The night before my birthday Daniel posted the following on FaceBook, "Alright dudes, it's Katrina's birthday tomorrow and I need gift suggestions. Help me out FB."
I enjoyed reading the 49 responses (clothes from Anthropology, a massage, a mani-pedi, a day of watching Charlotte so I could do whatever I wanted). All of these suggestions were fabulous (you guys know me well!). My favorite response was from a friend who said this after giving a few of her own ideas, "Sadly, it's a little late for anything truly thoughtful (ouch, I know)." Nice dig. :)
Anyways, I never have high expectations for my birthday and with each year it gets less and less of an event. This year Daniel and I went to I Love Sushi for lunch. There he decided to present me with my gift. Inside a Disney princess gift bag I found the following - 1. a green apple 2. some Philadelphia cream cheese 3. a People magazine. I didn't quite know what to think but figured Daniel was either really struggling this year to find a gift, or that he might be up to something. He gave me a moment to consider what was before me and then he conceded the items in the bag were clues for what my real gift was.
I thought, maybe these are a reference to places we might live one day - the Big Apple, Philly, but the magazine was really throwing me off. Especially this particular one's cover stories had headlines like, "My deep dark secret..." or "So-and-so's revenge" - I really couldn't find any connection with the magazine. Finally, after being unsuccessful in guessing, Daniel told me the following:
"Start SPREADING (that was the cream cheese) the NEWS (he had wanted to find a newspaper, but Target only had magazines) we are going to the BIG APPLE! (the green apple)"
I could NOT believe it. Seriously?? NYC? I LOVE that city!
He was going to New York later that month on a business trip and so his plane ticket and the hotel were already going to be taken care of. He splurged and got me a ticket to join him and lined up his parents to watch Charlotte while we were away! I could not believe he had arranged all this for me! I was thrilled!
BEST. PRESENT. EVER.
Here are some of the highlights (in no particular order):
1. Probably the best thing was being on trip alone with my husband. I LOVE our little munchkin, but having some uninterrupted time together was extremely rejuvenating. This is the 2nd time in almost 3 years that I have been able to break away from the responsibilities of parenting for a few days. Such a treat! Thank you to Lola and Papa for taking care of our Button Babe to make this possible!
2. Walking around the southern tip of Manhattan (Battery Park) with Daniel and watching the sunset behind the Statue of Liberty.
3. Eating a salted caramel cupcake from Crumbs. Uh-MAY-Zing. * They can even ship your order to you, just in case you want to try some of these without coming all the way to NYC.
4. Reconnecting with my childhood friend Maurya C. - (we went to kindergarten together in Connecticut). We enjoyed a long walk and lunch together in the financial district and then she walked me over to see her apartment and up to see the views from her office building.
5. Walking and shopping in SoHo. Found some fabulous shoes at a store called ShoeGasm. What a name, right?
6. Enjoying a Broadway production (with our TKTS discounted tickets) - Other Desert Cities. I have seen numerous musicals on Broadway, but this time we wanted to see a play - it was wonderful.
7. Visiting with our friend from Atlanta, Olivia, who now lives in a suburb of NY. Way to brave the subway with a stroller and a 1 year old! You go girl! Thanks for making the trek!
8. Meeting up with Daniel's friend and enjoying a most interesting and stimulating conversation.
9. Eating at Bobby Flay's restaurant Mesa Grill. This is what we ordered... WOW.
BLUE CORN PANCAKE
with Barbecued Duck + Habanero Chile-Star Anise Sauce 15.
NEW MEXICAN SPICE RUBBED PORK TENDERLOIN
with Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce + Sweet Potato Tamale with Crushed Pecan Butter 30.
MANGO + SPICE CRUSTED TUNA STEAK
with Green Peppercorn-Green Chile Sauce + Toasted Pine Nut Cous Cous 35.
10. Taking the Staten Island Ferry and seeing the view of the city from the water and the Statue of Liberty.
11. The hotel was probably the coolest we have ever stayed in - The Andaz Wall Street. I loved the modern, minimalist decor. An added perk was that the fridge came stocked with "fancy drinks" and all the non-alcoholic ones were complimentary. Plus there was an assortment of snacks - healthy nut bars, veggie chips, organic chocolate - again, all complimentary, and all of it would be restocked the next day. Besides, it was awesome to know that we weren't paying for any of it. Thank you to the company Daniel was doing business with - they are the reason any of this was possible in the first place.
THANK YOU, DANIEL, FOR SUCH A MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY PRESENT. I still can't believe it all actually happened. I love you so much. I love traveling places with you and creating these memories together. There is a lot of world to see - here is to traveling with the one you love!
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