, but only a few moments from that night stuck with me. The most prominent being when we decided we were going to cross the street to get ice cream while some others went inside Magnolia Bakery to get some sweet treats. The crosswalk sign said stop, but we were going to go anyway. No cars were coming. I stepped down from the curb, and next thing I know my phone is almost in the middle of the street, and my arm collided with the asphalt. The rest of the group was a few paces in front of me, and there were seconds of disbelief that this had even happened and no one saw me. Then I heard a stranger call out "Grab her phone!" and then I was back on my feet. I kept looking at my camera that was still around my neck. Dear gosh, please let it not be broken. Please let it work. Let it not be broken. Not yet. Not now. I flipped it on, and everything seemed to be fine. Deep breaths. Hallie handed me my phone, and the bottom left corner of the screen was cracked. It still worked. It's okay. Are you okay? I evaluated myself and noticed I had an area on my elbow affected. I mean, it wasn't bleeding or anything, but it definitely hurt. I crossed the street with them after that, but really my appetite for ice cream had disappeared. I just wanted to get back to the church and get a band-aid and feel better. 

As we awaited our subway back to 103rd Street, I fought back tears. I bit my lip. I didn't want to spoil anyone's good time by my minor, stupid injury. Also I had flashbacks to when my mom fell in a similar way one time when we were on vacation. It still haunted me.

Hana Lee fixed me up with Hannah's first aid kit at the church, and I felt at least a little better. After a long day both mentally and physically, I was done. And I was out.

May 9th

May 9th was the first day we did our "meals on heels" delivery service to shut in seniors. We got to Encore Community Services and divided into groups of two or three. I was with Ben and Zach. They gave each group a cart with insulated bags that had cold and hot packs along with a list of who to visit and where they lived. Our list was like half the length of everyone else's, which was nice. We meandered through the area in search of all these apartments with the clients we had to deliver to. I'd check off who we delivered to, Ben navigated, and we all rotated who rolled the cart.The stark differences between modern and old apartments within the city was intriguing. Some had elevators, others only had stairs. Some had doormen, while others barely had functioning doors. You had to "buzz" their room to gain access to get inside or had to call them beforehand to let you in. Most of our destinations fell on the same street or were only a few blocks apart. All those we gave the meals to were appreciative. I was taken aback by one man we delivered to, whom I will just call Gerald. Gerald was the first door on the left as soon as you walked into this certain apartment complex. We had to "buzz in" to get inside, and once we did, he immediately opened his door and started talking to us after accepting the food. He told us about how everyone called him a crazy man and he had no family. He was from Puerto Rico, but grew up in New York. All he wanted to do was take care of his niece and be there for her, but even she thought he was crazy. He spoke of a fever or sickness he caught here in America that diminished his ability to read and write. I couldn't catch everything he said because of his accent, but I was heartbroken. There were moments where he'd smile, or laugh at us, hoping to elicit a response from us, but none of us knew how to respond. We would nod or murmur in sympathy with him, and held onto his words for as long as we could. He talked to us for at least twenty minutes or so, and he was only one of our first stops. I told him I didn't think he was crazy, because that's all I could think to say. I wanted to do or say something more, but I don't think my mouth was capable of moving. He sighed and let us go, because he knew we had more places to be. I don't think I will ever forget Gerald. 

Our group got back second, and we sat at Encore Community Services for a while with the other group as a few people trickled in over time. Penny showed us this game called "Virtual Beggar" that she'd been playing for a while, which was highly entertaining. 

That afternoon, we went back to the grocery. We carried the bags to the church, and left to go on a walk. On the walk we discovered Morningside Park. It had a small waterfall/lake area that was gorgeous. 

Lunch was grilled cheeses and tomato soup.

The sightseeing portion of the day was we ventured to the One World Observatory. Security to get in was just as strict as the airport. Penny told us to look through the building at our own pace. So we did. Walls were covered in panels that displayed the faces of survivors, families of those who lost someone in 9/11, engineers who worked on the One World Observatory, etc.. The elevator we rode to the top was an immersive experience. The whole elevator itself was covered in screens that had a timelapse-like video that showed the growth of New York over time and described how high up we were. They led us to the "theater"; we watched a montage of clips that highlighted New York. I was starting to believe that this really wasn't as cool as or exciting as I hoped. Yet, to my surprise, the screens that the clips were being shown on lifted into the air, and behind it revealed the New York skyline. From the tallest building in New York.

