BLOG: Visiting the Emerald City, aka the COVID-19 capital of the country

All day on March 9, I meticulously looked through all my favorite musicals to find the perfect quote to put on Facebook. I was going to New York City for the very first time. The city that never sleeps, the land of Carrie Bradshaw and Blair Waldorf, the home of the Great White Way. 

Originally, the plan was for Alyssa Shotwell, online editor for The Signal, and Lindsay Humphrey, manager of student publications and adviser extraordinaire, to travel with me to New York for the annual College Media Association (CMA) conference. However, the day before we were to leave Houston, Alyssa and I received word that Lindsay had a cold and was advised by her doctor not to fly.

Two people who had never gone to New York City before were now on a trip to a foreign land that has a legit public transportation system and was under a constant threat of COVID-19. Even though I was super excited to go and see a Broadway show, the icons of New York City and one of my all-time favorite humans, I was legit terrified to go without someone who knew the city. Oh, yeah, and also there was COVID-19. 

Day 1: March 11
Stress level: 7.85/10

With a promise to call Lindsay at any unsure moment and some idea of a plan, Alyssa and I boarded the plane at noon, Tuesday, March 11. 

Once we landed, I rushed to the bathroom to throw my face on because I looked like a roadkill zombie. While trying to trim down my typical 45-minute routine down to 8 minutes, Alyssa started freaking out about the number of messages and missed calls, aka 95 notifications on our phones, from literally (okay, not literally, more so figuratively because I’m dramatic) everyone – CMA had canceled the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards presentation, a large part of the reason we were attending the conference in the first place.

After getting reassurance from Lindsay that we did not have to return back to Houston because the ceremony was canceled since the convention was still continuing on, we rushed out of Newark and spent 43 minutes in an Uber before we were standing at the entrance of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. 

It was an incredible sight. The lights were bright, the buildings were tall, the weather was cold and we didn’t know where all the people were – for the city that never sleeps, it was about 6 p.m. and there were a lot fewer people than we were expecting.

Once we checked into our 14th-floor room – which, by the way, I am terrified of heights and was basically crying – we sat down, called Lindsay and planned out what we were going to do for the rest of the CMA conference since events were getting canceled left and right because of COVID-19.

We got the alert – UHCL was planning to move classes all online. The threat of COVID-19 had finally hit the university. I had a panic attack.

Day 2: March 12
Stress level: 4/10

I spent the morning strolling through Manhattan, taking in all the sights of Rockefeller Center and the Paley Center and walking past all of the Broadway theatres. I was blissfully happy. 

After attending my pre-conference session – which was super enjoyable – I hopped on my first subway train. It was much cleaner and emptier than I had imagined, but it was a weird thrill ride in all honesty. 

I was meeting up with one of my friends from my time in the Disney College Program and we had an overly excited reunion under a Burger King sign. We were off exploring the financial district, the World One Trade Center and Central Park before making our way back to Times Square where we went into all the tourist traps and I ate my very first slice of New York pizza. It was fantastic and one of the best days of my life.

I got back to the hotel room to find the Houston Rodeo had been canceled because of COVID-19. It was back to reality.

Day 3: March 13
Stress level: 1,933/10

I awoke on March 13 all aflutter. I had a fourth-row ticket to “Wicked.” It was my all-time favorite musical and Lindsay Pearce had just started as Elphaba.

I was in heaven and so unbelievably excited. I did a whole green smokey eye and was about to leave the hotel room to go to our critique for The Signal’s website when disaster struck. Broadway was going dark and I would never see Lindsay Pearce defy gravity.

I drowned my sorrows in Junior’s cheesecake and “Outlander.” My heart was broken, everything was canceled and I wanted off the 14th floor and back in Houston.

Day 4: March 14
Stress level: 18/10

Everything fun for tourists was canceled. Times Square was empty. COVID-19 had taken hold. Alyssa and I debated about calling Lindsay and asking if we could come home early. I went to two of the uncancelled events CMA was holding.

The Signal took home a Gold Crown for the first time in the paper’s history. I was in the bathroom when I found out. Our excitement was marred by the fact we might have COVID-19. The university canceled all university travel. I had another panic attack thinking I would be stuck in the COVID-19 capital of the country. 

We called Lindsay. She said no matter what, we were to get on that plane tomorrow. I ate another slice of Junior’s cheesecake.

Day 5: March 15
Stress level: 999/10

Neither Alyssa or I like flying, but we were so unbelievably thrilled to be coming home. New York City had been a beautiful, stressful, COVID-19 filled wonderland and we could not wait to come back and see the city alive and healthy once again.

Back home
Stress level: 999/10

After returning home, I thought my anxiety and stress would ease, but it has been 13 days and it has yet to hit me this is my new normal. Gone are the days of hanging out with friends whenever I want, seeing a movie because of my addiction to theater popcorn or forcing people to go out to lunch. Now all I have is social media, crappy ACT II popcorn and leftovers.

While COVID-19 negatively impacted the trip to New York, it helped me open my eyes to the phenomenon of the global crisis and what it is like in a place affected more than Houston.

When we lived in Orlando, Florida, my friend said it was weird that people did not open every conversation with where they were on Sept. 11, 2001. I thought it was odd that everyone did not have a hurricane horror story. 

No matter where you are in the world, every single person alive (and capable of remembering) will have a COVID-19 story and I am unbelievably grateful that I got to experience it in NYC, the city that has so long been a part of my dreams. 

I saw Rockefeller Center, ate dessert from a Christina Tossi establishment and explored FAO Schwarz. I got to live out part of my dreams.

The hope that COVID-19 will be manageable this time next year is propelling me forward. It gives me a goal of making sure The Signal wins another Crown Award so we can go back to New York City and get to experience the true glory of the most wonderful city, a true Emerald City.

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CORRECTION: 6/11/20 – The word “down” in paragraph five was added for clarity.