I'm back baby!!!!!! Boston, NYC, NJ!

Woooo. Weeeee. It feels good to be back and writing a blog again. I've probably promised a lot of blogs that I didn't keep up with. All I got to say, "Life happens".
I got carried away being on vacation. You ask, "Vacation from what?" Vacation from working on a ship for seven months. The vacation is almost over too. Oh, but it has been such a marvelous vacation.
Why yes, I work on a cruise ship. I've gotten many different reactions from stating this job. It's a very hectic and hard working job. I work seven days a week plus holidays. I would not be going back if I didn't absolutely love the job. I get to do pre-press work, some design and see print production. I've also newly been trained to be a helpful technician to our lovely Canon printers if they should ever have some problems onboard. Seems like a lot, but I'm the kind of person who likes to stay busy. Also a perk to working on a cruise ship, I get to do some "sneak peek traveling". That's what I like to call it, since at ports I usually get to go explore for about four to five hours. Fun stuff.
This vacation has also been absolutely fun! My first month I relaxed like crazy. I spent lots of time with my family and had a bunch of family meals. Family meal time is always one of my favorites. Enjoying good food and good company. The best combo!
I met my niece for the first time! Cutest little baby girl. That girl has a strong grip. I bet she's going to play some kind of sport when she's in grade school.

I also got to attend my nephew's 3rd birthday party. That crazy kiddo had a blast swimming, getting cake all over himself, whacking that piñata, and opening all those presents!

On my way to NYC I stopped by Boston, MA and visited my big bro. Then I stopped by NYC to visit friends and attend my friends' wedding. Lastly I went off to NJ for training. Yippy!

Find out about my trips in New York City, Boston and New Jersey.

"In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of..."

It's always fantastic to be in the Big Apple! I headed here for a wedding and to see some friends. My besty, Susie, was also in town, so we got to hang out. When I arrived at JFK, Moe, Susie and I hung out for the day in the Brooklyn area. It may have been Queens, but I couldn't tell the difference. I was a bit exhausted and didn't really know what to do in that area. We headed into the city to get Korean food. At this time, my friend Zac had joined us and we were all famished. I was excited to get Korean food in NYC! Eating is always a joyful time especially with family and friends!

 Breakfast Time!

 Korean Food with Susie, Moe and Zac.

Soon Doobu! Delicious

Reflecting back on my five days in the Big Apple, I realized how busy I was. You never realize how much work you are capable of doing when you are determined to stick with your plans. Yes, I had work to do. Despite that, I was able to finish it all and stick to most of my plans! Fabulous!
On Wednesday, I headed out on my journey to claim the Cinderella Broadway tickets I bought. I did get lost. NYC Subway is no walk in the park. It's not as simple as SF Bart. Two hours later I got the tickets and met Susie at MOMA. We decided to save MOMA for another time as it was going to close in a couple hours. There was no way we could have seen everything in such a short time. We stopped by Time Square for dinner and then watched the show. Cinderella was really magical! I was surprised to be singing along with some of the songs. I didn't know I knew them. I guess I have the 1997 Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella film to thank for that. VHS days baby!! That was my first broadway show. I was so happy! I was not disappointed at all. It was definitely a whole nother world watching a broadway show! I am so addicted. I want to watch another broadway show!

 Around MOMA area

Time Square for Dinner

 It's Showtime!

My First Broadway Show!

The next day I had met Susie for lunch before she headed back to PA. We ate at The Grey Dog. It was a cute and urban little cafe. The waiters tag your table with bandanas, which was unique. I had a tuna melt and iced coffee. They both satisfied my tummy. At Penn Station, I dropped Susie off and said my "See you again soon." Afterwards I headed out on my journey to Chobani in SOHO. I didn't really factor in how far of a walk it was from Penn Station. It was quite a stroll, but I saw some cool things on the way. I even popped into Bath & Body Works to get the "Carried Away" body wash. "Carried Away" fragrance smells so good! Try it the next time you stop into Bath & Body Works. As I strolled down along into the direction of SOHO, rain had hit. It had come down pouring, so I had run into Subway to wait it out. I had bought a bottle of water and had stayed for a bit since there was an outlet to charge my phone.

 Lunch at The Grey Dog

Thunder Buddies for everyone!

I finally made it to Chobani! Smaller than I imagined. I wished it was a little more seat friendly. There aren't very many spots to sit and enjoy your Chobani. Despite the small space, it's super delicious! I took my Peach & Almond Chobani to go and made my way to Koreatown.

I wouldn't be Marissa if I didn't get lost. When I hopped onto the subway, I was checking to see if it was going in the right direction. Next thing I knew the train was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. Fail! I hopped off and got onto the right train. I arrived at Madangsui, a Korean BBQ restaurant, and greeted my friends. It was a great little reunion and delicious food!

Friday was a bit stressful. Crazy right?! I was on vacation and I was stressed. In between my joyful adventures in the city, I was finishing up some pre-training material. I had the week to finish it. I thought I was on top of it. I was waking up early and going to bed late. I was surprised at myself that I was able to wake up at 7AM and go to bed at 2AM. The stressful part was that I could not pass a quiz. I even went back to the material to look up the answers and still could not pass. Next thing I knew I was late for my friend's bachelorette party, and I even brilliantly forgot my ID at the apartment. Let alone, the outfit I was suppose to wear was way too wrinkled. I took a deep breathe. First, I decided to take the quiz again on Sunday. Second, I just wore the shirt I previously had worn. Third, I headed back to the apartment to grab my ID. Fourth, I was only half an hour late. Success! The night was really fun. I had some drinks and danced the night away with the soon to be Mrs. Chang. Most importantly I got home safely at 2:30AM.