It was a lot to take in. But it was breath-taking. It was surreal. To see the cars as small as ants, to see this vast city from above. the 360 degree skydeck was crazy. I took so many pictures, and that doesn't even do it justice. People of all kinds were there. I saw employees of Chase Bank walking around with name tags, models posing against the glass with the whole city spanning behind them. Tourists taking selfies, little kids riding on the shoulders of parents. What a feeling.

Next, was the Oculus. From the exterior, this place looks like some sort of skeleton. The inside offers much more than you could even imagine. It had a whole mall and subway access inside. Penny gave us time to look around and eat. I left with her, Hallie, Amy, and her friend who lived in NY. We went across the street to somewhere called Brookfield Place. I ordered a whole margherita pizza (bad idea) with a lemon lime soda. I did not finish the whole pizza. We sat right next to the window and watched the sunset on the water outside. We met up with everyone else, who I guess just ate and went to Forever 21.

On the subway ride back, at one of the stops, a man hopped on with a two-liter Sprite he kept at his feet. He announced to everyone on board that he was only four dollars away from being able to afford his next meal for his family. Our guide had told us not to mind these people, but it was hard to tune them out. After he made his way up and down the subway, he jumped off at the next stop. Ketura, who was across from me at the time, came over and sat with me after that. She turned to the stranger who was sitting beside me, and asked her if this kind of thing happened often. She went on to explain to her that poverty exists everywhere, but in New York it seems more prevalent because you are constantly made aware of it. Like, in cities, you can drive by the homeless in your car, and maybe not even be able to make out the fact that someone is sleeping under that bridge or on that bench. But in New York, you walk everywhere, and they are among you and around you. She talked to Ketura for a few minutes.

I called my family to update them about how the trip was going back at the church. It was nice to hear their voices again. It had felt like forever. I showered, and another day in the greatest city in the world had ended. The week was flying by.

May 10th

It was my turn to help make breakfast. I hadn't made scrambled eggs or cooked in a hot second, so Ketura helped me. I cracked thirteen eggs, and put the yolk into a bowl. I whisked it around until it was all yellow and poured it into the frying pan. I let it sit and flipped it once the other side was complete. Ketura said she always made it "omelette style" then chopped it up with the spatula because that was easier. I mean, that worked me. So that's what I did. At one point I did end up burning a few of the fingers on my right hand. What else would you expect from someone like me.

Our next service site was the Burden Center. We did the same thing we'd done the same before, delivering meals to shut in seniors, just through a different organization. I worked with Ben and Zach once more, but this time we probably had six clients to get to total. It was not a lot. While delivering we also found a bridge we spent some time at after finishing up deliveries.

At the church we had nachos for lunch.

May 10th we went to Chinatown and saw "Phantom".

In Chinatown, Hannah and I had strawberry lychee macaroons and a chocolate mint drink with tapioca "bubbles". Hannah didn't care much for it, but I thought it was alright. We took a peek in a few shops, but barely had enough time to do so. We gathered outside "Wo Hop"; the Chinese restaurant where we had dinner. I've never been big on Chinese food, but I wanted to take one for the team and it eat anyway. I ordered orange chicken with fried rice. The portions were massive; twice the size of a normal plate for sure.

The search for a bathroom was a recurring theme for the trip. We left Wo Hop and went back to Times Square to be at the Majestic Theater in time for "Phantom". Some went inside a Starbucks to use the restroom, while the rest of us went inside a CVS to get a snack, drink, etc.. By the time we got back to Starbucks, some in our group also needed to go to the bathroom, so we went to a McDonald's just a street over. Turned out that you have to buy something in order to use the bathroom there. All thirteen of us gave up on the idea and just got in line at the theater. It was taking way too long at Starbucks, too, and we couldn't find any alternatives.

We sat near the back of the theater and the angle from our seats to the stage was steep. The show seemed so distant but so close. I was so excited to see "Phantom" with a Broadway cast. It made me nostalgic about senior year and the cast of people I knew who played the roles then.

