A few months ago my sister and I talked about booking a trip to New York City, just the two of us. Since we live 100 miles apart, we thought this trip would be the perfect chance to sneak in some quality time. Often, crazy ideas like this get talked about then forgotten, so when we landed in NYC we both looked at each other with excitement – we did it! We made this dream trip a reality!

When we checked the forecast in NYC we realized the weather was not on our side. It showed thunderstorms and rain for the majority of our time in the city. Luckily, the skies cleared enough on our first day to wander around Central Park, grab hot dogs from street vendors, and listen to musicians play along the path.

(Skyline views)

(Finding magical backdrops around every corner)

We concluded our time in Central Park by walking to the Met to rest our feet and watch a sea of taxis drive by. Once we felt more energized, we grabbed Milk ice cream and made our way to Times Square to dodge all the costumed characters and soak in the famous advertisement displays. By this point the rain had started again so we were thankful we brought our umbrellas!

(Resting our feet outside on the Met steps)

(Watching all the taxis drive by)

Day two started and ended with rain. Most of our itinerary involved being outdoors so we accepted the fact that we were going to get wet and headed out with our umbrellas. We made stops at the Flatiron Building and Battery Park before the cold got to us and we retreated to find warmth. After dinner it looked like the rain had stopped so we boarded a double decker tour bus to see the city lights. As fate would have it, 15 minutes into the tour it began to pour down with rain. Robyn and I could barely see any of the sights as we barreled down the street on top of the bus, rain whipping at our faces and rendering our flimsy ponchos useless. While we were soaked to the bone by the end of the tour we couldn’t help but laugh at our unfortunate situation.

(Wandering around the Flatiron district)

We couldn’t believe our eyes when we woke up on Monday to sunshine! Yes, sunshine! It felt glorious to go outside without an umbrella. We packed in a morning of walking the Highline, browsing the food stalls at Chelsea Market, and soaking in the skyline views at Top of the Rock. After a leisurely lunch seated outside the Rockefeller building we walked to the Ed Sullivan Theater to stand in line to see The Late Show. Being patient and waiting in line for two hours paid off because we made the cut and were able to be audience members for the show.

(Taking in the beautiful views that surround the Highline)

(Faced two of my fears, elevators and heights, to see this view)

Our last day in the city started without incident. We took a ferry ride over to Dumbo to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and take in Manhattan’s skyline. Our next stop was Washington Square Park. As we walked to the park I checked my email and realized our flight home had been canceled. I called Ian in a panic and operation crisis control was initiated. We all frantically looked into alternative flights, but the severe thunderstorm headed our way meant our only option was to fly out the next day.

(Views of Manhattan from Dumbo)

Once we booked our new flight and hotel room, Robyn and I took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the rest of our day. We went back to Washington Square Park, ate dinner at Joe’s Pizza and took pictures at the famous Friend’s apartment building.

(Washington Square Park)

(Beautiful homes in Greenwich Village)

(Outside the Friend’s apartment building)

While this was a short trip to NYC, we were able to make countless memories together. I felt like I needed to keep pinching myself to realize our dream of taking a sister trip had come true. If you have ever thought about taking a trip – this is your motivation. Make it happen! I promise you won’t regret it.