Fall Break in New York 🍁

Hi Blog Readers! This past weekend was fall break. Fall break at Wellesley is a long weekend every year in mid-October where we do not have classes on the Monday (Indigenous Peoples’ Day) and Tuesday. Combined with the weekend, that is four days off. Wellesley students like to use fall break to travel, rest, and catch up on schoolwork. During my freshman and sophomore year fall breaks, I stayed on campus and went on day trips to Boston and Salem. Last year, I visited a friend in Rhode Island. This fall break, I went to New York City and stayed with my aunt! I’ll use this post to provide a quick recap. 

On Saturday morning, I took the Wellesley school shuttle, the Loco, into Boston and got off at the stop near Newbury Street. Then, I walked twenty minutes to South Station. I took the Amtrak from South Station to Penn Station in NYC. After a four-hour long Amtrak ride, I arrived in the Big Apple! My aunt picked me up, and we grabbed dinner in Koreatown before taking the Subway back to her home in Queens. 

Right after I stepped outside of Penn Station. After spending so much time in a more secluded Wellesley campus, it’s always a brief moment of culture shock to be in the hustle-bustle of NYC

Koreatown

On Sunday, I went into the city to grab lunch with my best friend who goes to university in NYC. It was so much fun to yap and catch up! We spent the rest of the day roaming around East Village and window shopping. We parted ways that evening, and I headed straight to an uncle’s house in Queens for dinner. They had invited a bunch of relatives over for dinner, and it was crazy to see aunts, uncles and cousins who I had not seen in literally years! 

Yummy Chinese food for lunch at the restaurant Che Li

Rainy East Village

Meeting my cousin’s dog for the first time!

After that hectic Sunday, Monday was a more chill day. I mostly spend the day staying at my aunt’s home to rest and do some homework. That evening, my aunt and I went to Jackson Heights for some shopping and dinner. 

Jackson Heights, my fave neighborhood in NYC

My train back to Boston was early Tuesday morning, so I had to get up at 4:30am (😵) to head from Queens to Penn Station. Tuesday was a long travel day, and needless to say, I was pretty exhausted when I got back to my dorm room that afternoon.

Train back to Boston

Overall, this fall break was exactly what I needed—a good mix of seeing friends and family while also resting. I have had some bouts of sickness this semester, so I felt extra appreciative to be in a home setting, sleep in a large bed, and have my aunt’s warm, yummy, home-cooked meals. 

Some healthy, yummy home-cooked meals from my aunt

I hope this provided some insight into what Wellesley students do during their time off from classes! Thank you for reading.