Even in a year's time, some of the plots points had escaped me. I'd watch a scene unfold and forget what was supposed to happen next. The stage design, costumes, make-up, choreography, singing, everything was on point. The similarities in what MJ did and the actual Broadway show (especially costume-wise) didn't really occur to me until I saw it right in front of my eyes. Hallie kept updating me on the score of the Preds vs. Winnipeg game.

It was over now, the music of night. The cast took their final bows and we filed out of the theater. I bought my sister an overpriced Phantom shirt and we retreated back to the church. How was it already Thursday?

May 11th

Friday was the only day we were late to our work site. We had some subway and directional trouble. We went back to the Bronx to P.O.T.S's soup kitchen. POTS stands for Part Of The Solution-- a clever acronym. I aided Penny in cleaning dishes, but at POTS it was much more efficient. They had a sanitation machine. All you had to do was put the plates in this square crate, line them up the same way, rinse them off a little bit, then slide it through the machine on this conveyor belt system and it would clean them for you. This soup kitchen was run more like a restaurant. There were tables with numbers set up. When a seat would open up, a lady would call out where a seat was available, and someone sat down, got there food, and the process continued. A continuous flow of people streamed in throughout the day, some even being the same people. POTS has no limit on how many times a costumer can come back. I watched most of the day unfold from the kitchen, where there was an opening that looked into the seating area. A lot of the ETSU Wesley was wrapping utensils, placing them on tables when a new person was seated, passing out pitchers of water, or plating food.

I remember a little girl who'd came in a few times already had to sit at a table by herself. I looked up from cleaning dishes for a minute or two. I took notice of the orange balloon tied around her wrist and the single rose she kept in her hand. I wondered if it was her birthday. She smiled and waved at me. I smiled and waved back. And then shortly after her mother beckoned the girl to leave with her, and she was gone. I saw God in her precious, innocent smile.

The staff was so grateful for our group, because they were informed that our group had cancelled. They didn't even think we were going to show up. I am so glad we did not actually cancel. Every detail and plan set in place by them just seemed to work, I loved that. A mother daughter duo appeared to lead the POTS team, and the daughter could flawlessly transition between English and Spanish when talking to guests. I was so impressed.

We cleaned up in the kitchen, on and around the tables, put up the chairs, mopped, swept, and finished up washing dishes. 

A Dollar General was just down the street, so we stopped there at the conclusion of the work day. I got a Cherry Coke. I just needed something cold. We were going to go to the Bronx Zoo, but it was close to closing time and we decided against it. Part of us wanted to check out the Financial District. We split up again-- a group went to the Financial District and a group went back to the church.

That subway ride to Wall Street was the longest of all the ones we'd taken on the trip. It was probably two hours round trip. 

We saw the bull statue on Wall St. and spent some time checking out a market in Bowling Green. (Not to be confused with Kentucky.) They had sunglasses, pocket watches, patterned dresses, and who knows what else. The group of us split off even more and that resulted in us chasing each other in circles trying to find each other to stay together.

Battery Park was close by, and we did a "photoshoot" by the water there with the Statue of Liberty in the background. We laughed a lot and enjoyed each other's company. I think Hallie had the most fun being the photographer, working every angle, and proudly showing off the result after each shot.

We made it to the church for a dinner of spaghetti before it got too dark outside.

Late into the night we played Werewolf, Uno, and the hand game. Werewolf is like the card game "Mafia", but a little more complex and intense. Our group loves it a lot. 

And in that moment, I never wanted to leave. I never wanted to stop laughing, stop smiling, or stop being surrounded by these people. I looked around and felt at home. 

I knew in that moment I was meant to be at ETSU Wesley. I was meant to be with them here. 

May 12th

Saturday was our free day. My group was Callie, Hana Lee, Ketura, Hannah, and I. It was a rainy morning that started out as a drizzle then became a monsoon. We visited the Richard Rogers and Music Box theaters first, which is where "Hamilton" and "Dear Evan Hansen" are currently performed at. We got some food at tents and booths set up throughout Times Square, and moved on to find Grand Central station. I tried to help navigate us there. Lol. From Grand Central Station we went back to the Bowling Green subway stop we found yesterday and got on the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry was free and quite the experience. To get on, these glass doors opened and hundreds of people rushed to get on the boat. You'd think there was a Black Friday sale going on or something the way they ran. We got seated as the boat started to move. An official ferry person started to make their way around to everyone on our side, and people started to move. I barely heard him saying that the Statue of Liberty would be seen on the other side. I told our group and we started to move until he approached us. He said we could go to the back of the boat and see it there. Almost no one was on that part, so it was so easy to get pictures and it felt special.

