New York: The Trip of a Lifetime

Genn Maravollo's Blog

We departed from Heathrow on the 14th of February, and for many of us the journey started right from the coach. However to most of our excitement we were slightly jet lagged from our 7 hour flight and so didn’t seem that bothered to be going to 'New York'! Soon you could sense people’s eagerness to just be in New York this really seemed the case when I heard someone say "Wow! Did you see the water flushes the other way"! And quickly, one after another people seemed to be getting into the spirit. When we hit Time Square, people had the impact that they were actually in New York!

The day after we headed down to Central Park which was just surreal and still seemed like a dream. Then most of our day was spent in the Metropolitan and the Guggenheim, which sounds boring to many however it was a great experience. We then topped off the night by going to the Empire State Building which was simply 'awesome'. The next day we strolled down past, the top of the rock, Rockefeller ice rink and St.Patricks Cathedral to stumble into the MOMA museum which was truly outstanding, afterwards we took a trip down to Grand Central Station which was charmingly titled as it was pretty 'Grand'! We then completed the night on a high by going ice skating at Rockefeller which was amazing!

The days rolled on; and on the fourth day we started with a mass at St.Patricks Cathedral which was quite an experience, we then strolled down through Time Square, past Greenwich Village and ended up in China town and Little Italy which was great fun! Then we walked down to Brooklyn Bridge and got the ferry past the Statue of Liberty which was freezingly fantastic. By this time we were exhausted and so got the subway back, with a slight discrepancy as we “some how” got the wrong subway and went in a circle! But we were all delighted when we arrived at a 'typical American diner' and ate away our fatigue! Then our trip was nearing to its end, and for some was the most 'important' day yet 'shopping', however through the friendship and fun times it didn't seem that important, but we still took the opportunity and all got some great bargains.

And before we knew it, the trip of a life time was over, however the memories and friendships remain, hopefully longer than the trip.

Aimee McDonald's Blog

I could have gone three directions while deciding what picture could possibly sum-up this trip. I could have chosen a picture that depicts the stunning skyscrapers, central park or simply the daily routine of life in New York. On the other hand I may have gone for the more intellectual approach which would surely be quite a breakthrough for the art department… an actual piece of art work! Even if I continued down this path, the pieces of art that really made me excited, inspired and truly swept away I was unable to photograph due to restrictions. This image would be of any of Lucian Freud’s work from either the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the MoMA. I would have travelled that distance to only to see one painting or etching of Freud’s and nothing else.

I went on the 2006 New York trip where we encountered the blazing blizzard that was record breaking in the USA. Last time that snow made the trip, it was the toffee on the big apple! However this time it was not the sites, or the art that enabled me to enjoy myself so much… it was the people. The philosophical customs guy to the random people you end up chatting to, but most importantly the ‘I love New York Club’. I could have gone anywhere in this world of discovery and yet not have had made so many new friendships along the way. Yes we knew of each other, several I was already well acquainted with. Yet now I can call so many more not my peers by my friends, and even now back at school we are all still in constant contact with each other. I can safely say that I have laughed more in those 5 days than the in past 5 months.

I have decided upon the photograph of my room mates and myself in Times Square: Ellie, Ali and my younger sister Emily.