We're golden
I lördags var vi på Night Nation Run. Började dagen med att packa min stora resväska med sånt jag inte skulle behöva sista tiden i New York och mitt handbagage med mat som jag inte skulle hinna äta upp själv. På grund av väskornas tyngd och för att jag var lite lat beställde jag sedan en uber in till Manhattan och Tess. Uberfärden var lätt den bästa hitintills under min vistelse i USA. Joe, min förare, var enormt trevlig och social och vi pratade på om allt mellan himmel och jord.
Hemma hos Tess lagade vi amerikanska pannkakor, skar frukt och avnjöt med nutella och maple syrup. Så gott! Efteråt satt vi en stund i solen på Tess rooftop och runt 15 kom Madde hem till Tess också med en flaska vin. Efter vin och förberedelse begav vi oss mot Brooklyn och Aviator center. Resan var lång, men sista biten fick vi åka amerikansk skolbuss. På den sjöng vi svenska buss-låtar och störde hela bussen. Väl framme på Night Nation Run gick vi runt vid alla olika bås och samlade på oss gratisprylar, köpte drinkbiljetter och ställde oss sedan i kön för att få ansiktsmålning. Strax innan det var vår tur kom Marlies och Lauren och efter att vi målat våra ansikten gick vi de 5 km som loppet utgjordes utav. Själva poängen med Night Nation Run är dock inte att springa, utan det är festen. Så på flera olika ställen under "loppet" fanns det DJ-bås som vi stannade vid och dansade. Och efter de 5 km så var det efterfest vid en stor scen.
Det var en sjukt rolig upplevelse, men vi blev lite besvikna över att det inte höll på längre. Även om vi inte kom hem förrän kl 3, hade vi utan problem kunnat fortsätta längre. Men kul var det.
I söndags skulle jag ha gått på gospelkör, men fick tyvärr inte tag i en biljett och gick därför istället från Harlem ner till Central Park och gick runt i flera timmar, kollade på den vackra naturen och på alla kärleksfulla inskriptioner på alla bänkar.
Måndag åkte jag till Brooklyn och gick runt i Dumbo för att sedan gå över bron till Manhattan. Sedan tog jag tunnelbanan till Meatpacking district och letade upp Carrie Bradshaws trappa. Alla gator omkring hennes är sjukligt vackra och välskötta. Enormt fint! Tyvärr, men förståeligt, har de riktiga ägarna satt upp en kedja och skylt om förbjud att gå/sitta/stå i trappan. Men fint att se ändå! Därefter åkte jag upp till Central Park och John Lennon Memorial, där jag satt och lyssnade på en gatumusikant som spelade Imagine. Fint och gåshud. Gick därifrån till Times Square och tog sedan bussen hem till Jersey.
Tisdag åkte jag och köpte en resväska till, packade ihop mitt rum i Jersey och åkte sedan in till Tess. På kvällen åkte vi till en tatueringsstudio på 10e avenyn och tatuerade oss. Marlies och Lauren kom och höll oss sällskap och tittade på när vi pinades. 60 dollar fattigare, men ett minne och NYC skyline inristat i våra hudar rikare firade vi sedan med varsin pizzaslice på andra sidan gatan från studion. Därefter shoppade jag och Tess salvor och vin och åkte sedan hem till henne för att smörja och beskåda konsten.
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Saturday we went to Night Nation Run. I started the day with packing my big suitcase with stuff I wouldn´t use during my last week in New York. I also had to bring some food that I would not have time to finish, so there was a lot of heavy baggage which led me to order an Uber. The Uber driver that drove me was one of the best ones I ever had. Joe, the driver, was super nice and social and we talked about everything between heaven and earth.
When I came to Tess we made American pancakes, cut some fruit and enjoyed it with Nutella and maple syrup. Yummy for my tummy! After that, we sat for some time in the sun on Tess rooftop and around 3 Madde came to join us (with a bottle of wine).
After wine and preparations (including a nap for Tess, who were so sick but really didn´t want to miss out) we headed towards Brooklyn and Aviator center where the race took place. First, we took the subway which took forever, and then we took an American school bus where we sang Swedish bus songs and disturbed the entire bus. At Night Nation Run we walked around and stood in line for different free stuff, bought drink tickets and eventually stood in line for face paint. Just a couple of minutes before it was our time Lauren and Marlies came to join us. After we had our face painted with glowing in the dark paint we walked the 5k race. The point of this “race” is, as you might have guessed, not to run it- but to just party and have fun. At different spots during the race, there was DJ-booths where we stopped and danced. And after the 5k there was an after party at a big stage.
After wine and preparations (including a nap for Tess, who were so sick but really didn´t want to miss out) we headed towards Brooklyn and Aviator center where the race took place. First, we took the subway which took forever, and then we took an American school bus where we sang Swedish bus songs and disturbed the entire bus. At Night Nation Run we walked around and stood in line for different free stuff, bought drink tickets and eventually stood in line for face paint. Just a couple of minutes before it was our time Lauren and Marlies came to join us. After we had our face painted with glowing in the dark paint we walked the 5k race. The point of this “race” is, as you might have guessed, not to run it- but to just party and have fun. At different spots during the race, there was DJ-booths where we stopped and danced. And after the 5k there was an after party at a big stage.
The entire night was an enormously funny experience, but we were a bit disappointed when it ended pretty early. Even though we didn’t get home until after 3 we could have easily kept going for a longer time. But it was really fun, no matter what.
Sunday I was supposed to go and watch a gospel choir, but I was a bit late so I never got a ticket. Therefore I walked the entire way from Harlem down to Central Park and walked around for several hours, watching the beautiful nature in the park and the loving inscriptions on the benches.
Monday I went to Brooklyn and (finally) walked the bridge over to Manhattan. Then I took the subway up to Meatpacking District and found Carrie Bradshaw´s stairs. All the streets close to hers (in the series) is incredibly beautiful and taken well care of. Unfortunately, but understandably, the real owners have put up a chain and a sign that forbids people to walk/sit/stand on the stairs. But it was nice just to walk by! After that, I headed to Central Park and Strawberry Fields, which is John Lennon’s memorial. I sat down on a bench there for some time and listened to a street musician playing and singing “Imagine”. Goosebumps. Walked from there to Times Square and took the bus home to Jersey.
Tuesday I went to Jersey Gardens and bought another suitcase, packed up the rest of my things in Jersey and took the bus in to Manhattan and Tess. Around dinnertime, we went to a tattoo studio on 10th Avenue and got our self´s one tattoo each. Marlies and Lauren came to watch and keep us company. 60 dollars poorer, but a memory and NYC skyline engraved on our bodies richer, we then celebrated with pizza on the other side from the studio. After that Tess and I went shopping for ointment and wine and then we went back to her place.
Over and out
American pancakes to die for. For real. 