None of us knew what was on Staten Island, but we walked around anyway just to check things out. I got a croissant right after we got off the ferry. We saw the Staten Island Yankees playing and found a 9/11 postcard memorial. Hannah also petted a dog who was tied up to a stop sign who instantly perked up when she interacted with him.

We went back to Times Square to an "I Heart New York" store and got some cheesecake at Junior's. Hannah bought me a large strawberry ice cream at a Ben & Jerry's next door since she had been craving ice cream all day.

The subway guided us back to our "home". On the ride back, we met two people, one of which was named Louie. Louie had asked us if it was still raining. We told him it was only drizzling. He started to go on about "weatherproof" jackets, and we all just kind of nodded and didn't pay much attention to what he was saying. But Ketura questioned him, asking for clarification. The woman to his right scoffed at Louie's explanation, saying that he could have phrased it much simpler. He went on to say he thought our brains were "weatherproof", and again the woman shut him down. She said something about Mount Everest and how no amount brain power could protect you from the elements there. He was like, you're right. One thing led to another, and we were telling her about us and she was telling us about her. We told her we were from ETSU and were on a mission trip. She asked if ETSU was a religious school, and I said no. She told us that she received her PhD from a Catholic school and was a psychoanalyst. It's crazy who you can meet on a subway. Not too long after she told us that, she turned to Louie and said, "This is our stop." I had no idea they even knew each other, I just thought they were engaging in friendly banter. But then they were gone.

Ben, Zach, and John were the only ones already back at the church. I wrote the rest of my "warm fuzzies" that night, or tried to, with all the other things going on. This was our last full night in the city. I repacked my bags to prepare for the long day Sunday. I was sad for it to be ending.

May 13th

I woke up to Penny blaring Hamilton. When I can wake up singing, I'm automatically in a better mood.

It only took us like fifteen minutes to take the cots apart, put them in the closet, and place all our bags and belongings against the wall. It was about 5:30 a.m..

Our week-long metro-cards had expired, so we had to buy a one trip card for about $3.00. On the subway to the airport, we played the hand game on top of our suitcases. I don't think anyone could really process what was going on fast enough for it to be considered a real game. From subway to AirTrain, and AirTrain to airport. Constant switching of transportation.

At the airport we had 45 minutes to kill before we could even start checking in our luggage. Hannah showed me some videos of Snoop Dog narrating Planet Earth. Others bought breakfast items.

We got checked in, went through security, and waited outside our terminal to board.

I got the window seat again and was in a row with Callie and Zach. Not long after takeoff I was out... again. I thought falling asleep on a plane was hard, but never doubt how exhausted you can be. I woke up to a flight attendant saying to prepare for landing at the Asheville airport.

We picked up our bags at baggage claim and were taken back to ETSU by Zach's family.

The campus was barren for the summer. It was hot. Quite the temperature change from New York.

We said our goodbyes in the Wesley parking lot and thanked John, Penny, and Amy for their hard work on the trip. My friends left one by one. 

I helped Hallie clean out her room at the Wesley House. I ran into Ketura and her dad; I think she was showing her dad where she'd be living over the summer and in the fall.

We got McDonald's and started the drive back to Mt. Juliet. We listened to Spotify, the radio, and some Tim Hawkins videos.

My family welcomed me home with open arms and together we went to Zaxby's. No more subways, no more cots, no more walking distance stores. Home. Bittersweet.

I will never forget my time in New York and I want to go back. All those who were with me made every second worth it, and I never felt sad, angry, or alone. I'm glad God led me to ETSU, even when I felt uneasy about it at first. 

Here's to all the memories made this year, and many more, serving God and being a light, even in places you'd never expect. 

Here's to all the times we said "let's go girls" before getting on a subway or walking down the streets of Manhattan.

Here's to natural light brightening the room we stayed in, natural laughter filling up the room, and naturally missing every single moment of last week.

Love always,

Allison