The fine arts at CHS went on a field trip to New York City on April 21-23, here was my experience. As a theater kid, I was ecstatic to go to the Big Apple. I had never been before. They say there is no place like New York City: the food, the smells, the entertainment, not to mention the Broadway shows. There is so much to take in when someone goes to any city, but something about New York is just different. But was it good or bad?  

To start off with the cons of NYC, along with any city really, is the smell. Whether it was trash, food, or a strange smell that I could not quite figure out. My nostrils went on a rollercoaster ride. The only time that I enjoyed breathing through my nose was when we would pass by a pizza shop. While it only lasted about .5 seconds, I enjoyed it while it was there, because after I walked by, I was met with garbage once again.  

To further elaborate on trash in the city, there were garbage bags EVERYWHERE. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but still, there were a strange number of black bags lined up along the street side. Not only were they stinky, but I would also have to weave and dodge them while trying not to run into other people walking on the street.   

Walking through Times Square was like no other experience I have ever had. I would turn my head and each time there would be something new. I saw Batman, Mario, and Spider-Man, all on the same street! There were also a few “naked” cowboys. Other than the people trying to scam me for my money, Times Square was beautiful. I would look up and it would just be buildings going up and up forever. There were stores all over the place, and some of them were even three floors! It was insane.   

I saw three shows, Wicked, Hadestown, and Peter Pan Goes Wrong. I can confidently say that not a single one of them was bad. The actors were phenomenal, and the sets were insane. My theater heart was going crazy. I even cried after, and while watching, Wicked because of how shocked I was during the whole show. There were (human) monkeys and witches flying everywhere, crazy animatronics, and a dragon! To say I was happy in that moment would be an understatement.  

Overall, the city was not terrible. I don’t think I could ever live in NYC; I’m not sure if I’m fully built for that. It’s a wonderful place to visit, but maybe not to live. There’s a lot of fast walking and dodging of people, and honestly, I’m convinced that half of them looked right over my head. I would like to go back to the city and get to experience even more of everything, but for right now, I’m content in my little county. 

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