I normally would post this in my deviantart journal, but I'm posting a contest there and I have to post stuff somewhere.

Monday and Tuesday of last week came and went. I gathered my homework for the anticipated orchestra trip to New York and spent my last night in Iowa sneaking on my laptop since Mom wouldn't let me bring it. I probably stayed up later then I should've, but whatever.

Wednesday morning, well, it was hardly morning, since it was 2:30 in the morning, I wake up, grab all my already packed stuff, and Mom and I head to the airport. Mom's complaining about how she didn't grab her coffee and I'm unconscious. The airport security opens up a 3:30, and since it's a smalltown airport the lines are nonexistent since we're the only people there. However, being my first time flying since I was ten, I wasn't aware of all the new security rules. I knew you needed a photo ID, (trust me, I'm 16 and due to many reasons haven't gotten a driving permit yet, so we had to get some state issued ID from the driving place...) but I didn't know you needed to take off your jacket and shoes. I'd put my liquids in the baggie already, and after stripping my sweatshirt and outside jacket I go through. I have to say bye to Mom there since you can't go past the check point without a ticket...

After sleeping some more, we got on the plane. Small airport, remember? The plane was tiny with 2 seats as opposed to the usual 3, and I got the aisle. (Did that the whole trip...) The flight attendants go through the emergency procedures, we get either a small cup of water of fruit juice. They don't even give out peanuts anymore. T_T Slept some more, and we arrive at the Minneapolis airport.

I've been to Minneapolis before for shopping at the Mall of America, but wow, what an airport. It has those walking escalator things and a tram, for cripes sake! They have stores for everything, so much so that you wouldn't even need to pack your suitcase since you could just buy everything there. I had a muffin and some caffeine, naturally, waited for the next flight, and then we flew.

This plane wasn't a small crappy one like the other one, it had three seats. I got the aisle again, a teenage girl got the window, and a freshman violist got the middle. (Giggles.) I read some Jane Eyre, and then I got to talking to the teenage girl. She was from another orchestra and going to the convention too, so we had fun.

Bad weather or something caused chaos at the airport, so before landing they made us go around and around New York several times, hitting turbulence along the way. I'm not the type to get nauseous, but god...we finally landed only to be told by the pilot that none of the planes could get to the actual airport due to traffic or something...and we can't go to the bathroom either since the plane couldn't move unless we were seated. 0_T Annoying.

So, way later we get in the airport and then get on our tour bus. Naturally, it's New York City, there's a lot a traffic, so we get to see lots of NYC. I took really random pictures and then we arrive at our hotel, the Hilton. Yes, it was started by the ancestors of Paris Hilton, but luckily it was mere blocks away from all the important stuff in NYC.

It's supposedly a five-star hotel. I guess those stars are based on the price of stuff and the fact that they sell furs and diamonds there...anyways, not five star in my opinion. 49 cents a minute to use the computers in the lobby, $12 a night for internet in the hotel rooms, $30 to use a microwave, mini-bar, don't know, didn't wanna find out, no good channels from what I'm told, and small rooms for big prices.

...anywho, done ranting about the hotel...I go with a group to a place called Cafe Metro for lunch, good stuff for reasonable New York prices, had a brief meeting with the group where we were told what to do at Carnegie, and then we were free to roam.

I joined the freshman violist, her friend and her mom's group and we took a taxi. I was wondering why they were so eager to go to a Chinese restaraunt they'd seen on the TV. It wasn't open yet, so we wandered around. We happened across a small salon that advertised something called eyebrow threading. We go in, and I decide to go for it since it's New York and it won't happen again. Basically, they use threads and pull them across your forehead in a matter similiar to plucking. It hurts, especially since I've only had my eyebrows plucked once, but they looked good. The restaraunt was then open, and I discovered...it wasn't a Chinese restaraunt.

