Confessions of an aspiring globetrotter: I could watch you for a lifetime, you're my favorite movie.

Every city has its unique vibe. Despite all of its drawbacks, my hometown of San Pedro Sula is very relaxed. I've found that if you know the right people, and have enough money, you can pretty much get away with anything. Miami, one of the world's fashion meccas as well as home to the famous South Beach bikini bodies, can be pretty hectic. However, if you live in the suburbs, as I did when I was studying there, it's not that different from other cities. There's always something to do in Miami, but I find that the major obstacle to taking advantage of the city is: 1)lack of culture of most people; 2) lack of public transportation, coupled with 3) the layout of the city (it's a huge sprawl.)

And there's New York City. WOW. I really was blown away. New York's vibe is totally different. I have to be honest, my first impression of NYC was, "Is this it?" After having been to Tokyo, I expected New York's skyline to be at least as big, if not bigger, than Tokyo's. My first thought was that NYC was really overrated. However, that quickly changed. We were picked up at Newark International by my aunt, who immediately dropped us off at Weehawken so we could take the water taxi into Manhattan.

At this point, I started to get excited. It started dawning on me that after years and years of dreaming of NYC, I was finally there. Those who know me well, know that I'm not an overly expressive person - even when I'm extremely happy, I'm very capable of keeping my cool. There really have been only a few times in my life that I've gotten all giddy - and I must confess that stepping onto that boat was one of them. lol. So, we took the water taxi into Manhattan, and then a bus to 42nd street, which some of you may also know as Times Square. At first, it was all a bit overwhelming. There were just so many people! We went into a few stores around Times Square, and then walked on Fifth Avenue until we reached the Plaza. So, there I was, in New York City, with the Plaza Hotel in front of me, Central Park to my right, Tiffany's and Bergdorf & Goodman to my left, FAO Schwartz behind me. Simply amazing! The best part of it was, all throughout my stay in New York, I felt right at home.

I could sit here and write a detailed day-by-day log of everything I did while in New York: where I went, the shopping I did, what I ate, etc. I actually might do it later on (depending on how bored I am, lol.) For now, I'll just leave you with some highlights of the trip.

Central Park, as seen from the Rockefeller Observation Deck

Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side

Laduree, home of the famous Parisian macaroons, had just opened its first store on American soil. And where did it open? In New York's Upper East Side, naturally (864 Madison Avenue - I even memorized the address, lol.) There was a line to buy macaroons - that's how delicious they were. This little box of 12 macaroons cost me about $40. Had I known they were gonna be so delicious, I would've bought $100 worth. Seriously. Anyways, for those who watch Gossip Girl, these are Blair Waldorf's favorite macaroons. Now they're Krizia Bandy's favorite too. Hehe.

This is the Rockefeller Center, taken from the MSNBC lounge. Before going to the Top of the Rock, we decided to take the NBC studio tour. I'm not gonna lie - it was pretty sweet. Our guide asked us what our favorite NBC shows were, and I immediately blurted out, "30 Rock! Woo." LOL. I love Tina Fey! Anyways, we got to check out the Saturday Night Live Studios! Note to self: if I ever go to a live taping of any NBC show, remember to bring a sweater - the studios are so freaking cold!

I spent so much time in Times Square that I felt like a New York native. Seriously. Pretty much everything revolves around Times Square: Penn Station, Grand Central Station, etc.

New York's iconic landmark, the Empire State Building, as seen from the Rockefeller Center. Enough said.

Airfare to NYC: $300, Food expenses: $400, Shopping expenses: $1000+, getting to see the Manhattan skyline at nighttime: PRICELESS.

And now, some pictures of fun in Miami.

Getting my drink on at The Beacon Hotel on Ocean Drive. By the way, I've lost my alcohol tolerance with the weight that I've lost. Tsk, tsk.