A friend of mine, whom I’ve known since kindergarten, is a Marine* at USMMA at King’s Point, New York. He recently had a week off, and he came home to good ol’ Fairhope, Alabama. He invited me to eat sushi, which we had done before in earlier years so I didn’t think much of it.

Well, he asked me to accompany him to his ring ceremony — which is apparently a big deal. There’s a huge ball afterwards, and I’ll get to wear a beautiful gown (well, the same one I wore for the last two years to Mardi Gras balls). My airfare is paid, my hotel is paid, and all I have to worry about is spending money for all the fun! Isn’t that unbelievable?! This is why you should never forget your friends; they’ll be there to make you feel great when you’re down.

 
This is Gotham Hall, in Manhattan, which is where the ball will take place. I’m so intimidated by it.

On the agenda are also the Must-Dos. You know…hail a cab, eat a hot dog from a cart, Statue of Liberty, eat a reuben at a real Jewish deli, Museum of Natural History, MoMA, Central Park, etc. And with the encouragement of Jen, I’ll be looking like this the whole time:

 

I’m also thinking about going on some job interviews. They’re secret, though. I’ll never reveal my career aspirations! It would stress me out if you knew.

* Edit: Below is an excerpt from an email I received from the “Marine:”
I liked your post about NYC. Just one mistake though! I’m not a marine. I’m a midshipman at the USMMA, and will be a 2nd Lieutenant in the Navy/3^rd Mate in the Merchant Marine after graduation.  What’s the Merchant Marine then? It’s the body of U.S. Flagged ships that make up the fleet (About 1000 ships total). FYI.


I’ve never been to New York before, you know. Can I count on the wonderful Tumblr writers to have lunch with me? Also, what things should make the To-Do List?