TRANSVESTITE BAR!!! (Waves arms.) We go in and we see a couple of guys dressed like women, and they're gorgeous. We get some pictures, but in order to do so the other girls had to suck up to them. Basically, the conversation was like so:

Corrina: (The freshman violist.) Can I take your picture?

Brunette: Why?

Corrina: Because you're pretty!

Brunette: Oh, well okay!

Unfortunately, we couldn't get a reservation, so we had pizza at a nearby dominos. We all wanted to see Time Square at night, so I went to a store to buy another disposable camera for $15 since I didn't bring the other one with me, and we go on the subway. No, it didn't smell like piss, it actually smelled more like a combination of gasoline and paint. It wasn't kind of rickety and luckily we got directions from a local person.

Time Square at night. Wow. Chaotic. Bright. Used all 27 pictures on the camera. Looked at a few stores, (not all of them, but that's impossible,) and then we headed back to the hotel.

I spent a lot of time with my other roommates and some other girls just chatting like the typical girls we are. We went to bed, and were waken up far too early with a 6:30 wake-up call.

Friday morning comes and the entire orchestra group gets on the buses and gets a commentary tour until we get out on a cold dock and wait in the cold wind in a huge line to get a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. After going through security and warming up we get on the Ferry. I take the rest of the pictures from my original disposable camera and bought some overpriced Statue of Liberty shaped gummy yummies. XD You heard me. Gummy bears, but instead of bears they're the Statue of Liberty. I wish I kept the wrapper....we didn't get off to see the Statue of Liberty though. Why? It's closed due to security threats and terrorists. -_-; We didn't want to see the museum in the base. So now I say, "I would've gone into the Statue of Liberty, but I eated it."

We did get off at Ellis Island though. Since Sarah and her mom had bought me a wallet for the trip with $50 dollars inside of it, I'd gotten Sarah a little Statue of Liberty bear and bought a little doll ornament that looked a bit like Sarah for her mom. I also bot a little Matreshka (nesting doll) for Mom since I know she likes them. I looked around a bit and then it was time to go. After returning, we discover the street vendors. About a dozen different guys all selling handbags and Rolex watches. (More like faux-exes.) Seriously. Don't trust them. They're all walking around saying, "Handbag? Handbag?" and "Rolex? Rolex?" in annoying voices...lovely.

We then went to Ground Zero and a store called Century 21 to shop. Apparently it's a store that sells brand name stuff for cheaper prices. Right up my alley. Since I have vision for blue/green things only, I found this cute little teal jacket. It was shiny, it was short, and it had a tie in, it was some brand called "Odds and Evens," and it was only $25. This is New York. That's apparently a brand name. I wasn't going to find something like it again, so I talked myself into it and got it. Everyone's thought it was adorable: Best buy ever!

After waiting for some kids that got lost I then have a bit of spare time, and I want to see Central Park, so I go with two chaperones, buy another camera for $10 dollars this time, and we go. Wow. It was refreshing to see trees and quiet. Naturally, I took pictures, so much so that I used that camera too. The zoo was closed, but I saw some stuff, and we then go to the Plaza just so we can see it. It's so clean! ...yeah, I can't think of anything else...

We head back to the hotel and get dressed to see Wicked on Broadway. I'm wearing the jacket with a black sparkly skirt from Rampage and we head over. (The theatre's only a few blocks away since the hotel's downtown.) Katharine had mentioned she really wanted a Wicked souvenior, and to my luck they have a booth right in the entrance. I see a pink t-shirt with darker pink long sleeves that says "Popular" with a little wand next to it, (it's one of the songs in the musical, if you didn't know,) and I found her souvenoir. 35. F***ing. Dollars. But worth it. It was so her, I knew she would love it, (she did,) so it was worth it.

The show. Wow. What a show. The set, for one thing. It was so detailed. It had a flipping moving dragon! And the actors! The person who played Elphaba was amazing! What a voice! She hit high notes! She hit low notes! I loved her little moments of sarcasm and Glinda's constant word misuse! And I was able to predict that the cub was going to become the Cowardly Lion and Boq was going to become the Tin Man and Fiyero was going to become the Scarecrow. Naturally I was thinking of who could cosplay...I did a funny little doodle as a result.

