When in New York City: NYC on NYD

Start spreading the news: New York City on new year's day.

It’s another one for my books. I made it to this town, ticking off another entry on my must-go-to list—New York City. And what a more perfect time to be there than New Year's Day.

However, let me tell you that I didn't exactly make it to the Big Apple's center of action to catch the ball drop at Times Square when the clock struck twelve. I was in Texas during the NYE countdown. In the company of friends, we counted emptied bottles long before midnight. when an SOS alarm pealed. It was a "Houston, we have a problem" kind of emergency. The booze was long gone before midnight, and where to buy more was a problem.

Maybe it was for the best. The flight to the East was at an early hour on the first day of the year.

We made it to the "city that doesn’t sleep" just before the sun set on the horizon. New York exudes a different kind of energy. It was quite exhilarating to finally feel it. It's been years since I have so wanted to visit this place, since Cats debuted on Broadway. That’s how long it was. No matter, I finally made it to New York City and realized a dream.

Nothing beats kicking off a new year in a bucket-listed destination. It’s a dream come true. It signals more fabulous things are coming my way for sure.

Host and BFF Tenny made sure we lived in the center of the action and checked in to a chic hotel in Upper Manhattan a block away from Radio City Music Hall, the Rockefeller Center (where it was difficult to get a good photo with the iconic Christmas tree with everyone present wanting the same thing), the Museum of Modern Art, Central Park, and Fifth Avenue, the most important street for the shopaholics.

In the Yuletide season, nightfall in New York is breathtaking. It's when the city is twice as bright. The giant electronic billboards and neon lights simultaneously flash with the millions of Christmas lights.

I wanted to explore the bustling metropolis and lose my way in the big avenues and the smaller streets—and witness if the city truly doesn't sleep. No luck this time. The winter wind blowing with bravado, dropping the temperature to negative feels and making the task impossible to fulfill. It was the universe telling me to call it a night and gather strength for the next day's exploration.