As time flies (and it sure flies fast) we are about to reach the midpoint of our stay here. Seriously? I am both happy and sad. Happy for all the great experiences I got to experience so far, for all the awesome friends I've made and amazing people I've met. Sad, because I'll have to go home in May, and for the goodbyes I'll have to say. Some say the glass is half-empty, some say the glass is half-full, and the glass is still half-full… It can only get even more epic.

One of the perks of being a D.C. intern is its proximity to cities as Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. While D.C. is amazing place, it's nice to leave and have an adventure in a different city, far away from class and work. My friends and I decided we had to visit New York, and so we did.

Leaving

Saturday morning, 4:00 a.m. my alarm clock starts to beep annoyingly. After a 60-minute power nap I try to awaken myself with a cold shower. Still tired I leave the building to catch my bus to New York at Union station. We're really blessed to have Union station within a 10-minute walk from the RAF (Residential and Academic Facility), inciting us to go on numerous adventures.

At the bus stop we board the dark and packed Megabus. Megabus is a great company for students to travel. With tickets as low as $1 (sadly, I didn't get this rate) it's the ideal method of transportation for the poor students we are. It's not the fanciest ride you'll ever have, but who cares? Although it was way too hot, the seats could be reclined too far (the person in front of me was basically lying in my lap) and it sounded as if the driver was drunk (she wasn't though, the intercom just needed some serious repair) I had a fairly comfortable drive to New York.

Exploring New York City

There we were, in the big city of New York, completely unprepared (that was so stupid) in the soaking rain. What would we do all day long in that weather? It poured all day and it was so foggy that we couldn't see the rooftops of most buildings. We asked our beloved iPhones where we had to go. We explored Times Square, which was not that pretty in the rain. "Let's just go to the Empire State Building", "Where is the Empire State Building?", "Is this the Empire State Building?", "Sure? Cause I can only see half the building because of the fog" -- that's what we were thinking. And when your friends, who happen to be female, see a shopping street, you're completely lost. Boy, do I hate Forever 21 with its million floors. Thank god for my friends not being that into shopping that day.

Next up: 9/11 memorial. We saw (a way too flashy) subway sign and hopped in. If you think the D.C. metro is complicated, then don't try the New York City subway. It's old, dirty, extremely confusing and the platforms are astonishingly small. Fortunately and surprisingly we survived. After a quick bite at Subway we walked to the 9/11 memorial space. This, quiet, oasis in the middle of the city is a beautiful remembrance of those who lost their lives on that horrible day in 2001. Even to me, as a European, this place was very emotional. I still remember seeing the images of this horrific and cowardly act as an 11-year-old boy while doing my homework at my grandma's. Little did I know what impact it would have on the United States and the world in general.

The memorial had emotionally drained our minds and we needed a hot chocolate from Starbucks to regain our powers and to warm up (it was literally freezing that day). Subsequently we hopped from the Brooklyn Bridge to Chinatown, where we had a lovely meal, but what a big dish (the picture shows my leftovers, yeah, leftovers). We were so tired, and therefore we ended our night calmly by going to the movies (Django Unchained) at Times Square and going for a midnight walk at Times Square (this place is so much better at night). Afterwards we went to bed in our crappy hotel where we basically didn't sleep a wink.

Because of the horrible hotel, we woke up at 6 a.m. to continue our adventures. We visited Grand Central Station where we had a small breakfast. This train station is gorgeous; the main hall is especially amazing! Our journey back to the Empire State Building was quite the fail. Turns out I am not that good at taking the subway in New York after all. When we finally found our way back, we decided not to go to the top of the Empire State Building. Although, the weather was okay, we saved our money to go up when we're coming back in spring, the view must be so much better then. We just decided to grab a second breakfast instead (yeah, that happened).

Since we were so tired, we decided to take it easy. We would come back in spring after all. So we did another shopping trip (I do hate a 3-story Victoria's Secret), went for a walk in Central Park, and ate at the crappiest restaurant in the world. McDonald's and a Macy's visit later we had to take the bus back home. Although I had a great time in New York, I was still disappointed. "Is this it? Is this the city that I've wanted to visit since I was a little toddler?" I blame the weather, our unpreparedness and our exhaustion for this disappointment. I can't wait to go back later this spring to experience the New York that I've been dreaming about practically all my life.