We seniors recently (the last week of February) went on the famous New York trip, which has been an RMA tradition since the 1970s! I remember being in Middle School and eagerly waiting for my turn; I was so jealous of the seniors going to NYC! Now I can definitely say it was an experience none of us will ever forget and was well worth the wait. 

Our schedule was jam-packed with fun activities designed to show us the best of NYC in only 3 days. After an overnight bus ride leaving RMA at 11 pm Sunday night, we arrived Monday morning and started our day off right away with a walking tour around central Manhattan. We got to see unique stores and huge buildings, and with the weather being so nice, we also got to enjoy a walk through Central Park and saw the John Lennon Memorial. After a quick lunch break, we made our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we split up into groups and wandered through the museum, trying to see as much as possible with over 3.5 million items on display. My personal favorite part was the Roman and Greek statue room, which was filled with intricate detail and beautiful pieces like pillars from an old colosseum. We then headed back to the hotel to get dressed for dinner at Carmine’s and the first of two Broadway shows. 

Like every senior class before ours, we ate at Carmine’s, a rustic Italian restaurant with huge, delicious portions. Jodie Coble shares that she loved their vodka pasta in addition to their massive dessert coined “The Titanic” (essentially an oversized brownie sundae). Following our hefty meal, we walked a few blocks to Broadway and enjoyed my personal favorite show, SIX (which is about Henry VIII’s 6 wives and how their stories are unique). With loud, upbeat music and crazy lighting effects, all of us were on the edge of our seats enjoying the show! We then split up for a couple of hours of free time. Some of us opted to call it an early night, while others decided to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, which Parker Sherrod and many other seniors agree was the best part of the trip and created special memories for us as seniors. 

The next day we were up early to go visit the set of the NBC Today Show. (Some of you may have seen us featured on live television!) We got to meet Jenna Bush Hagar and Al Roker, shaking their hands and taking pictures. After grabbing breakfast, we went to the top of the Rockefeller Tower and took some pictures before checking out Grand Central Terminal, which is a major train station and tourist destination thanks to its sights, history, architecture, dining, and shopping. To walk off our lunch from the Terminal, we set off on a walking tour and got to see fancy stores such as Gucci and Tiffany & Co. and famous buildings like Trump Tower. After some souvenir shopping on our own, we met up for dinner at Moynihan Train Station and headed to Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks vs. the Pelicans. To end the night, a few of us roamed around Times Square, some on foot and some on bikes, while others headed back to the hotel to turn in early and prepare for our last day in the Big Apple. 

On Wednesday, we woke up and departed straight for the 9/11 Museum and Memorial. This museum was such a good way for all of us to understand and respect everything that happened that day in 2001 and is now one of my favorite museums of all time. We all took some time to read the articles and look around before having lunch at the Westfield World Trade Center food court. Afterwards, we drove by the Statue of Liberty for a quick photo op before heading to Chinatown to drop off half of our senior class. While one group spent their time finding great deals and buying faux Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel in Chinatown, the other half went back to Times Square, where some chose shopping and the rest of us went bowling. We were all on our own for dinner and met up after to walk to Broadway one last time to watch MJ (a musical about Michael Jackson), which was such a bright and exciting performance with crazy special effects. Unfortunately, that was the end of our trip, and we all had to say our goodbyes to New York. Although we had an amazing time, no one was too upset, as after a jam-packed 3-day schedule, we were all ready to crash in our own beds! Jessica Proctor shares about our experience that “it was a great change of scenery, but I’m happy to be back home.” 

We are so lucky to have had this opportunity, and I know we will treasure these memories for the rest of our lives. Thank you to Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Tucker for making this such a memorable trip!