Stylist.co.uk provides a forum for readers to share their unique views and talents. This week our reader columnist is Emma Bisset. She lives in Edinburgh and has recently graduated from Edinburgh University with a Business Studies degree
New York is known as the place of dreams, where budding actresses, screenwriters and models alike swarm to, all hoping to make it big and see their dreams come to life in the big lights and mayhem that is New York City. But that’s not why we went. We had graduated from university and wanted to do something that said, “Hey, look at us, we’re awesome!” So we decided a trip to the other side of the world would do.
We booked with a respected airline as one of the girls was a nervous flier and didn’t trust the cheaper airlines to “make it over the pond”. Despite getting up at 6am we were buzzing that there was more than three films showing on the plane and “YAY!” there was free brownies and we weren’t even first class!
Upon landing we got into the fastest moving taxi New York could provide and after a white knuckle ride through a rain-drenched NYC we reached our apartment. Tired and achey, we arrived at the best room ever. Sure it looked out onto an industrial site but we could see the Empire State if we went on our tippy toes! Giddy, we ran up to our rooftop to look at the view our six months of student part-time wages had bought us and squealed as we breathed in New York at her best. Muggy, noisy and unapologetic, the city was ours for the taking.
On our first night, our eyes stinging from jet lag, we drifted round in a daze, so obviously tourists we may as well have had t-shirts saying “mug us” on, gasping at every little light in Times Square. After a couple of days shopping like the UK had no concept of retail, we decided it was time to embrace our Sex And The City addiction and head to Greenwich Village.
"We had graduated from university and wanted to do something that said, “Hey, look at us, we’re awesome!” So we decided a trip to the other side of the world would do"
After a Champagne lunch (only $12, and the whole holiday was treat themed) we headed to Carrie’s house. We took photos of each other outside the doorstep with the chain, pretending this too was a feature of SATC. A Japanese couple then arrived, giggling at our exaggerated poses in tribute of Ms Bradshaw, the male of the couple then approached us and used his limited English to request a photo. Ever obliging after a Champagne lunch we heartily agreed, to which he announced “I Miranda!” To be honest, we weren’t going to argue. I always fancied myself as a bit of a Carrie and the other two could fight over who was to be Charlotte despite secretly wanting to be Samantha - slutty or not, she was cool and we all knew it.
As every respecting SATC tourist does, we then headed to buy our cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery and after the most intense sugar rush of my life I crashed on the subway as we headed back to the apartment. We made pasta in the flat and then took a bottle of wine up to our rooftop and watched the sunset, surrounded by residents of our apartment block who had brought cucumber and dip for the event. The bottle of wine we had bought was aptly called Celebration, and even though my friend picked it up purely on the basis of its $6 price tag, I like to think it was a sign. We all certainly did when we took numerous photos of us pointing to said bottle with a look of excitement on our faces as if it had all been part of the plan. It may as well have said “Graduates” because that bottle was for us.
If you’re trying to decide whether to go to New York or not, all I can say is go because you will never appreciate the magic of someone else’s memories until you create your own, and NY is the place to do it!
Pictures: Getty Images
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