Bring on the ice
New York lived up to expectations: it was a cold, wet, and miserable place... packed to the brim with cool stuff to do, awesome friends to do it with, and bountiful Smirnoffs to ice them with. Which is to say: super chill, all around.
Week 1: ¡Viva Los Luchadores!
We spent our first week posted up at Bridgette and Eric's ridiculously pimp pad on the Upper East Side - infinity thanks again! It was the perfect place to unwind and shift gears to holy-shit-we're-not-working-anymore mode.
It was also a consistent source of entertainment: anytime Matthew came over, he got grilled by the doorman, who was quite certain this supposed "friend" was some kind of homeless hooligan up to no good.
Smart move on Soph's part here: no better way to highlight your own good looks than placing these two bros by your side
We mostly took it easy and established a routine we stuck with for the remainder of our stay. Mornings and afternoons were spent posted up in coffee shops, planning our year abroad. Evenings were spent chillin' with our friends, exploring the beer scene, and watching March Madness games.
We were even able to meet up with Kate, who was in NY for an art trip!
That first weekend we cranked up the rage-o-meter. The crew got to meet the illustrious Kholood, and after a go-big-or-go-home bottomless mimosa brunch, we jetted off to the legendary 18-and-over latino nightclub La Boom.
Locked, loaded, and ready to ROCK
We weren't there for raucous Rhumba, though. Introducing: Kaiju Big Battel, an epic intergalactic smackdown where Kaiju monsters duke it out for galactic glory.
Not shown here: Waffle Man, who threatened to destroy Brooklyn with (and I quote) "the power of gentrification"
The crowd was a hilarious mix of spectators. There were boisterous hipsters crushing coronas (see below); there were cheering children crushing our collective ears; and there was a handful of grown-ass men, so thoroughly into the show that they almost became our primary entertainment.
Not shown here: whatever is happening waist-level to Alejandro on the right
From there, things started getting rowdy. Matthew beer-for-life'd me...
... and I beer-for-life'd him right back.
Jandro and Matthew then conspired with the bartender at ICONYC brewery to serve me glass of Smirnoff Ice and present it as a "special sour"...
... so revenge was served Ice-cold. You get the idea.
Week 2: Two Takes on St. Patricks Day
The following week we moved to an AirBnb a few blocks away from Matthew in the LES. Soph finally got to visit Tiny's and taste the fabled Spicy Rizzak ("Light of my life! Fire of my loins!"), and Matthew took his 'cinno making skills out for one more spin.
The fabled Matthewcinno!
The following weekend the bros split from the hoes (or the hoes split from the bros, depending on whose telling the tale) for some solo bro/ho time.
Snuffaluffagus and yours truly went on an epic nature quest to hike the State Line Trail (right on the border of New Jersey and New York). Due to the previous nights' festivities, we got up a tad too late, and had to life-or-death sprint through Times Square (on St. Patrick's day) en route to barely making our bus.
Still basking in our righteous bus catching skills, we might have, um, gotten off a stop or two too early, added a few miles to our (now hitch-)hike.
A good bus-catcher does not a good bus-disembarker make
We eventually found the trailhead and proceeded to shred the snowy slopes. The view from the top was absolutely ridiculous.
This photo is copyright of Matthew Gilberson Photography and was used entirely without permission
Meanwhile, the girls were out doing their St. Patrick's Day girl thing. I think they also did some super awesome manly get-dirty-in-the-woods kinda stuff, but all I could find is pictures of them drinking bud light, so the jury is still out.
One of these days we'll make enough money to be able to afford good beer
I do know that Bridgette and Soph got in some quality girl time, and Bridge asked Soph to be her co-maid of honor! I image there was a flurry of oh-my-god's, of-course's, and hugs-all-around. Or maybe just a "sure bro, pass the bud?"
Either way, congrats Soph, and Bridge, we can't wait for the wedding!