Intermission, however, brings a fun story. I decide to go to the bathroom knowing full and well there'll be a huge line. An announcment comes on telling us to get in our seats and I'm five people away. Now I'd been talking with the person next to me and saying how it's not fair that the guy's line is nonexistent and how we should just go in there. So I do. I march right into the boy's bathroom and go. XD ...mind you, I've been told that was extremely stupid, especially since the line wasn't there but there were guys in there...but still, it's the principle of the matter. It was strangely exhilerating! Defy Gravity: Use the Men's Room. ...wow...

Saturday isn't as exciting at first. We have an orchestra rehearsal in a tiny room that we spend half the time tuning and I was fighting sleep. I then go with my roommate and her parents and we see the Rockefeller ice skating rink and some other stuff. We then get dressed to go to...Carnegie Hall.

Five harps to move, tons of cellos and bases, lots of preperation, and I feel like it was a bit of a rip-off from my expectations...but it was the biggest stage, (almost nobody was there, but still,) and we played. We played really well. The judges said we were one of the most mature sounding orchestras there! Hell yeah!

That night I went with a group that was planning to go to the Top of the Rockefeller center. We saw St. Patrick's church since we had some time and one of the girl's was Irish Catholic and then we ate at T.G.I. Friday's. Technically it's a chain, but they're not in Iowa anymore and we felt like it. I have a pasta that's spicy, (normally don't like spicy food, but it was good in this case,) and since it's TGI Friday's they have balloons, and I tied a pair of them around my wrist. XP What a fashion statement. It's what everyone's wearing in Paris!

We then go the Top of the Rockefeller center, and I get the idea to try and save money on my ticket by buying a kid's ticket. The adult price is 17 bucks and the kid's is 12, so you see why. However, the cut-off for kids was 12 years old. Well, I'm short, I speak in a high pitched naturally, I dress in what could be perceived as young clothes, and I had balloons tied around my wrist. It worked! I'm twelve! XD The only time I'm happy to be perceived as younger then I actually am.

Unfortunately I had to get rid of the balloons before going to top since it could've gotten stuck on something, but have you ever seen New York skyline at night? Amazing! I couldn't take any pictures...but still, wow.

The wake-up call for those of us on the plane was 4, and we arrived at the airport at five. After going through check-in and security and all that fun stuff, we get on the plane. Slept on that one, ate at Minneapolis, read on the crappy tiny plane, and then returned home. Mom and Katharine loved their gifts, and after doing homework I caught up on my computer stuff like the addict I am.

Monday I'm exhausted and I have make-up homework, but do I get a chance to relax? Nope. Mock trial went to Des Moines on Tuesday and Wednesday. So we left half way through Tuesday and had our first round that evening. I snuck my computer with me hoping to use the internet, but unfortunately, the internet isn't free...anyways, we were prosecution, which is always harder in mock trial for complicated reasons I won't get into. We kick butt, we eat at Spaghetti Works, and we go to bed.

The next day we're prosecution again, and we kick butt again. After lunch in the hotel room we have our third round. We're finally defense, which I actually do something on, (I'm a witness,) but we learn from a debater that it's one of the hardest mock trial groups in the state. We're feeling confident and we felt like we did well. The person who crosses me askes me some insane questions that aren't relevant, (I point out that one of their witnesses testified to a phrase that they stole from my affadavit, and that I didn't see what my opinion of Lewis's personality had to do with whether or not the supposed Lewis journal pages were authentic or not, and I didn't see how it was relevant,) and apparently...

We get a judge that gives us horrible ratings. So we don't advance, no big, but I get a five. Out of ten. T_T She apparently didn't like me because I naturally speak in a high-pitched voice. Evil.

Thursday and Friday go by quickly, and now I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do since I lost my colored pencils. Meh...