I can’t believe it’s already been two weeks (!!!) since we returned from our whirlwind week in NYC, but alas, it has, and I haven’t even (gasp!) downloaded our vacation pictures from my phone.

But even though I’m way behind on the downloading, that doesn’t mean I can’t write about our trip anyway and sub in a pic from one my all-time favorite movies, right?

It’s New York appropriate, after all…

In another one of my favorite flicks set in NYC, Serendipity, Sara (Kate Beckinsale) asks Jonathan (John Cusack) about his “favorite New York moment” as they ice-skate on their impromptu date in Rockefeller Center.

Answering “Well, this one’s climbing the charts,” she announces she’s flattered before prompting falling on her bottom. Incidentally, only Kate Beckinsale could make falling look that adorable…I probably would’ve sprained my ankle, hence why I never ice skate.

But I’m getting off on a tangent…typical Christa behavior.

Anyway, with Serendipity in mind, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite New York moments from our recent trip (in no particular order, of course)…

Pizza for Breakfast: On our first full day, we thought we’d start the trip off with a proper breakfast. So after hitting up Dean & Deluca for coffee, we decided against the coffee cake and chocolate croissants in search of an omelet or waffles or anything relatively substantive. But then, quite unexpectedly, we came across the most delicious smell that kicked any other breakfast options straight to the curb—the smell of yeasty, freshly baked NYC pizza with an array of fresh toppings. And while it was technically too early for lunch (10:45 to be precise), we simply couldn’t ignore the pull of such deliciousness.

In case you wondered, yes, it totally lived up to our respective sniffers’ hype. While Will went straight for the meat lover’s varietal, I chose a slice of white pizza with gobs of gooey mozzarella, garlic, basil and a healthy dollop of homemade ricotta, and it pretty much changed my life.

Broadway x 2: We saw two incredible shows that really couldn’t have been more different from each other—a musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with the littlest Jo Bro in the lead (he was actually really good) and Death of a Salesman with the always-fantastic Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield of Social Network fame.

Every time I’m at the theater, I regret that I don’t go more often because I love it so much. That was definitely the case this time around, too, well, except for the $14.00 drinks. But they do make a mean amaretto sour at the Ethel Barrymore theater—you know, just in case you were in the market for one. 🙂

Exploring on Our Own Terms: Aside from the Broadway shows, a couple of restaurant reservations and meeting up with my friend Anna, we really didn’t keep much of a schedule during the trip which allowed for all kinds of fun adventures. I absolutely loved all the walking, people-watching and seeing everything from mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the natural charms of Central Park to all the random shops (and trust me, some were very niche to say the least) we spotted along the way.

Seeing What Paintings Will Loved at the Met: I’ve always liked art, but I feel like a total flunkie whenever I’m looking at it with Will. Not only does he know so much more about the paintings’ historical contexts, but I absolutely love seeing what he likes and what he doesn’t and why. So as you can probably imagine, checking out the Met was an absolute pleasure, even if he does like Picasso more than I do. 🙂

Viva La Vida-After arriving at LaGuardia on Sunday night, we took the shuttle to our hotel in Midtown, and our driver graciously let me sit in the front seat. Since it was around 10:30 and pitch, pitch black, my first view of the Manhattan skyline was absolutely stunning. I can just never get over how beautiful—and big—this city is. And with Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” playing in the background, I’ll probably never hear that song again without thinking of NYC.

Artichoke Lasagna at I Sodi-A stone’s throw from historic Bleecker Street in the West Village, I Sodi is this great little Tuscan restaurant I kept hearing about, and now I totally understand why. From the warm crusty bread and fruity olive oil that arrived not long after we sat down to the truly innovative pasta and second courses, I couldn’t stop smiling. And while I’m sure their traditional lasagna is quite delicious in its own right, I simply couldn’t resist trying the artichoke lasagna since it a different way to eat one of my favorite vegetables. Such a revelation, by the way. It was so good that I barely had room for the chicken main course.

The Sweetest Things: For better or worse, I have a serious sweet tooth. And while I tried not to indulge every whim (and trust me, the array of sugary delights are practically endless), I did sample a few sweet treats of note—a cupcake at the famed Magnolia Bakery (mmmmmm!), a veritable vat of tiramisu that rivals about any I’ve had to date at Patsy’s and roasted banana ice cream at Dos Caminos, the ideal sweet finish to one of my all-time favorite meals. In case you’re curious, I always get the irrestible guac and chips and the open-faced crunchy shrimp quesadilla that probably doesn’t sound like much when you’re reading about it, but is absolute perfection when you’re wolfing it down. If only we had Dos Caminos in DFW…okay, it’s probably good that we don’t.

Being Among All Sorts of Creative People-When you’re in a coffee shop in Nashville, many of the conversations revolve around the music biz, while practically everyone in L.A. is talking about movie scripts, acting gigs and the like. But in NYC, the conversations were so varied—there were writers talking about their next book, playwrights, poets and musicians who sang everything from opera to Indie rock. I absolutely loved the diversity and couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be a writer living there on a regular basis. Incidentally, for inspiration, Will took a picture of the Simon & Schuster office for me.

While most people will stop and take a snapshot of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty or Rockefeller Center, we opt for the Simon & Schuster building. I kind of love that about us…