Cocktails and The City

See You Soon New York

And just like that, we have already hit those final weeks of college. The ones that make you reflect and the ones that hit you the hardest. If I ever have one piece of advice to give, it’s to look back with a smile and never regret the things you’ve done, to embrace every memory, and to have the knowledge that next year you will get to do it all over again.

Now that I’ve made it to my final few weeks of Columbia, it really made me think back on the entirety of this year. I’ve been to some fabulous places, tried the tastiest of cocktails and of course met the people that I now consider my self-made family. When I first came to college, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Little did I know, these would be the best months of my life, meeting people from all over America, becoming Amity Hall Uptown’s Princess and truly making my way to becoming a full New Yorker.

In these final two weeks of semester, I planned to make it a send off to remember, because after all I wouldn’t be seeing my friends for three months.

So, it’s Thursday night in New York, and you know what that means, its time to hit the bars. Me and my friends Steven and Danielle found ourselves in Hudson yards this evening. The perfect place to go for classy drinks and good conversation. One of the best bars in the area with a lively atmosphere and a vibe that exudes wealth, and elegance is the Porchlight bar.  We happened to attend on the night of a celebration, which meant there was champagne flowing, and guests surrounding us were dressed to the nines. This was exactly what I needed tonight, a night to get all dressed up and pretend like the end of semester wasn’t near. Like we had all the time in the world together in college, not just a mere few weeks.  

What is also troublesome about these few weeks however is that we also have to account for finals season. I already had my first final today, so by my standards I needed to go out and celebrate with my friends. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a rip-roaring night on the streets, but it was the perfect sort of occasion. The one where you can simmer down with your friends and enjoy a cosmopolitan or two.

The following day, I did actually have a lot of work to do. I needed to go to the Natural History Museum for a class trip, and then I had an appointment on the Upper West Side to get my nails done, priorities of course. The Natural History Museum is a must see iconic attraction of New York, with its extensive exhibits and centuries worth of history at your fingertips. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to explore, however I most certainly will be back next semester. Instead, I had to race three blocks up to QQ Nails and spa where my oh so relaxing manicure was waiting for me. I’m somewhat of a regular at this salon and I cannot recommend it more. As someone who loves to always have their nails done, the hand and back massage at the end of the treatment really makes this such a relaxing experience.

Afterwords I really needed to get a move on with my work, so I travelled back to Hudson yards, taken in by its charm and, of course, its shops. I promised myself I would do some studying today, which I did do… however in the company of a few espresso martinis. If you are a martini lover like me, you simply must check out the Rose Room, a secret bar hidden on the top level of Hudson Yards mall. It serves unique and absolutely mouthwatering espresso for martinis that are guaranteed to have you coming back for more. The atmosphere that surrounds you is filled with roses, and the music puts you in such a great mood. Perfect for company or even a glamorous date with yourself. Unfortunately, they only offer bar snacks in the Rose Room, however if you head next door to Queensyard, you will be seated at a fabulous table with views overlooking the iconic Vessel. Talk about a delicious dinner and a view! Once I consumed enough coffee and vodka to balance one another out, I finally forced myself back to campus where the sun was still shining. It truly is abominable to have to study inside when it is perfect tanning weather!

Unlike usual, this Friday night was one of the quieter ones on campus, whether it be due to the students tired from a long day of studying, or if like me we had already consumed enough martinis for the week!

On Saturday, I truly took a break from studying. One the athletic fraternities were hosting the last Darty of the season and of corse your girl had to be there. If you ever need to find me, look for the football players and the drinks, and that is where i’ll be. There’s nothing more iconic New York college than partying on a rooftop at 2pm in the afternoon with football players and basketball players beside you and a glass of whatever concoction they make in your hand. And that is how my Saturday went, dancing on the roof and somewhat making an attempt not to go to close to the edge.

Safe to say that afterwards, I was completely exhausted. Between my attempt at studying downtown and partying in the last few weeks, I needed to spend the next few days really locking in… well, until Met Gala Monday.

Happy Met Gala Monday to those who celebrate, and of course I do! It was also the last day of classes here at Columbia, but a certain blue carpet and vogue editor extraordinaire were the only things on my mind today. The final day of classes in itself can be an emotional one. The learning from this semester has finally come to an end and it was time to say goodby to our favourite professors. One of the first goodbyes we would have to say. But, in New York, you can’t think like that. You have to be able to keep that strong will and push through. So, even despite the rain, I made the journey all the way to the Upper East Side.

Now, I didn’t know this about Met Gala Monday, but it turns out the entire Upper East Side descends into madness. I attempted to subway there and had to change trains multiple times and then even transfer to the bus which skipped many stops along its usual route. When I eventually made it close to the Museum, I noticed that the entire of 5th Avenue between 79th and 85th was closed. Well, this trip just got a whole lot harder. There was absolutely no way to get anywhere near the Met, let alone the celebrities attending. I walked and walked along the streets and avenues, but I saw nothing apart from SUV’s, containing celebrities behind blacked out windows.  But for some reason, even despite the torrential rain soaking my sneakers and huge falling water droplets soaking into my Yankees baseball hat, I found myself smiling. Smiling at the fact that this year, I can attend the Met Gala in person when all I’ve ever been able to to is watch it on my iPad in my bed back home, smiling at all the other people on the street who just like me want to catch a glimpse of someone famous, smiling at the fact that I love New York and my home is such a beautiful place where anyone can be what they want to be, dressing however they want. And that’s how you know. When you can find beauty in the rain, that’s how you truly know you are meant to live there.

So, after my brief adventures over the weekend, I found myself truly locked in to studying this week. Set on acing my finals and getting ready to take temporary leave from my home and my friends.

By the time it got to Saturday I figured I deserved break from all this intense studying. So, for the last time this semester, I took the subway downtown and took myself on a solo date. This time, I thought I would try something truly sentimental to me. I picked out a perfect little restaurant called Miss Nellies, located in the heart of Midtown. Miss Nellie’s is named after Nellie Bly, one of the first female investigative journalists who moved to New York to work for the New York Newspaper. Something I can only aspire to do someday. Once there, I had a perfect dirty martini, filled to the brim with blue cheese olives and enough vodka to take the edge off and I sat reading my book in a perfect midtown relaxation. What a fabulous way to end my downtown adventures until after the summer.

And just like that I finished all my finals and started packing away my dorm supplies. And as a little surprise to say, “see you soon,” I gave all my friends a small card with one picture of us from this semester. Once pictures and a thousand memories. I wont ever forget this year, and I can’t wait for another just like this one.

So, as I sit here writing this, in the lounge where I spent my first night making friends, I realise I’ve come a long way from the girl I used to be. I’ve ridden the subway alone more times than I can count, I’ve been proudly mistaken for a New Yorker multiple times and I’ve never once given up on my New York dream.

New York is my home, but for the summer I’m signing off.